On Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:34:09 -0800, "Bill Noble"
wrote:

I made a mount for my Nuvi using a standard ball bearing for the ball -
heated it up to remove some of the temper and drilled it and threaded it,
and then made a shaft to fit and appropriate mounting bracketry to hold it
where I wanted it. I can't imagine any reason to make the ball - you can
order bearing balls in brass or various other materials as well off of ebay
or any of the usual suppliers

Here's why I made my own ball - turning an aluminum ball to the
accuracy needed for this job is fast and easy. I made the entire mount
from scraps I had in stock, in about 2 hours, and that included a lot
of getting in and out of the car for test fitting. The mount is an
1/8" plate about 2" square and curved slightly in both dimensions.
Welded to that at an angle is a 3/8" coupling nut drilled and tapped
for a locking screw. The ball shaft telescopes in the coupling nut.
The plate is attached in the perfect spot with two-sided tape to some
dash plastic.

Wayne