Well, Briggs does not give any specs or tolerances regarding the fit of the rockers to the shaft. If it is just so "close" that you can barely detect the slight grip between the two parts, I would not worry about it, expansion of the rocker arm when heated up may cause a much lighter contact between the two parts. If these parts are being re-used, I would feel comfortable in knowing that they had already been in service prior with no issues. If you still feel like they are way too tight, try buffing the shaft surfaces with some 1" wide strips of 600 grit "wet or dry" auto body sand paper cut lengthwise from an 8-1/2" X 11" standard sheet of the stuff from automotive parts stores. I would not use anything coarser than 600 grit, and be certain you thoroughly wash away any residue from your efforts before final assembly. It may also be possible that you have inverted the shaft from its original orientation, and thus encountered a "wear pattern" that has been established already. Rocker arms, by the nature of how they are loaded in service, only wear on 1/2 of the diameter of the rocker and of the shaft. The rocker arms wear on their lower surface (bottom half of circle) and the rocker arm shaft wears on its lower surface (also bottom half) because the upthrust of the valve springs and the camshaft/push rods causes the respective portions of each component to bear the load only on the areas I described. If you somehow flipped the rocker arm shaft upside down, you may now be feeling some interference caused by "cold flow" of material on the rocker arms and the shaft. Try the rocker arm shaft in various orientations to see if there is a position where the fit is a bit looser. If you find this sweet spot, assemble it this way. This post was edited by mownie on Sun, Apr 27, 14 at 21:29

Easily worth the buck you paid! Is it wood and real caning or plastic? It's a copy of an old Victorian rocker....or maybe the real thing, restored, but not likely. How about a closer look? Linda C

The back of the chair. Close up of the damage. This post was edited by drgnrose24 on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 13:30

I think I remember seeing those for sale at Walmart or somewhere. Its a great deal for only a dollar. I don't think you can even get a candy bar for a dollar anymore anywhere. The chair is not hand caned but rather has web, in a cane style, used. It is just screwed together and there is not real woodworking craftsmanship involved. This piece is not likely to obtain heirloom status in the future. A fantastic bargain at only one dollar though and it is already put together for you, unlike that one featured on eBay.