TOPIC: 1973 controls friction adjustment

Last time I had the controls apart the little pad from the friction adjuster arm was in bits in the bottom of the case. Now that I have a good throttle cable the throttle will back off slowly when running.

Any idea what the little pad was made of? I'm thinking I'll cut a little piece and glue it back on the arm so the tension adjust works. I was thinking either an old leather belt or some sort of thicker felt, like a furniture floor protector. Any thoughts on which will be best?