A core lifter having lifter bar with an elongate blade which carries a coupling head received in an elongate lifter bar coupling receiver formed in the base configured to permit pivotable, swiveling and/or translational misalignment or tolerance compensation during core lifter assembly, installation, and operation in a plastic formable material molding apparatus, including during mold cycling advantageously preventing core lifter binding and extending core lifter life. A preferred lifter has a lifter bar formed of a blade to which a lifter bar coupling ball is attached that is received in an elongate longitudinally extending channel having a transverse cross section complementary to the ball defining a bearing race in which the ball is received enabling slidable pivoting, swiveling and slidable movement of the ball and blade relative thereto including while the ball and blade are slidably moving along the race in a longitudinal or lengthwise direction relative to the base.