Try doing your own
vulcanizing!
The idea is to use a tire repair kit - =
like the
type that one uses for bicycles.
I cut a strip of old inner tube, and =
then use the
vulcanizing adhesive that comes with the kit, for adhering the strip to =
the torn
boot..
BTW: I couldn't find self-vulcanizing =
tape either,
hence - the tip listed above.
Marshall Ruskin
Dear
Vanagoneers!
I =
searched
the vanagon site while reading how to replace a ball joint due to a =
cracked
boot and came across some info about self Vulkenizing =
tape. (see
below) I was unable to find out where you get it, what members =
experience
with it was, or what its brand name is?? (All the posters have =
vacated their
email addresses, I hope not due to the tape!)
If anybody =
knows
anything more about it I'd love to hear from you,
Thanks,
- Peter
'87 Syncro =
84K
Honda CBR
600 23K
Reply to: printstud@bigfoot.com
Date:
Thu, 21 Nov 96 20:05:10
EST
Sender: Vanagon =
Mailing
List
=
<vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: =
jag@cs.rochester.edu
Subject:&nbs=
p;
Save your ball =
joints!
Do you
have an early 80's Vanagon, or similar vintage VW? VW
uses
"permanently lubricated" joints in the suspension =
on the
late model
busses. Grease is kept in and dirt kept out by a =
flexible
rubber
boot. This works well, saving you (or your mechanic) from =
having
to
"lube", but only for a while. After 10 years or so, =
the
rubber usually
cracks, and the previously sealed joint is now =
exposed to
the
elements. The Bentley manual says: replace ball =
joint!
I
noticed this summer that the rubber boots on my ball joints =
were
getting
brittle and one of them had cracked. However the =
joints
themselves were
still ok, and the suspension "tight"(*). Instead
of
replacing the joints per Bentley, I thought about other
solutions:
Replacing the boot: about as difficult as =
replacing
the joint, since
the joint has to be taken out to slip a new boot =
over
it.
"Renew" the boot: Well how can you do that? =
Self
vulcanizing (or self
curing) rubber tape is a product, which much =
like a
inner tube rubber
patch chemically bonds to itself and other =
rubber. The
tape however is
much thinner and elastic than even racing bicycle =
tube
patches.
To apply the tape on the old boots I first =
thoroughly
cleaned
everything and let it dry. Then I applied a thin coat of
vulcanizing
solution (as found in tire repair kits) to the old =
boot. The
tape
cures to itself without any extra solution, but the old =
boots had
a
dry and cracked surface, which needed to be softened to make =
the
tape
stick. I waited a minute or two for the solution to work, =
and
then
applied a thin layer (two overlapping turns) of tape =
stretched
to
about half its original thickness.
Before sealing =
the one
cracked boot I also injected a little new
grease through the
crack.
When I inspected the joints 6 month later (this =
weekend) I
found that
the repaired boots still look fine, and were as =
flexible as
when I
first put the tape on.
(*) I checked the front =
end for
"tightness" by lifting the bus and
trying to rock the =
wheel in
all directions. Is there a better way to
do =
this?
/Martin and
'82 diesel westy
--
Martin
=
Jagersand &nbs=
p;
email: jag@cs.rochester.edu
Computer Science
=
Department &nb=
sp;
jag@cs.chalmers.se
University of
Rochester
Fax: (716) 461-2018
Rochester, NY
14627-0226 WWW: =
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/
<=
/FONT>