Shock Absorber Boots

Archives of Posts to the NZ MX5 List back in 2001
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Keith Cook

Shock Absorber Boots

Post by Keith Cook » Wed Nov 28, 2001 4:47 pm

Fletch.
How are those boots behaving now? Do you know the Part No.? I have just
visited are local (Invercargill) dealers and am unable to identify what you
were describing. (you will appreciate that the market is somewhat smaller
down here!). The local Mazda outlet wants $81 ea. incl.

jeff w

Shock Absorber Boots

Post by jeff w » Wed Nov 28, 2001 5:22 pm

you might want to try Pedders/Midas/suspension-shop.
I picked up some bright red boots (comes with monster
zip-ties) from Pedders @$21/ea. But it turns out I
didn't need 'em. Used it to replace Peter's dessicated
boots though.

--- Keith Cook <keith.cook@paradise.net.nz> wrote:
[...]

simple
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Why yes, actually I do run this site.
Posts: 129
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 5:19 pm

Shock Absorber Boots

Post by simple » Wed Nov 28, 2001 10:20 pm

Those boots Fletcher mentioned were installed on my car.

I don't have the box here with me, but I should be able to lay my
hands on it on the weekend. Fletcher also has one of the boxes
(which he has probably lost). They came two to a box and were
intended for the steering - all up cost for the set of 4 was $40. We
reused my original bumpstops.

Only difficulty encountered with boots/bumpstops was when drilling
out one of the bumpstops (for the larger size of the Konis), the
'washer' in the end of the bumpstop tore out of the rubber - no real
ripping/damage, just that the washer wasn't attached any more.

Tried gluing it back on with contact adhesive (the trusty Ados F2),
but that was not successful - maybe if we had more time available
for the glue to cure. I don't think that the washer/bumpstop join is
under a great deal of load normally, but when the car is up on
stands & the suspension is hanging down, the boot is stretched
quite a lot & pulls hard on the bumpstop. From what I can see,
under normal circumstance, the bumpstop is pretty much held up
where it should be by the boot. I need to have a closer look
sometime.

I had a digital camera with me for the shock absorber install, so
took over 100 photos (135 Meg total) of the whole process. I like to
have pictures :-)

Overall, the shocks are great. I had them set on half/quarter
firmness for front & back (can't remember which was which) for a
couple of weeks - they worked fine but didn't seem to be giving me
any new thrills for my money.

Since then (a month) I've had them set to full firmness, which I love.
Going around corners at speed is much more positive.

Note: I have aftermarket springs lowering the car (installed by a
previous owner) - these springs are presumably not the same
stiffness as stock, so my settings for firmness may not be
consistent with what suits other people's cars. It's a personal taste
thing too.


Karl.


On 28 Nov 2001, at 16:47, Keith Cook wrote:

[...]

Keith Cook

Shock Absorber Boots

Post by Keith Cook » Wed Nov 28, 2001 10:57 pm

Thanks for that Karl. Look forward to your finding that box! I surmise from what you say that there may be an optimum direction to drill from. i.e carefully so as to not catch as the drill breaks through and downwards so as to keep pressure on the "washer". That sound sensible?

Michael & Kate Cooper

Shock Absorber Boots

Post by Michael & Kate Cooper » Thu Nov 29, 2001 7:48 am

Hi! We had the same problem as Karl with the washer tearing off. I think
if you can find a way to secure the washer in the vice by putting the bump
stop lower in the vice this helps stop the washer turning and tearing off.
We also tried gluing it - to no avail, so ended up using cloth tape (from
mitre 10) which seemed to do the trick - looked a bit weird, though! (By
the way, cloth tape is wonderful stuff - really strong and sticky - I use it
a lot)

The steering rack boots were bought from Repco at a cost of $68.80 for two
packs of two - just packaged in plastic. We didn't try a suspension
specialist, though.

Good luck!

simple
Why yes, actually I do run this site.
Why yes, actually I do run this site.
Posts: 129
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 5:19 pm

Shock Absorber Boots

Post by simple » Sun Dec 02, 2001 10:44 pm

The shock absorber boots I bought are "Cedele" brand. The box
(10cm cube) is mainly red & black with "Boot Kit" written on 5
sides. There's a label that says "SRB000/2 Steering Rack Boot".
I bought them from a suspension specialist.

One box contains 2 boots collapsed in on themselves (pull the
ends out) & 4 cable ties. They're designed with a section at each
end which has a series of steps, each of reduced diameter - you
cut it off at the diameter you want. If anyone really wants to see, I
can email digital photos of uncut boots, boots cut to size, with
bumpstop attached, and installed on a shock.

On advice of the man at the suspension shop, we punched four
small holes (about 3/16th inch) in each boot to allow some airflow.
This is an arguable point which I'm not qualified (or interested) to
argue about. Various people say various things. eg.
- Holes will suck dust in.
- Shocks are sealed against dust anyway.
- Having no holes & leaving the boot sealed will suck oil out of the
shocks (I consider this improbable, but I don't know).

As for drilling the bumpstop, the approach we used was to try to
grip the edges of the washer in a vice - wasn't overly successful.
I'm not sure that there is any guaranteed method for clamping &
drilling it - enlarging holes with a drill bit is always prone to
catching, in my experience. If I were doing it again & wanted to
make sure of not ripping out the washer, I'd try using my Dremel &
grind out the hole, or try reaming it by hand with a sharp reamer. I
am noted for obsessive behaviour though :-)


Karl.

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[...]

zorruno
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Black is the new black.
Posts: 601
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:20 pm
Location: An Eastern Beach

Shock Absorber Boots

Post by zorruno » Wed Dec 05, 2001 8:23 pm

I'm interested in the longish term results... Think it is an excellent idea
though - A couple of questions (rhetorical?)

1. Doesn't putting a hole in them sort of defeat the dust limiting
properties? (Various person)
2. The factory boots you buy are sealed 100% aren't they?
3. Aren't steering boots designed to flex sideways and not up and down
continuously?

Also, when doing my shocks (Another Fletcher masterpiece) I split a washer
from the bump stop. I used 2 pot Araldite (sp?), seems to hold pretty well.
I think with practice you could drill using a sharp bit and a vice and not
split them.


[...]
drilling it - enlarging holes with a drill bit is always prone to
catching, in my experience. If I were doing it again & wanted to
make sure of not ripping out the washer, I'd try using my Dremel &
grind out the hole, or try reaming it by hand with a sharp reamer. I
am noted for obsessive behaviour though :-)


Karl.

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--
[...]
(z)

Keith Cook

Shock Absorber Boots

Post by Keith Cook » Wed Dec 05, 2001 9:36 pm

Try blocking the ends of a boot and then pushing them together whill
holding a seal. Impossible. Admittedly their will be some leakage around
the shock body but I seriously doubt it is enough. When I went to "hobby
engineering" at Night Tech many years ago I'm sure that we were taught
that a drill to be used to drill sheet metal (ie washers) should be
sharpened to a steep angle point. Don't know the degrees but at least
twice normal. This might be the answer. I may let you know!

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