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Took the front suspension off and replaced the gaiters! What are these made of that makes them split?

Cheers Paul,

1976 TR7 FHC (ACG 3115)
1977 TR7V8 3.9 FHC rally car (ACG 35005)
1980 TR7V8 3.5 DHC

www.Triumph-Cars.co.uk
All on the road and currently working!

Probably a lack of vent holes, so they’ll blow up on suspension bump.

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I think its cheap materials for repro parts. I have had it with both the suspension and steering gaiters, and others with the ball joint gaiters (see other thread on this subject). The rubber seems to lose it after a couple of years. In contrast my Saabs are up to 17 years old and still have the original gaiters on both.

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC

noticed my strut gaiters are shredded too when i changed my balljoint and track rod end gaiters,.......... added them to my list,..............


Dave...

the project at birth, watch it evolve...I hope...

Good day

out of interest, i have to replace my one year old shredded gatiers ( lack of vent hole noted) - can this be done without removing the whole units..?

Ta

Manny

Simple answer - No, it's a spring off job
I recall seeing gaiters that had a side fastening many years ago but I haven't seen them for ages. They weren't very good anyway and would be a bugger to fit.
Another tip is to put a light smear of silicone grease on them to keep the rubber conditioned

CamGTS wrote:Simple answer - No, it's a spring off job
I recall seeing gaiters that had a side fastening many years ago but I haven't seen them for ages. They weren't very good anyway and would be a bugger to fit.
Another tip is to put a light smear of silicone grease on them to keep the rubber conditioned

Le pantalon!! okay ..thanks..added to the winter list jobs

I put on a coating of Maguire's Vinyl and Rubber Restorer on all my rubber parts and let it soak for a day or so. Seems to help but that's anecdotal.

I've had fiesta strut gaiters on mine for about 20 years, still seem fine, think they are the same as ka as well.

That’s good to know...... Ford Ka

I’d hope that Ford’s gaiters wouldn’t be made from liquorice like the ball joint boots I bought a few years ago. They arrived in a sealed “Made in India” bag and lasted less than 500 miles / 12 months before falling apart. I smeared their replacements in red rubber grease which are yet to fall apart.

They are made of a flexible plastic rather than rubber, seems to last well though.

I vaguely remember having to make the holes in the top larger as well.

I had similar problems with some pattern ball joint gaiters I fitted to my wifes MX5, they had fallen appart after a year and I noticed the day before the MOT, its now got a pair my dad had which probably date back to the consul classic he had in the 70's they seem to be lasting fine though.

I have several classics, dodgy rubber parts seem to be one of the biggest problems accross all brands nowadays.

It doesn't have to be this way.

I just replaced the struts on the back of my shopping trolley, bush basher 2002 Mazda 323 SP20 hatch. This is used as a run about, but also to drive 500M return down the paddock to the dam to start the pump, or 1Km return to the river to start that pump. It gets a hard life.

The valves had come loose in the struts, & were clattering around. It didn't worry me, but did worry my lady. I bought everything I might need & did the job one night. I now have a new set of antiroll bar drop links, & dust boots on the shelf. The drop links & the strut boots were as new, & even looked it when washed free of dust & grime.

Surely if Mazda in Japan can make dust boots that are in good condition after 18 years, & 170,000 kilometres, some of that driving around rough paddocks, we can find some that would fit our struts.

The dust covers are not really necessary, only needed because of some silly roadworthy law. In the 60s I offered exchange reconditioned struts for Ford, mainly Cortina in Oz, & Triumph 2000 & its descendants. None of these had dust covers, & most had unworn shafts at 100,000 miles when reconditioned.

Hasbeen

busheytrader wrote: They arrived in a sealed “Made in India” bag and lasted less than 500 miles / 12 months before falling apart.

The bag they came in was probably made outta better quality materials than the parts!

Ha ha!

Strut gaiters / bellows / dust covers etc are necessary here in the UK, not just for the annual test. I don’t intentionally drive mine in the wet but salt residue and condensation will find a way to corrode the chrome finish.

My uprated rear shox have lasted over 30 years, not so on the front thanks to gaiters that resembled Nora Batty’s stockings in less than a year. Thankfully the last pair from a local motor factors several years ago are still in good shape.

busheytrader wrote:Ha ha!

.... resembled Nora Batty’s stockings in less than a year. ....

someone just revealed too much information... what did you do....?