Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[drdean]

Hi Guys

I've got a Ford E93A Ford Pop 10 HP special. I seem to be having a recurring problem in that every year my front brake boot rubbers seem to keep splitting.

I know some guys who have had the same boot rubbers on for donkey's years but mine seem to need replacing every year. I've noticed that the rubbers are under immense strain when the steering is on full lock.

Hopefully I've successfully attached a couple of photos to illustrate this.

OS of car with wheel at full left lock. You can't really see it from the photo but the cable angle is quite acute here when viewed from above. It's the stress of the rubber on hte cable that seems to be causing the splitting.



NS of car with brake boot unbolted...



I don't know if its the hex section at the end of the cable that is stressing the rubber when the brakes are applied. I suspect that its the the angle at which the cable comes out of the brake wedge/wheel plate. As I say when at full lock in either direction the front facing edge of the rubber boots are under immense stress.

Any ideas what is wrong here?

Cheers
Dean

[Phil - Nottingham]

They are standard Girling - I have them on my Rover P2 and I gave up replacing them years ago. I have never seen intact ones on any car so I would be interested to know where to get some long lasting ones.

Some owners have made soft leather ones that do last
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[Penman]

Hi
I wonder if one of the rubber type compounds used to make plaster models could be used to make them, with more material to allow for a greater swing.
Probably need to chat to a modeller for advice on durability/grease resistance etc.
Broadly, i mean this sort of stuff.
http://www.acc-silicones.com/products/mouldingrubbers/additioncuresiliconemouldingrubber.ashx
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[Kelsham]

It is probably the rubber compound they are made from. I have had problems with replacement rubber parts supplied aftermarket.

For example water hoses which split after two months, and carb mountings where the rubber pulled away from the metal after six months. Both supplied by a reputable company.

All rubber compounds are not the same, I suspect that the suppliers just use the most easily sourced.

Regards Kels.

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

I agree with Phil, I have them on the Jowett. I apply liberal amounts of grease to the protruding parts and that allows the boot to slide - in my case - on the rod, but they do have a very finite life.
Paul

[Castellated nut]

There is an easy fix for the Girling boots on a Rover: find a bit of polythene tube that's a tight fit on the brake-rod, cut a half inch length, fit it over the rod and slide it outboard so the the point where the rod exits the boot is moved as close as possible to the expander. This greatly reduces the movement, and the boots last ages.

Unfortunately, judging from your photos, drdean, this won't work on your Ford because of the "hex section" at the end of the cable!

Steve.

[drdean]

Hi Guys

Thanks for your comments. I'm actually quite relieved to hear that I'm not the only person experiencing this problem. At first I thought perhaps my steering was too excessive and needed adjusting.

It would be interesting to hear from guys who have NOT had this problem and to know if they are still on the original rubbers rather than modern replacements. That would certainly seem to indicate that the modern rubber is at fault.

A better rubber compound certainly sounds like a great idea but seems like a specialist job to make up new components.

Steve, I did think along the lines of your idea of compressing the rubber boot by pushing the boot rubber along the cable as close as possible to the expander. This will certainly reduce the 'stretch' that the boot rubber is exposed to. I tried pushing one of the old boot rubbers over the hex section but it split. However that may have been because it was already a year old a new rubber might have a bit more give in it and might squeeze over the hex seection. Might be worth a try. I then will need to think of a way to clamp the rubber onto the hex section to stop it working off.

Cheers
Dean

[Phil - Nottingham]

I have tried various ways to stop the stretching but the best caused the brake or all the brakes to bind sometimes and full lock other times straight ahead
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[Dobbin]

Does anyone have the Girling part number for these rubber boots? If they are a standard fit item between Ford and Rover etc there must be quite a few people selling them at reasonable cost?