Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Phil - Nottingham]

My pre-war Rover 16 has these fitted all round and I must say they are excellent and very efficient. No leaking seals or corroded feed pipes

However the front shoe expanders have a strange rubber dust cover on the rear front brake back-plate which allows the rod to move sideways as the wheels steer. This keeps water/mud out in theory

These even new remanufactured one quickly split - I know other cars use these the running board Ford Pops and I have seen some carefully stitched home-made leather versions (very soft window chamois?) but how well these work as if become too stiff the brakes may bind, and how durable these I do not know.

Anyone out there got any ideas for something more durable or a better substitute
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2

[Roverron]

yeah, the rubber ones do split, I treat them as a service part, Mike Couldry sells them. I seem to recall Austin FX3 taxis had leather ones (there was a mention in the RSR magazine about them many years ago.) It said, to keep them supple use neatsfoot oil. I've never found any, but I've not tried too hard.
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To Hell with ambition, it drives a man mad, I can scarcely wake up to be fed.