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nick rogers wrote:I just had a reply from Japan on availability. They do the CV boot and steering rack boot. Not sure about price until I know carriage costs and yen/pound conversion. I will get a small quantity of both and see what happens.
Also I will check if they do any other rubber parts. The manufacturing company is called Valtain and I saw a lot of products with that name on while I was there.

Interesting topics, think these rubber issue are affecting our Japanese Mini owners for some time so they develop their own rubber products. Nick, these are the latest rubber products available over there, instead of Valtain, they are made by Sanwa Trading which I think is quite famous even in UK Mini scene. Nice boxes design! Have not had a chance to try one, but was told by our garage friends that they are of top quality! And price-wise, as quoted by Nick, about 33 Pounds for a CV boot! They also have water hoses, thermostats of their own, etc.

Btw, last time I order some "Genuine" Rover upper arm rings in pack of 10, on their Rover packets, they are written on it "Made In China"

Hmmmm.........all of this is "old news" to me. In 1998 when I restored my "S" I had all these problems but at least I still could get Rover parts for some of my requirements. So I had to buy NOS or use second hand rubber items for the rest of the build. Rubber items for the Mini today (and then) are/were mainly made of plastic with softeners, they often don't even smell of rubber. And I agree, I think most of us would pay far more if these rubber items lasted.

Gareth

Ps: I only use second hand gaters on my steering racks

Gareth Brandt wrote:
And I agree, I think most of us would pay far more if these rubber items lasted.

Yepp - me too.

Gareth Brandt wrote:
Ps: I only use second hand gaters on my steering racks

I used second hand rubbers on all suspension, apart from the lower suspenion arm bushes must check them.

I only ever use NOS (and I mean old NOS) suspension and steering rubbers now as the modern stuff is pure rubbish. Alternatively I'd use the original gaiters if I didn't have new ones at the time and they were serviceable.

For bottom suspension arm bushes I always look out for those with MOWOG and 21A1882 cast into them. They fit AND last !!

I've started buying up any NOS bits I find at car shows. It is still possible to find original BL drive shaft gaiters for less than the price of a new Chinese copy, I recently found two for £5 and a couple of NOS handbrake cables for £10.

Bought these off the same supplier, one from the shop and one from Bingley last year, I haven't even got them on the car yet aaaaaaaaagh

Macker2
I started this thread about these re-pro rubbers, I had been out of the car seen for 20 + years ,decided to do a resto on a Mini Jem, Like you bought all new rubbers , thinking i was doing the right thing !!!!!!!!!!!!!, During the strip down discarded the existing rubbers , Then found these were perishing before even fitted, Bought from Minisport , They replaced a couple of them but 6 months later perished and again never been fitted.
What gets me about this is THEY KNOW THEY ARE SELLING SHITE ,STILL ARE AND DO NOTHING ABOUT IT unless its changed in the last couple of months, though i doubt it.
Would i have bought re-pro if i had known NO, Used the original or nos , You live and learn

Goff

[quote][/quote]Macker2
What gets me about this is THEY KNOW THEY ARE SELLING SHITE ,STILL ARE AND DO NOTHING ABOUT IT

I think you are spot on. They must have to monitor the condition of the stock.
I actually bought 2 built up back plates at Bingley but was given 2 of the same hand so I had to exchange 1 at the shop. Can't be sure which one is which but one seems to have faired a lot better than the other
Macker

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh seriously narked.
Lesson learned. Never throw anything away.

Jack Payne is the man for NOS rubber parts amongst other stuff. He has a very good stock of the original stuff.
01630 653253

Thaks minimk1man I will give him a bell in the morning.
Cheers, Macker

Got a load of stuff from Jack at Stanford this year . lower arm bushes ,engine mounts, gaiters . All Genuine BMC /MOWOG . But his stock is running down now . its the only way to go when you can get hold of Genuine . I learnt my lesson with Mini Spares rubbers total CRAP and waste of time effort and money .

STG95F wrote: I learnt my lesson with Mini Spares rubbers total CRAP and waste of time effort and money .

to be fair to minispares, a lot of these rubbers are supplied by people who supplied rover (for example the little rubber rings that go round the radius arms are OE supply and are utter, utter rubbish)

we get promised the earth by supplies, but the problems don't show up for 6-9 months later......

I frequently rant about this (particularly after I had to change just about every rubber on my GTM for its mot this year! )

we have been trying to source silicon equivalents for some of them, with some success, the problem with high silicon content c.v boots is that (apparently) the grease used eats the silicon......

hopefully within the next 6-12 months we will be able to offer a 'minispares' brand quality option for most of the rubber stuff

rich@minispares.com wrote:

STG95F wrote: I learnt my lesson with Mini Spares rubbers total CRAP and waste of time effort and money .

to be fair to minispares, a lot of these rubbers are supplied by people who supplied rover (for example the little rubber rings that go round the radius arms are OE supply and are utter, utter rubbish)

we get promised the earth by supplies, but the problems don't show up for 6-9 months later......

I frequently rant about this (particularly after I had to change just about every rubber on my GTM for its mot this year! )

we have been trying to source silicon equivalents for some of them, with some success, the problem with high silicon content c.v boots is that (apparently) the grease used eats the silicon......

hopefully within the next 6-12 months we will be able to offer a 'minispares' brand quality option for most of the rubber stuff

I agree, and the rubbers from most of the mini specialists are the same rubbers (rubbish ). The problem really is that it's not rubber as was used in the early days, it's plastic's with softeners.
There is money to be made here if some one just would make the real thing, me, and most of us here, would pay far more for these

Gareth

And silicon rubber is a weak as a kitten.

Tear strength and tensile strength are much lower than other good quality engineering rubbers.

Its only technical merit is it can stand high temperatures of over 150'C.

What a thoroughly nice bloke Jack Payne is
Although he is running a bit low.

Zippypinhead
I think this is the thread that you are asking about, While its active again is there any improvement on the SHITE RUBBER these company's are selling ??????????????

I hope I'm not jumping the gun here but I have spoken with a local company who manufacturers OEM for car manufacturers. They are doing a small trial run of some of the suspension bushes, when they can fit them in. I have seen their other bits after they have been in use for a few years and they ceratinly look quite OK. Fingers crossed. I've nly spoken with them at this point about bush type rubbers. They currently don't do anything like CV or Steering Rack Boots.

goff wrote:Zippypinhead
I think this is the thread that you are asking about, While its active again is there any improvement on the SHITE RUBBER these company's are selling ??????????????

Thank you for finding this and bumping it up to the top Goff.
If I don't find any joy with this Jack Payne fella, who would I contact in Japan to source directly?

Edited to add: Thanks for the Japanese contact info on the other thread Nick.

What I fail to understand is that the boots and rubbers used on modern cars is far superior to the stuff used originally on minis. It was usual to replace CV boots quite often when they were in regular use but modern stuff seems to be fit and forget so why is the modern stuff for minis so bad? I had to replace a boot on my old Doblo van 13yrs old and new one was stretched over the CV!!! It was very thin and flexible but must be OK or the trade would be looking for warantee claims left right and centre. Something a bit odd here.