On Mon, 17 Oct 1994, Jerome Kaidor wrote:
> > Some leaf springs have rubber inserts between the leaves. Depending on
> > what type of rubber is used, lubrication may cause the rubber to
> > deteriorate.
>
> *** Luckily, there are a lot of motorcycle chains these days with rubber
> O-rings in them. Using a chain lube rated for ``O-Ring Chain'' should avoid
> any rubber deterioration.
Except that those O-rings are neeoprene or some other synthetic rubber
that can withstand contact with petroleum-based lubricants. The inserts
used in older leaf springs are sometimes natural rubber, which
deteriorates in contact with oil or grease. That's why some BritCar
owners manuals warn against lubricating the leaf springs. It's likely
that the inserts in newer replacement springs are oil-resistant synthetic,
but unfortunately the only way to tell for sure is to try it and see what
happens.
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Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 NEMGTR #2271
Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO (daily transportation)
feold@umd5.umd.edu
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