Rumble Seat - HELP
 

I have a 1930 Model A Roadster. The top rubber stops on the rumble seat have deteriorated and I have purchased new stops. The problem I am having is that the base of the rubber stop is hourglass shaped and the bottom part of the stop is larger than the hole that the base part has to fit into. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to compress the bottom of the stop so that I can fit it into the hole? I have tried lubrication, forcing it in while twisting, etc. Maybe there is a tool for this??? HELP

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

Are these what you are asking about? https://www.brattons.com/rear-window...t-bumpers.html

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

I thought he was talking about the round bumpers that install at the top corners of the trunk space.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

Yes, I am referring to the two top stops/bumpers (the round ones shown in alexisaki's photo)

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

The last owner of the vehicle cut the bottom part of the stop off and just glued the stop to the metal. I have just about destroyed one of the stops/bumpers trying to force it into the the hole provided for it. When I try and compress the rubber it begins to tear.
Any help or suggestions with this would be appreciated.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

This is what i am looking at.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

Some of the rubber products can be pretty stiff. Heating the rubber up to around 130 or 140 degrees can help. There are rubber lubes available too but they aren't all that easy to source. I always check the diameter size of the groove that is supposed to fit down into that stop support bore there and make sure its not too big to fit the hole.

You may have to shoe horn the rubber lip around the edges to get it in there. Start by pushing the edge that is hardest to access then use an appropriate tool to pry at the edges. I have brass seal tools that are rounded and thin like a screw driver blade to do this type of stuff. A sharp tool will gouge the rubber and can damage it. They should use a rubber that is soft enough to give a bit for an easier installation but you never know what you will get. You can take some sand paper and bevel or taper the bottom edge of the lip a bit to help it go in there. Just don't get too carried away and damage the lip. A tapered shape will help you get it in there. A slab sided shape won't. A belt sander works well for this but you have to have the belt going the right direction against the piece to remove rubber without damage.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

You are correct, the rubber is very hard and very stiff. I had though about heating it but wasn't sure if the rubber would tolerate the heat and at what point it would start to degrade. I will start out with low heat and slowly increase to 140 degrees, trying it along the way up to 140 degrees. The hole is .67 inches which is the exact same size as the narrow part of the stop where the stop will seat against the metal. I will also round the bottom edge of the stop off to see if that will help. I will let you know it turns out. Thanks for your help!

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

try trimming the bottom section of the rubber with a razor blade but be sure to keep it larger than the hole in the metal so it will not pop out. Work it in to the hole with a plastic probe of some kind so you don't scar the metal. Use a liquid soap/water solution as lubricant. Good luck. Bill

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

Compare the upper part of the bumper to the ones you are removing. I had a set that was thicker and the rumble lid would not fit. It's easier to sand then down before you install them. I use dish detergent to lube any rubber parts.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

To heat your rubber stops, simply boil them. You won't stand the chance of damaging them.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

To heat your rubber stops, simply boil them. You won't stand the chance of damaging them.



yep!

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

I wonder how the heck they did this at the factory. They wouldn't have spent a lot of time on what would SEEM to be a simple installation.


PS: Many years ago there was a radio station in Del Rio,Texas, that powered up at night and reached way up into the midwest. An ad they broadcast nightly might offer some holp with this task: "White Rose Petroleum Jelly--makes everything slide easy!" Anybody else remember that?

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

They probably had the right size and rubber that was softer. Wish they made it right today.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

How about inserting from the bottom up instead of from the top down??
Paul in CT

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

The best rubber lubricant that I have used is original GO JO hand cleaner , the type without pumice . We used it for years in the body shop when installing truck windshields that used rubber gaskets . GO JO cleans up good with water .

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

Just put them on mine,a little dish soap and started an edge,push down hard and turn, screwing them in.Yes they are tight.You might not like the height they sit at either..

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

I had to start using P-80 emulsion rubber lube on the aircraft engine mounts to get some of the tight ones together and on boots that have to be pulled over a big end on a shaft. The P-80 looks like milk. The best thing about it is that it dries out like water and leaved the rubber with no greasy or oily film on the surface after it dries. I use some other stuff for mounting tire beads over the rim and it's more like soap but a tire rim isn't as critical about residue after mounting & filling with air. They get washed off every time it rains or goes through a car wash.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

I use brake assembly lube to install rubber parts. Its used for wheel cylinder and master cylinder assembly . Its real slippery.

Re: Rumble Seat - HELP
 

we have this problem with various bumpers....isn't the root problem that new parts are neoprene which is less flexible than original rubber?


And sure, the member is right, the assembly line did not ditz around trying to get malformed parts on.