# Reviving cracked rubber



## Boris (Apr 5, 2012)

I just got a Firefly reflector with thick rubber housing. The housing is beginning to crack and I'd like to stop the deterioration and keep the rubber pliable. Any suggestions other than Armor All. I really don't like the shiny finish that leaves.


----------



## Uniblab (Apr 5, 2012)

That's a tough one, I wonder if that could possibly be "live" rubber as I believe that would be a whole different can of worms. Perhaps slather some silicone lube on it, this stuff is pretty much inert and shouldn't (hopefully!) cause any harm and may prevent further deterioration.

I've run into this situation with older car tires...even if they should have low or even zero miles on them they still have a finite life as the plasticizers (chemical compounds that permit flexibility and strength) will evaporate over time regardless of the miles or amount of use. They may still look perfect but if put into use they may very well fail in the worst way possible.

Old tires should best be used only for display purposes and not ridden on. Sorry I couldn't be of any help with your reflector housing but I wanted to get that message out there.


----------



## abe lugo (Apr 5, 2012)

*some kind of solution*

I have some pedals I want to revive so I searched and found


here 
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=29707.0
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=678347


I was telling Larmo about this on the last CC ride.

I found Thor Racing oils has the best price on wintergreen oil

http://www.thoroil.com/tirepreps.html

Read the thread, i have yet to try it, If someone want some of the oil I bought to try it PM and I can send you some.


----------



## Boris (Apr 8, 2012)

Thanks for the tip Abe. I'll give this a try!


----------



## densx (Apr 8, 2012)

*brake fluid*

Brake fluid should revive the rubber.


----------



## Boris (Apr 8, 2012)

Anyone else care to weigh in about the brake fluid. It sounds plausible. Just wondering if there could be any unexpected negative results.


----------



## Uniblab (Apr 8, 2012)

Good call, but several things pop into my peanut....

#1 Only non-synthetic brake fluid will work
#2 As the rate of softening cannot be controlled or stopped on it's own, you must watch it carefully and be prepared to wash off the brake fluid promptly once the rubber reaches the state of reconditioning that's desired. Brake Kleen followed by dishwasher soap and warm water should suffice. Be careful though, some formulations of Brake Kleen may harm certain rubbers and plastics so try testing first.

Somewhat obscure fact: Old timer mechanics would sometimes put a little brake fluid in an automatic transmission that weren't shifting properly. This in fact would work on occasion as the seals which had hardened (and allowed fluid to leak past them resulting in lower pressures and poor shift quality) would become softened by the brake fluid which in turn helped them to seal once again.

To this day, certain automatic transmission magic liquid overhaul potions include some brake fluid (or the key elements of same). Once again the problem of stopping the softening is a key problem. The fix usually only lasts a while, long enough for a used car dealer to unload the heap on an unsuspecting buyer. Anyone want to buy a Ford Taurus with a good transmission? LOL

Addendum: not only can brake fluid soften rubber (and some plastics) it can also cause it to swell like crazy. Be extremely cautious when using it on a rare or irreplaceable part! I would only use it if the part was basically garbage or unusable due to it's current condition.


----------



## Boris (Apr 8, 2012)

Let me try another angle on this. Is there some sort of rubberized filler/adhesive that I could squeeze into the existing cracks? If there were such a product, would this hurt the value of the reflector if used?


----------



## Uniblab (Apr 9, 2012)

Perhaps one of the silicone sealers as used around bathtubs etc. These are generally referred to as RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanizing) and come in a myriad of colors and specific formulations for different uses.

A remote possibility that just sprang to mind is to seek out a tire retreading outfit (if you can still find one!)


----------



## videoranger (May 2, 2012)

Tire shines with silicone or brake fluid etc. will further draw natural rubber oils from rubber items and increase deterioration and cracking. The best tire restoration dressing I've found is marketed by John Deere dealers under the "Ultra Guard" tire preservative label. It uses solvents derived from corn and rice and will help "heal" and prevent further damage to old rubber. I use it on all my tires and have revived some very rare single tube and balloon tires with this fluid. It is about $10 for a spray bottle. I have found no other tire dressing that compares to this stuff; It is the best and only rubber dressing I use. It will even soften very brittle rubber especially after repeated treatments. It leaves rubber looking nice without the greasy shine. Try it, you'll love it.


----------



## Boris (May 2, 2012)

videoranger said:


> Tire shines with silicone or brake fluid etc. will further draw natural rubber oils from rubber items and increase deterioration and cracking. The best tire restoration dressing I've found is marketed by John Deere dealers under the "Ultra Guard" tire preservative label. It uses solvents derived from corn and rice and will help "heal" and prevent further damage to old rubber. I use it on all my tires and have revived some very rare single tube and balloon tires with this fluid. It is about $10 for a spray bottle. I have found no other tire dressing that compares to this stuff; It is the best and only rubber dressing I use. It will even soften very brittle rubber especially after repeated treatments. It leaves rubber looking nice without the greasy shine. Try it, you'll love it.




Thank you very much!!! This sounds like just the ticket, and I will certainly give it a try based on your recommendation.


----------



## videoranger (May 3, 2012)

I can not imagine you won't be very pleased with the JD tire dressing. I came across this dressing after researching tire dressings and preservatives quite extensively. I've used this on a very stiff but intact pair of Cameron Balloon Cord tires ( original tires on a 1934 Schwinn )which are some of the earliest clincher balloons made. After about 4 applications over several months they really softened up nicely. Old hard grips can be softened also with repeated use. More severe cracking will "heal" to some extent and make tires appear much nicer, but of course big cracks will not go away. The drying out process will halt with continued use and for long term storage and use. For rare bike tires this is the best insurance that the tires will still be usable and preserved for as long as periodic use is repeated. It is also very good for auto, truck and of course tractor tires(which can be rather expensive). This dressing is only available as far as I know from John Deere dealer parts stores.


----------



## brownster69 (May 3, 2012)

*filling in the cracks*

use black winshield urethane in the cartridge tubes for glueing in windshields on newer cars works great used on tires before 




Dave Marko said:


> Let me try another angle on this. Is there some sort of rubberized filler/adhesive that I could squeeze into the existing cracks? If there were such a product, would this hurt the value of the reflector if used?


----------



## abe lugo (May 3, 2012)

*interesting onthe JD stuff*

here is a link
http://www.shopgreendealer.com/johndeereultraguardtireandrubberprotection.aspx


----------



## Oldbikes (May 3, 2012)

The JD stuff sounds intriguing enough that I think I'm gonna have to try it too!


----------



## Uniblab (May 4, 2012)

brownster69 said:


> use black winshield urethane in the cartridge tubes for glueing in windshields on newer cars works great used on tires before




Never tried using that stuff to fix a tire but that's a neat idea I'll have to try. Have been told by a windshield installer that this formula differs from the typical RTV in that it doesn't excrete an acid while curing. This is very important to avoid when installing windshields as the acid will (supposedly) lead to rust around the window opening.


----------

