Yet another attempt by a TC member to find cheap, generic damper o rings!

[nowinaminute 2815]

Hi guys,

I've seen several old threads on this forum where people have attempted to find a cheap substitute for damper o rings. All seemed to end in failure. The most promising thread concluded that the correct size is 2.5x6.5mm with a 2mm cross section but that the size was impossible to obtain.

Well I flexed my detective skills and found a Chinese supplier with 2.5x6.5x2mm orings. They are silicone. And they are orange!

They turned up today and while they look good, they aren't a perfect match. The outer diameter is about the same but the cross section is a little thicker, giving a slightly smaller inner diameter.

It's hard to say if the Tamiya o rings are not quite the size I thought they were or if the tolerances for the Chinese ones are a little out although I would probably go with the latter.

The big question, though, is will such a small difference matter? 

We can see the hole is a little bit smaller.....so in theory it will be a bit tighter going up and down the shaft....but maybe with some decent lubrication we can get things to slide up and down nicely?

To be continued!

 

[Biz73 603]

Maybe something like this would help

http://www.protekrc.com/2015/05/28/protek-rc-premier-blue-o-ring-grease-multipurpose-lubricant/

[nowinaminute 2815]

Guys, I think we may be on to something here. I need to do more real world testing though.

[spankrjs 77]

I used these: Traxxas #2362 Shock rebuild kit O-rings, on my Monster Beetle's CVA oil shocks, worked perfectly.

[WillyChang 1814]

On 22 October 2019 at 6:39 AM, nowinaminute said:

 

It's hard to say if the Tamiya o rings are not quite the size I thought they were or if the tolerances for the Chinese ones are a little out although I would probably go with the latter.

The big question, though, is will such a small difference matter? 

We can see the hole is a little bit smaller.....so in theory it will be a bit tighter going up and down the shaft....but maybe with some decent lubrication we can get things to slide up and down nicely?

 

 

been buying Associated Green Slime for decades 

 

How many o-rings do you go thru to need buying in bulk?  

I just buy the TRF rebuild kits for their clear silicone rings, cheap enough for the low qtys of shocks I get around rebuilding.

[Badcrumble 4203]

I bough a tub of SRAM butter, meant for MTB shock rings so seemed like an equivalent product to me. Green slime looked expensive for a small tube but I’d never had it so don’t know how long one lasts.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sram-MTB-00-4318-008-001-Grease-Butter/dp/B00H66BVMC/ref=asc_df_B00H66BVMC/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=338555860047&hvpos=1o13&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16724539055142806115&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046111&hvtargid=pla-520830329277&psc=1

Lovely tub of smelly grease.

[WillyChang 1814]

Is that Grease Butter sticky or slimy?  Never knew that existed, never spotted that on LBS shelf before.

Reassembled an old OMNI fork this week, I just lubed it with White Lightning Crystal. Seems to do the trick, not sticky enough to cause extra friction. My butt won't know any difference. 

(Noticed I was getting tailed by a bright red SRAM truck yesterday though! Did wonder what he was following me thru the city for.)

 

Green Slime is a tiny tube but I only use it to coat the inside of o-ring before pushing shaft thru. Shaft scrapes off most of it... use that to apply on the next shock... I'd estimate 1 little tube can do 50-60 shocks if not more. 

[nowinaminute 2815]

On 10/25/2019 at 5:27 PM, WillyChang said:

How many o-rings do you go thru to need buying in bulk?

A lot! I just buy up CVAs cheap when I see them here and there so I've accumulated quite a few.

I find them to work pretty well and they are easy to work on and get spares for so I just grab them up and use them as a cheap way to upgrade stuff with friction shocks and for toy-hobby grade conversions such as the bigger Nikko trucks I collect that are boarding on hobby grade, the tamiya shocks make a great match and improve the handling dramatically.

I've probably got about 6 sets of the CVA long, 4 sets of short and a few sets of the minis sat around waiting to be rebuilt plus 3 red hotshot II style ones. The same o rings work well on a lot of other brand oils dampers too. I've used them in generic Chinese shocks, some Kyosho ones, Cen,Nikko Dandy Dash/Super Sprint. Even my old Chadori Hype buggy!

On 10/25/2019 at 5:27 PM, WillyChang said:

been buying Associated Green Slime for decades 

That's what I use although any kind of shock seal type grease would probably do the job. I find you need so little though that even that tiny tube of green slime will last  years.

Green slime is apparent just rebranded noleen sf3 grease but it doesn't seem to be available in the UK.

I'm not to worried about buying it in bulk though because you need so little that even the tiny tube lasts ages.

[WillyChang 1814]

I like Green Slime because it doesn't dissolve into the silicone oil  have seen other greases disappear into the clear oil making it murky. Green Slime just hangs about like snot in the oil. 

 

Heh yeah I too have a habit of accumulating CVAs and TRFs. CVAs can come cheap from kit partouts or upgrades, or they're cheap enough new too (vs buying spareparts to rebuild). 

TRFs are more addictive  I hate wasting good fluid changing various grades to tune... so I build multiple sets in slightly differing specs... bring several sets & just snap change them at the track = simples! 

 

[WillyChang 1814]

Dang... Photo****** back to their old tricks again huh? 

[Badcrumble 4203]

On 10/25/2019 at 6:37 PM, WillyChang said:

Is that Grease Butter sticky or slimy?  Never knew that existed, never spotted that on LBS shelf before.

I would say it was thick but slick? I have no frame of reference really but had read about it as an alternative in another forum somewhere.