Ballstud Rod End Foam Dust Covers

[JackOTrades]

Hello All,

First, I have searched both the forum and google with little luck

1. Does everyone run/install the little foam washers/dust covers between the ball studs and the ball cups on their turnbuckles?

2. Can anyone recommend a good source for these little guys? I found a single NOS AE bag on ebay but have not been able to source a good supply for these.

TIA

[juicedcoupe]

I generally only see them on restorations.

[LowClassCC]

I live in a humid area and I noticed on the cars I had them on, the bottom of the ball studs were rusting. This only happened with the ones that had the foam dust donuts on them, and only where the donuts touched.

[Coelacanth]

I've never used them and I don't really see the point in using them. I honestly think their imperviousness to dust is negligible as far as ball joint wear and tear goes. It probably makes a tidy profit for the companies manufacturing them out of tidbits of sponge foam.

[TRX-1-3]

Theoretically sound but effectiveness is questionable. They do something but will you notice a marked increase in ball / cup life?

For a 100% manual specs build for the shelf they would be a must I suppose.

What if you beveled some metal pipe/tubing and "die-cut" your own? The hole in the middle though....maybe some precison X-acto plunge cutting? Trying to think of a source for the thin foam.....

[RC10th]

The old trick of the red o-rings popped up once or twice to seal them and remove play, dunno how much friction they added though as I never tried it.

[JackOTrades]

I live in a humid area and I noticed on the cars I had them on, the bottom of the ball studs were rusting. This only happened with the ones that had the foam dust donuts on them, and only where the donuts touched.

This is good feedback. So the sponges were acting like sponges.

Thanks