Swivel gaiter kits; rubber or leather?

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Leather or rubber. swivel gaiters?, yes, I know, it's been done to death. Only rumour has it some companies are up to a better job, I hope?


We've all experienced LR rubber. It's guaranteed black-blancmange in two years.

I've seen rubber gaiter kits come in two flavours:

1) Those that require complete removal of the swivel to fit
2) Those that supply glue/ bond at a seam?

The bonding version sounds 'temporary', is it?


Thing is, what's the point? Are we buying rubber or blancmange?
Which brings us to leather. The leather version has a seam which asks to let dirt in, and once in, keep it there. Much like the blancmange choices will do eventually, only for less money and hassle to fit.

As an aside I run a classic Volvo, Volvo parts are near as cheap as anything LR related. Just paid £70 for a new radiator. Volvo rubber bought ten years back is still er, rubber. I write this to say that actual 'rubber' is possible,

It's a rock and a hard place? Seems to me, we're forced to leather, only because it's cheap, and leather becomes viable simply because it's the best of a bad bunch.

Two Qs please:

1) If we fit leather do we put the seam at 3 or 9 or at 6 o'clock

2)  Rubber: Have I got this right? Or, hope of hope, please I beg, has one of us found a rubber kit that works?

[nathanglasgow]

Leather is proven to work well at protecting the swivel balls. I have personally removed 40 year old leather gaiters from ex mil front axles and found they have done an excellent job at protection. I've seen the joints at the top and the bottom, doesn't really seem to have made any difference.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Oh, in which case I'm unduly hard on leather, it's easy to fit and cheaper. I like.


There seems to be two templates,  differing versions. Can't seem to be able to upload, however, one has an extra tab external to the outer radius. What is the tab for? Which is best, or does this ever matter?

[Wittsend]

I would agree with Nathan - the MoD fitted leather gaiters from day 1 after 40,50 years the chrome balls always look like new.

They are there to stop stone/rocks chipping the brittle chrome finish. Damaged chrome eats away the oil seal and allows rust to get a hold making things worse.

You don't want the seam facing forwards at the 3-o'clock position. Some prefer the 6-o'clock allowing any water ingress to drain away, or some prefer the 9-o'clock position of the seam.
Both seem (sic) to work.

There are 2 types of leather gaiters you see...

1) Quite a thick leather as shown here:-



2) A more softer leather like a chamois:-



Note my use of a large cable tie instead of the hose clip you get in the gaiter kits.
The leather is prepared - well in advance of fitting - by rubbing in Vaseline or other leather dressings from a sadlers.

You can make you own gaiters from this pattern - get the leather from a jacket or skirt from a charity shop.



maintenance, when you remember will be a painting over with Waxoyle or similar and a good squirt of WD-40 inside the leather.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Hadn't noticed the leather type changes, thank you:

Just worked out how to upload pix.

Template pix. Varies, tab or not?...

You cannot view this attachment.

^^Template is this^^

You cannot view this attachment.

^^Or this^^

Does it matter, should we care?

[Wittsend]

You pays your money and makes your choice ...

Anything IMHO is better than "naked" chrome balls.

 

[Worf]

I fitted the rubber Blanchard ones some years ago. They have the metal "seal retaining plate" bonded into them and so far proved excellent. The rubber does not seem to be made of cream cheese.

However they are/were old ex military stock and I cant find them listed any more.

https://picclick.co.uk/Land-Rover-Series-Swivel-Housing-Gaiter-kit-Series-142065046272.html

[GlenAnderson]

Another vote for leather.

Had leather ones from around 1993 until I fitted a NOS axle in 2004, when I fitted a set of the one piece rubber type with the seal holder moulded in back, thinking that they were an improvement. They lasted about four years before falling apart.

I then tried a set of the split type you glue together. They lasted about two years.

I have had leather ones on since. They are a bit awkward to stitch together around the swivels, but not impossible. If you're rebuilding your axle it's easier to stitch them together off the vehicle and fit them to the swivel as you assemble things.

Having tried all the options, I'd not consider rubber ones again.

[Theshed]

I have been looking into this myself and am equally confused.
Looking at Wittsend's idea of using apiece of leather to make a gaiter makes sense but then would I need to buy the rest of the bits ?
So a search gives me some options, SERIES SWIVEL HOUSING GAITER KIT from Steve Parker at £77. This is neoprene rubber and fits around the swivel with a tongue and groove sealing system.
Then there is a Swivel Housing Gaiter Kit from Britpart at £26.50. This appears to be leather but doesn't say so ?
And finally we have a complete kit from LR Supermarket at £43 + VaT. Which does appear to contain almost everything as it says, minus the swivel housing.
Again though it does not say if gaiter is Leather or not.
Anyone experienced with any of these ?
Thanks
 

[whitehillbilly64]

I ordered a kit from PADDOCKS last night.
It was the Cheapest Postage costs to Aus.
37 pound all up to Aus. 7 to 14 Days postage time.

whitehillbilly

[g6anz]

Another vote for the leather type. The only drawback is the lacing. I found this difficult with the axle on the vehicle as access is not easy. mine are on and seem to be working.

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Don't know if I'm right? When a fail is in sight, I have it to those bond-the-seam gaiters are an MOT certificate bodge. You know full well it won't last - as does the MOT tester. Fit such things to cars that won't make the next MOT anyway.

[Serious Series]

A pic of a Britpart rubber gaiter in less than 12 months use but as customer does not have original packaging will not accept return.

[diffwhine]

I wonder... Given that CV joint gaiters being split would be an MOT failure on a vehicle, if you were to present a vehicle with a swivel gaiter split like that for an MOT, would that be an issue?

Britpart should have a record of having sold that to their retailer. If its like the Allmakes system, it automatically tracks the part number and you can usually do a simple warranty return. It is unrealistic to expect a customer to retain packaging for a fitted part. I think somebody is being fobbed off...

[NoBeardNoTopKnot]

Thanks for the Britpart warning. Not good, yet the refund (or not) would be small beer to me. The b*lla*he is it's going to take best part of a day to fit - yes, I'm slow. Only to have to do it again.

I listened; I ordered via Paddocks. Paddocks web site shows a brown leather. Delivery now here, is a Britpart item 276954..... what I've got is an odd pale grey/blue material. No tab either. Thin and very uniform in thickness. Not convinced it's leather? Genuine High Q Terry Brand Jubillee clips though.