Originally Posted By Rog
Originally Posted By Button
This a problem with Vesconite and Devol. I install grease seals top and bottom of axle tube to reduce this harmful grit/paste. It works to a degree I think. Also the Gaiter's are a help. But I can find some damage to My Hard Chromed KP's if I look thru a magnifying glass. Where You live and drive is also an issue. Texas, not good. Western Washington, better still not really good. Eastern Washington and Oregon, terrible!


Just been watching Winfried Flugsand classic movie and there is a scene in there that evokes my irrational gaiter phobia. When the car bottoms it exposes a lot of pin. If there was a gaiter attached to the stub the rebound spring would be dragged up the pin by the gaiter. Normally the spring wear on the pin is confined to the bottom of the pin but with a gaiter hugging the spring the spring would be taken to new heights. It wouldn’t take much for the tough steel spring to rub off the thou or so of hard chrome surface on a chromed pin. Might this be the damage you see through your magnifying glass?



No the damage is where the bush rubs the KP. Problem was the Dust Cover broke off and allowed dirt and grit in the system. Now new Dust Covers, New Pins and New Seals. So far so good. But the "Lesson Learned" is plastic bushes pick up grit and turn into a file. Also the chrome coating on "Hard Chrome" pins is extremely thin. This is not a "Fix and Forget" system. I also have found out that there are at least 2 grades of Hydraulic Rod (I use for KP's). One Grade has a "Case Hardened" coat under the Chrome and the other does not. Actually "Induction Hardened". The damaged KP's did not have "Hardened" steel under the Chrome.

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