How Long Do Upper Stableloads Last?

[joeshmoe]

Curious how long before the material gets down to the point of not being effective, kinda like a pencil eraser.

I think that they have 2 year warranty. I've had mine about a year and there's probably a little less than a 1/"4 inch gone. When first installed them about 5K mi. ago, they were almost touching the OL spring. I remember thinking how crappy the ride was probably going to be if I put even a few hundred pounds worth of load in the bed. Now, when unloaded, there's an obvious gap. The material has clearly worn down some.
Another thing...they're noisy as heck when engaged. As in squeaky. There's a lot of friction going on.

So, I'm wondering, to reduce wear and eliminate the squeaking, I'm thinking a dab of EP (extreme pressure) grease might be the fix?? I would think that the SL material is dense enough that it shouldn't absorb any of it.

[rtz549]

I like it because it appears to actually soak in and condition the rubber.

I mounted some small tires with it and then used it to clean up the sidewalls. Made the tires look real clean.

[joeshmoe]

Torklift contacted me and said that Stable Loads are made from polyurethane and that EP grease (or any RV lubricant) would be fine to use to stop the noise. But I can see dirt being attracted might be a problem. I'll try some 303 first and see how that works.

Sleepy, I cleaned the contact area shortly after I installed them. That actually made the squeaking worse.

rtz549 wrote:
This stuff also works good for squeaks and more. It actually appears to soak in:

Thanks. This looks like a good product to have anyway. Plenty of rubber parts that need conditioning.

This stuff is good for tire dressing too?

[rtz549]

This stuff also works good for squeaks and more. It actually appears to soak in:



It's a stocked item on the shelf at Napa:

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Lubricant-Tire-Mounting-RuGlyde/_/R-BK_7651...

Or:

http://www.amazon.com/AGS-RG18-Gal-Ruglyde-Lubricant/dp/B000CIJUGK

MSDS for the ingredient list:
http://ebpaving.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Rubber-Lube.pdf

[sleepy]

joeshmoe wrote:

sleepy wrote:
petroleum isn't good for rubber either...

Aren't they made from some kind of urethane material? I'm positive they're not made from rubber.

I'm not sure what they ar made from... but;

Actually... urethane rubber (google it) is used for bearings Urethane is a form of synthetic rubber.

Confusing isn't it?

Since you stable loads don't rotate... just compress and decompress they shouldn't squeek or make other noises. Did you try just hosing the area with water... to get sand and dirt out of and off of the springs,

Anything (grease, etc) that dirt sticks too becomes a grinding compound and many chemical compounds are altered by other chemicals... solvents, fuels, pH's, etc...

And... "plastics" have Phthalates which are plasticisors... needed to platics flexable. (the new car smell) As they evaporate the plastic becomes brittle (remember dash boards in our vehicles many years ago?) The new car smell dissapears after a year or so.

The new tire smell goes away too. "Rubbers" break down too... new tires that have been on the shelf for a long time get cracks in the side walls... (Maybe your stable loads had been very old stock.)

BTW... Armour all actually accelerates tire sidewall damage... it does make them clean and wet looking.... but it's not a good thing.

The instructions on 303 protectant say to spray or wipe the 303 on "rubber" and leave for approximately 8 minutes and then wipe off. I use it on my slide room gaskets because it prevents oxcidation and doesnt attract dirt.

good luck... it will be interesting to see what the company tells you.

I have been "Sleepy" since the early 1950's... the girls said I had bedroom eyes... probably just had lustin my eyes :B

[joeshmoe]

sleepy wrote:
petroleum isn't good for rubber either...

Aren't they made from some kind of urethane material? I'm positive they're not made from rubber.

[anutami]

I will try 303 on the rubber gaskets on my jacks. I tried silicone grease and just too much dirt buid up. My previous wc 850 rubber gaskets cracked.

Sleepy thanks for the tip 🙂

Btw I am jealous of your username

[joeshmoe]

Or I could just live with it.

[sleepy]

petroleum isn't good for rubber either...

grease will cause the rubber to attract and hold grit and dirt... and to crack

Keeping rubber clean is good... the 303 protectant prevents the rubber from oxidizing

Silicone spray might work... someone will chime in

[joeshmoe]

I know. Which is why I haven't used WD again. I wasn't positive where the noise was coming from but that's what I had on hand at the time. I still think a dab of marine grade EP grease would probably last longer. Not sure how 303 would hold up against that kind of friction.

[sleepy]

joeshmoe wrote:

kerry4951 wrote:
Last time I checked Torklift has a "lifetime warranty" on all their products.

You're right. Just looked online. For some reason I remembered 2 year warranty.

Buzzcut1 wrote:
Mine have been on there 4 years, look like new, and have never made any noise.

For a while I thought it was just my suspension, but I sprayed WD40 at the contact points and it went away for about 100 miles. Obviously, WD40 isn't a long term solution.

You know the sounds a truck makes you see some yahoo with the rear bumper dragging on the ground? That's what it sounds like. Kind of embarrassing.
Maybe I got a bum set.

WD-40 is not a lubricant... it's a dryer

Try 303 Protectant... it won't dry out the rubber and it won't rot it either.

[bikepsych]

I've got the SuperSway stops and they contact the overload spring when the truck is empty. They didn't alter the ride very much but did contribute to a much better ride when fully loaded.

[joeshmoe]

I remember reading something about the trimming part. Spacer? Nope. No spacer.

At this point, it's not really an issue. I was just curious if they ever wear out. The worn out bushing/spring-like sound when the camper is on is more of a mild annoyance than anything. Maybe I'll give TL a call.

[anutami]

When I installed mine I remember the directions addressing a common slapping sound some people may hear. Torklift recommends cutting part of the rubber. Also, do you have the spacer installed? You should give them a call.

Here is mine

[2Gordons]

Odd... Mine have been on for probably 4 years or more. They only engage when I've got the TC or the LQ hooked up. I can't see any appreciable wear, and they've never made a peep that I've heard.

Of course, I have a diesel truck, so maybe I'm just hard of hearing! LOL.

I'd call TorkLift. They'll probably send you a new set.