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This will either work or it will be one of the most colossal and humiliating failures in LS1Tech history...
It has become time to rebuild my brakes and parking brakes, following a colossal disaster last year. Some "mechanics" at a "body shop" in Bloomington, IL changed out my rear end after an unfortunate tango with a curb on an iced-over bridge. (One of the shock mounts ripped off the rear end and I was forced to leave the car in the incapable hands of my insurance company and said body shop.) This predicament has put me in front of the dreaded parking brake dust boot problem (again) earlier than I anticipated.
I've been a fan of FirstYrLS1Z's solution to the problem but didn't have sheet rubber on hand. I also learned of the Doorman replacement available but didn't want to wait for delivery of the part. (Incidentally, the Doorman boot is a little smaller than the stock part but it looks like it will work out fine.) Both of those methods are detailed here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspensio...-push-rod.html
Needing a source of rubber for my part - quickly, I was hit with a flashback from the past and the versatility of rubber nipples:
So, I figured -> why not? They are silicone, durable, and just about the right shape for the job.
After roaming the halls of Target, I came across some nipples by Kinde. They are shaped similarly to the dust boot retaining plate on the car, so I figured that less modification would be required. I also had a choice between Low or Medium Flow. While I don't really think this attributes really matters in this application -> I did choose the Medium Flow since it sounds like a higher performance part.
To start, I cut off the nipple tip with a pair of scissors and then cut off the special screw-on neck with a hacksaw blade. From that point, I was all ready to go:
The nipple slid on to the actuator and almost looks like it makes sense...
Here is the part installed. The retainer went on without too much difficulty, although a slight pucker has developed at the top and bottom where the nipple meets the retainer. We'll see how this wears and collects dirt over time.
The Ren & Stimpy show was WAY BEYOND the scope of most of the young kiddies who made up the majority audience (as was "Rocco's Modern Life").
Maybe it was made more for the parents who were watching it along with their kids (as I did when mine were that age).
I may be young, but I got the pleasure to watch this show with my brother because he liked it so he borrowed some of the seasons of Ren and Stimpy and I loved to watch it with him. A fantastic unknown show!
Lots of around the house items dont stand up to automotive uses. Seems petroleum based chemicals are especially harsh though we as car guys dont realize it because everything we deal with is designed for that application. Hopefully this works as im sure every fbody at this point has a deteriorated boot on their ebrake.
My nipples remain pliable and supple and pliable after almost 2 years and 12K miles.
This is a very exciting surprise. I'm not ready to call this a mod yet - but I think this does elevate this rubber nipple concept to an official "thing."
11-23-2015, 02:27 PM
A new Parking Brake Dust Boot Experiment 
