(Topic ID: 199093)

How long should new rubbers last?

By chippe01

6 years ago


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Topic Stats

  • 28 posts
  • 26 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 6 years ago by MrBally
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

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#1 6 years ago

When I received my Night Moves machine at the end of last year, I bought a new rubber ring kit from Paterlock. I changed all the rubbers.

I played it quite a bit when I first got it, but for the last 6 or 7 months, its been played maybe 10 times.

As I was getting dressed for work this morning, I noticed the left slingshot rubber was broken, and pretty dirty.

I’d say it’s about 10 months old. Is this normal? I guess it depends on ambient factors, and there really aren’t any extremes in the ambient atmosphere in my bedroom, but I’d have thought rubbers would last much longer on a game that’s not used much anymore.

Any high quality rubbers I should be looking for?

#2 6 years ago

rubbers should last years. They are kinda shittier than ever and sometimes they don't.

Wouldn't worry about it. Just slap a new one on there.

#3 6 years ago

I've changed rubbers five or six years ago on some games or even more and if I wipe them down with a little RC-88 rubber cleaner from time to time, and they keep their spring pretty well.

#4 6 years ago

I have found i sometimes forget to change one of the rubbers in a game i am shopping - I am pressed for time a lot, and i find one the next week or sometimes even later, that are torn up or really dirty. Even so, as Levi said, rubbers should last for a super long time - but every once in a while you get a bad one that snaps way too early.

#5 6 years ago

Slingshot rubbers tend to take a beating. They seem more likely to go than in most other locations in a game.

#6 6 years ago

There is a bad batch from Pinball Life floating around. An operator friend had some of those rubbers and they were all breaking within a week!

He now buys all his rubbers from Marco instead.

#7 6 years ago

about 20 minutes!

#8 6 years ago
Quoted from KenLayton:

There is a bad batch from Pinball Life floating around. An operator friend had some of those rubbers and they were all breaking within a week!
He now buys all his rubbers from Marco instead.

Were they white? I suddenly have my white ones torn up in a very short time. Especially the ones on the posts. I have been getting all mine from Pinball Life. I have no way of telling the new batch from the old though.

#9 6 years ago
Quoted from playernumber4:

Were they white? I suddenly have my white ones torn up in a very short time. Especially the ones on the posts. I have been getting all mine from Pinball Life. I have no way of telling the new batch from the old though.

Yes, just the white ones from Pinball Life. Even the post rubbers and mini-post rubbers were breaking in a week's time on the route.

#10 6 years ago
Quoted from KenLayton:

Yes, just the white ones from Pinball Life. Even the post rubbers and mini-post rubbers were breaking in a week's time on the route.

I put new white rubbers on my Stern Stars before TPF this year. At the end of the show, about 3 or 4 different rubbers were busted (including slings). I can't remember where I ordered them from, unfortunately.

#11 6 years ago

Sometimes my slingshot rubbers go quicker because I prematurely hit the ball and it causes the bottom of the rubber on the sling post to take a beating lol.

My lotr rubber must have sucked cuz after 500 games one broke

#12 6 years ago
Quoted from 3pinballs:

about 20 minutes!

This is an urban legend (or Superman). For most guys it is about 3-5 minutes.

#13 6 years ago

I thought the package says once per sex act, not a time duration thing.

#14 6 years ago
Quoted from iamabearsfan:

This is an urban legend (or Superman). For most guys it is about 3-5 minutes.

Sounds like most guys are missing out.

#15 6 years ago

Just do like I do and wash them out after each use. They'll be fine.

John

#16 6 years ago

Broken rubber in the bedroom, that's how baby pins get made! Congrats!!

#17 6 years ago

most of the time you can get at least 5 years if not more out of rubber. As often as people around here actually play their games, might be able to get 10 years out of them

#18 6 years ago

I think certain games are harder on specific rubbers as well.

I put white rubbers on my Ghostbusters and the rubber right in between the storage facility saucer and the terror dog target needs to be replaced every couple months. It gets hit real hard a lot. I also tend to replace the slingshots at the same time. But others, like the PKE rings at the top of the playfield will probably be good for years.

#19 6 years ago
Quoted from 3pinballs:

about 20 minutes!

I think for most pinsiders, a three pack lasts about twenty years.

#20 6 years ago
Quoted from SilverBallz:

I think for most pinsiders, a three pack lasts about twenty years.

Once a year, ...they would only last 3 years.

#21 6 years ago

I shopped my first machine 5 years ago and the rubbers lasted 2-3 years. I just redid another one last year and they are already wearing out. Just a suspicion, but seems like the quality went down.

#22 6 years ago

white rubber from Terry? Mines holding up great.

#23 6 years ago

I had some white ones on my Star Race from PBR that didn't last more than 2 months before they began to break.

#24 6 years ago

i tend to take months to finish a machine because i like doing several at once not one at a time. I have found the pinball life rubbers cracking badly withing several weeks of being fitted but not even played. So much so that i have had to rerubber machines and remove rubbers that were never even played on. Research suggests its to do with ozone vs rubber and putting the glass on helps stop it but its really not much help when they crack up like the desert quicker than i can sell the machine.

the marco ones have proven better for me

#25 6 years ago

Agree with the Marco rubber. Good stuff. The oldest set I have on a game is from 2004. I just wipe it down with some naphtha when I'm cleaning everything else.

I've got a couple sets from the Pinball Resource too. It's branded as Wico, and it's still holding up well even though it's not as old. Does Wico even exist still?

#26 6 years ago

Seen 65 year old rubber rings that were still lively, so I wonder about the quality of the newer rings. Some 20 year old NOS rings seem good, mostly ABC, some Wico (which seems to tear more easily). Keeping them in zip-lock bags (brown paper bags caused discoloration).

#27 6 years ago

You should really replace them after every use. You know for hygiene reasons.

#28 6 years ago

What's going to happen; no more "Shout outs" to Terry for selling parts?

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