I see some games have one, and some games have the other. It SEEMS like the acorn nuts would age better- the rubber post caps on my Meteor, and I think on Firepower were both in rough shape.
Since, I've replaced the Firepower with Nylon ones, and put the rubber on the Meteor. I'll see how those age.
Does anyone have a preference one way or the other?
-Brian
I see... and if the plastics are held down tightly with nuts, then should the ball strike it, then the rubber gives instead of the plastic,which, I guess if the nuts were locked on, the plastic would be the weakest link. I get it.
Interesting, because someone asked me about that the other day when they were buying a game, I told him I wasn't really sure, but now I see the point of maybe not tightening them down like a vice.
Thanks!
-Brian
The best looking ones are chrome acorn nuts. But you have to cinch them down tightly or they'll vibrate off. That gives the plastic no wiggle room at all. The nylons are about the same, but have a locknut quality that will usually prevent them from vibrating off if left a little loose to allow the plastic to float. Speednuts are faster, safer and can be (like nylon versions) painted or inked custom colors to match their surrounding area.
The original Chrome "speed nuts" (available from Pinball Resource) should only be used on the Gottlieb post screws which don't have any factory thread. Only the thread the nut cuts on its own. In this case, they do not need to be tightened against the plastics. If they are loose, either replace them or in extreme cases, replace the worn post screw. But the kind you can buy at the local hardware store are designed for threaded post and must be tightened down and therefore should not be used.
The nylon nuts can be used without tightening them down unless they are worn and then should be replaced.
Metal Nylok nuts can be used but often need to be tightened too low in order for the nylon to grab and will therefore usually result in broken plastics.
For the home, the Rubber caps are probably best. But are notorious for causing ball jams on routed games.
Always hated the rubber ones, they turn color and dry rot and then pieces fall off on to the playfield. Had one fall off my HH lower playfield once and ended up in the vertical upkicker hole and it burned the coil up since it was triggering the switch. Ugh!! Nylon is the way to go unless it's a Gottlieb, then it gets the chrome speed nuts.
John
Quoted from vid1900:Replace the rubber caps annually when you replace your other pinball rubbers, they only cost pennies.
Don't wait years for them to turn yellow and hard!!!!!!!
Absolutely! We always replaced the post cap rubbers at every shop job or if the machine was on location and in the sun, every 3 months automatically.
At the longtime route operator I worked for, I ordered the rubber post caps by the thousand bag. Same with mini-post rubbers and standard 5/16" post rubbers. Dirt cheap pricing that way.
Quoted from vid1900:Replace the rubber caps annually when you replace your other pinball rubbers, they only cost pennies.
Don't wait years for them to turn yellow and hard!!!!!!!
Why not just do it once with the nylon ones and be done with it forever? Besides who's got time to shop out game "annually"? I know I don't.
John
Quoted from Dayhuff:Why not just do it once with the nylon ones and be done with it forever? Besides who's got time to shop out game "annually"? I know I don't.
John
Because the plastic shatters with the nylon or steel ones.
If your rubbers are dry rotted or discolored, you game is not playing at it's full potential
Rubber cap also makes it a lot easier to remove your plastics in case of a burned out bulb. Too many times have I spun a metal post right out of the playfield because the nylon cap refused to let go. Yes, I'm now aware of the tool that holds the post in place....but still....
Quoted from vid1900:Because the plastic shatters with the nylon or steel ones.
If your rubbers are dry rotted or discolored, you game is not playing at it's full potential
The playfield plastics shatter? Never seen that happen, besides nothing says they need to be torqued down or anything.
Anyways, this is a argument not worth fighting for. Have fun with your rubbers. 
John
Quoted from Dayhuff:The playfield plastics shatter? Never seen that happen, besides nothing says they need to be torqued down or anything.
Anyways, this is a argument not worth fighting for. Have fun with your rubbers.
John
I think shattered plastics are pretty rare on games that have <50 volt flipper coils.
I like the white rubber post caps. As mentioned they pop off instead or allowing the plastic to stay in a fixed position and break. But another reason (or maybe two) are that you can remove the rubber post caps without tools for a quick lamp change or switch adjustment. Also, sometimes when removing the metal or plastic acorns with a nut driver, the metal post comes up out of the playfield when turning the nut. Don't have this problem with the rubber post tops. I have them in all my EMs and early SS games.
I like to switch out Cactus' and Dayhuff's proper caps for rubber ones while they sleep.
"Noone's" ever the wiser... 
Quoted from RWH:I have the rubber ones on my Circus but have been unable to find them anywhere. I looked on PBR site and Marco but didn't see them. Where do you guys get them?
Marco:
http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/38-6543
Pinball Resource:
http://www.pbresource.com/Rubberprc.html#pc
Pinball Life:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=93&pg=1
Here is probably a good a place as any to mention that installing appropriately sized fender washers under the head of post screws (not over the head contacting the plastic) will prevent the ball from striking from underneath and supports the plastic from below if the ball strikes it from above.
Quoted from cody_chunn:Here is probably a good a place as any to mention that installing appropriately sized fender washers under the head of post screws (not over the head contacting the plastic) will prevent the ball from striking from underneath and supports the plastic from below if the ball strikes it from above.
Exactly.
Make sure that the clear fender washers are UNDER the nut formed to the shaft, so that any ball strike energy is directed to the shaft, not the plastic above.
Quoted from Arcane:Where can you find these clear fender washers for Pinball machines?
Quoted from NimblePin:I like to switch out Cactus' and Dayhuff's proper caps for rubber ones while they sleep.
"Noone's" ever the wiser...
Dang! That was you Nimblepin? I thought I was losing my mind.
But that's okay, I just placed an order with Steve for another 1000 Speed nuts for Banning. 
color and clear washers
https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=134
post caps in 13 colors
https://www.titanpinball.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=33&product_id=52
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Sana'a
Olympia, WA