Split strut gaiters again !

[70s man]

Hi all,
Wondering if anyone has had the same problem as me. Last year I stripped down the front struts on my 1975 mk2 and rebuilt using Superflex spring  insulators and also renewing the split strut gaiters. To my dismay this afternoon, I notice that my \"new\" gaiters are now split in several places on each side so its another strut out job at some point. Has anyone else had this problem ?
The top of the gaiter only fits if the strut is dismantled so I don\'t see a short cut, however, I pulled the bottom half of the gaiter down about 3/4 over the strut body when I was rebuilding and I\'m now wondering if I should have just left them loose at the bottom ?
Paul.
70\'s man

[sorbs]

Talking to Chris Witor about strut gaiters, he questioned how much good they actually do.  Yes they help to keep the damper rods clean but they also trap water where the gaiter slides over the strut, eventually leading to corrosion. 
On balance I\'d prefer to have them.  Will be interesting to see how my new gaiters last.....

[David Withers]

Hello Paul.
I imagine that your gaiters - those on the car I mean! - are of insufficient quality.  I have very seldom needed to renew the gaiters on mine - perhaps only once in the 35 years I\'ve owned it.
I\'m also on the original 1972 struts (the Konis&nbsp;are still on the shelf in the garage) and I\'m amazed how they still work so well. When I took them off&nbsp;about ten years ago there was no free-play at the end of the stroke&nbsp;and no corrosion to speak of&nbsp;(hence the gaiters <U>do</U> work!) so I refitted them.&nbsp; By rights they should be absolutely \'clapped\' after 35 years and 220,000 miles.&nbsp; 130,000 of those miles were clocked up in the first couple of years by the original owner who commuted&nbsp;200 miles each way from Peterborough to Southampton, so perhaps this main road work gave the dampers an easy time?
Mind you, the ride is relatively soft.&nbsp; But that\'s the way&nbsp;I like it.&nbsp; I sometimes venture down some of our worst fenland backroads and the suspension smooths these out very well,&nbsp;the sharp ridges as well as the constant hills and hollows.

[70s man]

Thanks for that. I did wonder if the strut rubbers were of inferior manufacture, as before, the only other possibility is that I should not have pulled the bottom of the rubbers over the strut body, rather, perhaps I should have let them just hang loose. In any case, I will have to do them again and this time I\'ll probably go to Chris Witor or Rimmers !&nbsp;

[David Withers]

Paul, two things of which I have no doubt at all ....
1. The gaiters should be pulled over the top of the strut body, as you did.
2. Chris Witor is far more likely than Rimmers to have correct-spec gaiters!

[70s man]

Dizzy,
Many thanks, Chris Witor it will be then and hopefully, this will be the last time I have to do this job for some years !
Incidentally, I found last time round that Dum Dum sealing compound is best for replacing the sealing strip that is mentioned in the workshop manuals when re fitting the top of the strut to the body.
Put a generous bead of it all the way round so that it compresses completely and forms a decent seal when the 3 bolts are tightend down on the inner wings in the engine compartment.
Paul,
70\'s man