VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Cork seal/packing for closed knee bushing

I have some closed knee parts. Among them are some bushings that go between the backing plate and the spindle (if I am looking at the diagram right). There are 2 cork rings and a rubber ring associated with each bushing. The cork rings are different sizes. The rubber ring might be replaceable with an O ring. The cork rings are stiff and dry and no longer viable. I have checked The Filling Station's catalog and Chevys of the 40s catalog with no luck. Does anyone know a source for these parts?
Thanks.

Mike

Hi Mike,

If the cork rings are not broken you might try soaking them in water overnight. If they become pliable I would let them dry some and then soak them in the oil you are going to use in the knee action shock.

Soaking dried cork gaskets in glycerine/water mixture is better than just water. Even better is polyglycol E-1000. It is used to preserve wood. Cork is the outer layer (bark).

Mike , about ten years ago, I made my own cork seals from a sheet of modern, new cork that I bought from one of the online suppliers. I can't remember which one, but you can measure the thickness of the cork seals and google it. It was pretty easy to make them. After I made a rough-cut out of the cork sheet, I fine tuned them to size using a drum sander attachment chucked into my drill press. To help in sanding them, I used a hole saw and cut a hole in a 12X12-inch piece of pressed board that I clamped to my drill press table. The pressed board made a smoth surface to slid the cork around as I sanded it. I adjusted the drill press table so that the bottom of the sanding drum is slightly below the surface of the pressed board. To fine tune the inside diameter, I lowered the table enough to place the drum on the inside of the cork and then raised the table into position. I ended up with four nice, fresh seals. I went to Napa and bought new o-rings for the control arm seals. I don't remember the exact size of the drum and hole saw I used, but here is an example of the drum.

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...7mz26bJEtBoCHewQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Given the number of Knee Action cars that are being used I'm our hobby, I was surprised that no one is reproducing these parts. I am selling the bushings to another Chat member. I don't know if he is inclined to make his own cork rings, per Bill's instructions. Soaking is clearly the simplest option.
Thank you Rusty, Professor, and Bill.

Mike