TheSamba.com :: View topic - Still have your Sliding Door bumper/stop?

Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:48 pm

On my van (1986 camper) there's a curved bumper/stop in the track where that double roller hinge slides. It softens the blow when the hinge turns the corner inward. Its shown here but out of stock...

http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_1950_615/sliding-door-bumperstop.html

It's where this hinge hits the curved part of the track just before it closes...

Mine is shot and crumbled off, so now it just smashes into the curved metal track with a nasty sound. Anyone know a fix for this or where to find/how to replace another? I've emailed Bus depot and Van cafe to no avail...

Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:02 pm

European vendors have them and a few keep saying that they are going to produce them here in the US with a digital printer, but haven't seen any of them.

The ones from Classic VW are the originals made of the original material.

Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:06 pm

Good luck..... I've been looking for this piece for over a year. I need about ten of them. When I find time I will eventually come up with a fix,
but this is low priority for me. I haven't had a vanagon in my shop with
a good one in years. A lot of people don't even know this is broken or just missing.

Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:31 pm

Hey man, you can sell me one right? PM me if you want.....
Later gator, Im going to bed....

Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:33 pm

That part isn't plastic but some type of clear rubber. I was changing my slider last week and it fell out and just verified that it is flexible, I replaced that one about a year ago.

Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:51 pm

I'd take part in a group order or a production run.

Best!

Sat Aug 16, 2014 6:41 am

Here are photos to help visualize the bump stop........

From VanCafe's web site.......

And of my 86 mechanism which is missing the stop, the green arrows are pointing to where is belongs, the slot towards the front holds the bump stop in place...... So, put my name on the "I'll buy one!" List!!

Dave

Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:15 am

Unibagel is the Dude who is reproin' parts digitally.
He has a thread.

Make sure as both Mario and I commented....soft material should be used if taking the time to make this part.

New, they feel like a gummy erasure.

I bought 10 and own 9 vans, the extra one is my spare.
These will be included in my next European bulk order...no timeline and growing weekly.
When a classifieds ad for them is placed, I will have more to sell.
Thanks.

Sat Aug 16, 2014 5:07 pm

Yeah well it would be great if someone was to produce this part, but I don't know if that will happen-----so I have any idea using a section of rubber tire to replace this part. It drives me nuts to hear the roller slamming into that metal track now.
I have kept the 3 little pieces of what my little corner bumper used to be for a nice little mold. Will post results later. I challenge anyone to come up with such a small simple little bumper! Esp. anyone who could sit and read something like the DIY Redtek conversion thread and rebuild their own A/C system you would think something like this would be a sinch (did I spell that right?).
I would love to close the door on this subject soon.......
L8R G8R

Mon Dec 15, 2014 4:52 pm

Can we get this from Europe?

Can we 3D Print it?

Is the aftermarket listening?

Inquiring Mimes want to know!

WANT!

:shock:

Best!

Mon Dec 15, 2014 5:10 pm

I have a ridge of flexible material sticking out of that slot in the pic shown above.

Does that mean mine is intact?

... or does it mean part has broken off and only a thin ridge of material remains?

Mon Dec 15, 2014 5:13 pm

If you have that ridge poking through then yours is intact.

All of my vans have them and I rarely see them missing even on junkyard vans.

Thu Jul 02, 2015 4:04 pm

We still need this part. Anyone going to be/be capable of fabricating it?

ETKA calls it 'Bumper' and numbers it:

251 843 876

:shock:

Best!

Thu Jul 02, 2015 4:28 pm

Mine are fine... but for you non-purists out there... how about surfboard/longboard nose bumpers? While it wouldn't be perfect, it seems like the peel-and-stick versions (not the pre-formed pointy ones) would be able to be modified to at least hold people over until actual replacements are sourced:

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/surfboard-nose-guard

Just a thought....

Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:02 pm

Mine is an 84 so I don't have one of these but just happened to notice this sitting on the bathroom counter. Its a mouth guard that comes in teeth whitening kits and looks like it could be a perfect solution if one were to cut it down. Its softish rubber and it even has the curve and lip to hold it into the slot.

Sat Sep 12, 2015 10:54 am

Jobenaus, Hmmm interesting but it looks like the lip is on the opposite side of the curve. Funny how whenever I see little plastic objects I think of this part and how I can rig it.
I have an idea to use some of that plastidip (used for tool handles and such) and slowly paint on layer after layer to the inside of the corner, building a thinker layer where needed. Just an idea......
Unless of course I can find a used part!

Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:56 am

msinabottle wrote: We still need this part...

FWIW, I don't think 84s used this part. Instead they had a rubber bumper to absorb the sudden stop:

I do not know what the change point was.

Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:05 pm

Not sure where your photo's taken but your 84 looks different from my 86.
There's a photo of what the 86 looks like about in this thread....

Sun Sep 13, 2015 8:35 am

I have stuck a hard plastic piece with the rubber sealant(plastic, leftover of instrument cluster Mod :) ). It’s almost a year since it’s done.

Sat Oct 03, 2015 4:09 pm

anyone tried building up a bumper of silicone?