How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update


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NobleHops
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How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by NobleHops »

I wanted to collect the latest information on how to do this project successfully, and before I do, a hat-tip to a few pioneers that have made this possible. When I restored my black bike in 2010 the service parts were Honda, for the CX-650 Turbo, and required drilling the footpegs and using inserts in pockets on the replacement rubbers. It was better than nothing, but I didn't prefer the somewhat squishy feeling of the rubbers. Fast forward a few years and a gent in the Netherlands named Wim Rijnberg had these reproduced in Europe, and my pal Phil Taber imported them 50 or so sets at a time and sold them, eventually turning that little concession over to yours truly. More recently my friend Terry Schmitt had the fronts reproduced here in the USA, and I followed with having a mold created for the rears. I turned that mold over to Terry, and he is now a source for the front and rear rubbers here in the USA. Wim can be found via email at wim9060ATgmailDOTcom, and Terry at cbxerttATgmailDOTcom Both are long-term members of the vintage Honda community, both are super solid dudes that I've worked with many times. All thanks and appreciation to all the guys that broke trail on this.

Here's the problem we're trying to solve: A pair of well-worn footpegs from your Honda CBX. The alloy bases are generally perfectly fine if the bike was uncrashed, but the wear parts are the rubbers themselves and the sacrificial acorn bolts that act as peg feelers on the underside. We can fix this!
20180323_113952.jpg
Step 1 is to get these old pegs off, and I generally leave them on the bike to do this, or I'll carefully clamp them in a vice, but be careful doing that, the alloy is relatively soft and easily marred.

I have played around with several methods of removal. Some guys have reported that heating the underside of the assembly with a propane torch will cause them to peel right off. Others have had success heating them in an oven for a half hour at 350 or so degrees. I've had good success with a simple hacksaw and razor knife as I'll show here, but my method is definitely messy.

Hack it off...
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Trim it with the blade...
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and then I will use a rotary wire brush on a drill or a stiff wire wheel on a bench grinder to get the last bits in the crevices. You want it ALL gone, or the leftover bits will prevent the new part from sitting flat.
20180323_122038.jpg
...
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Nils Menten
Tucson, Arizona, USA '80 CBX, sort-of restored :-)

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Re: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by NobleHops »

If the alloy is looking stained or scuffy, then now is the time to remedy that. If you own a vapor blaster than that's a no-brainer - vapor blast these till they look new, and then proceed. If you do not, you can glass bead them in two passes, the second at 30 PSI at a shallow gun angle, and that will make them very clean but a little dull-looking. Follow that with steel wool lubed with WD-40, finish with a wash in hot soapy water and dry, and these will look fantastic again.

Next step is prepping both parts to be glued-up. I actually carefully dry blast the base to put a bit of a tooth on it, and then I degrease it with denatured alcohol, ideally wearing gloves. You want that clean and degreased. I've also scuffed the surface up with abrasives in a die grinder. I think the key is the degreasing, most of all.

The rubber part will have a thin slightly shiny "skin" from manufacturing, and I prefer to very carefully remove that ON THE UNDERSIDE ONLY. That can also be done in a dry blast cabinet, or with rotary sanding drums on a Dremel, but don't get carried away. We just want to remove that outermost layer, without digging into it or heating it up. Then I like to flood the underside with denatured alcohol to degrease it slightly, blot the excess and let it air dry.

OLD METHOD OF GLUE-UP

NOW: I formerly used and recommended a 3M rubber weatherstrip adhesive, and I have installed a couple of dozen sets with this. This worked fine for me, but when I was selling these, I'd get guys calling me saying their rubbers were falling off, usually a failure of the adhesive to the rubber. I do not know if they skipped any of my steps, but there were failures using this adhesive. It's also messy and it takes time to cure, best done under pressure. This product comes in yellow and black, the yellow is shown. I used the black most frequently.
3M_adhesive.jpeg
I put a 2mm layer of the glue in the underside, spread it carefully with a clean wooden shim, and then the two part were pressed together, any excess was cleaned up, and then we clamped them up in a jig or wrapped them tightly with rubber bands and left them to cure for a few days.
glued-up.jpeg
Wim recommended a different adhesive he found in Europe, a Sikkaflex product that I never found in the USA, but I believe it was similar to the 3M stuff.

Doing this as shown I had a very high rate of success - I had one or two adhesive failures, modified my prep a little and then those failures tailed off.
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Re: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by NobleHops »

...but that's not how I am doing them recently, all thanks to Terry. (aka "Tevan" here on this forum, BTW)

NEW METHOD OF GLUE-UP


Terry hunted up a supplier of industrial adhesives, who recommended a cyanoacrylate product. Those are more popularly known as "Krazy Glue", and are excellent at gluing a person's fingertips together. Turns out they can also be used to install our footpeg rubbers.

The company Terry found is as follows:

Tech-Bond Solutions
384 Old Ballard Ave
Newark, OH 43055

Terry was sold a "Poly Kit" SKU KPLA011, consisting of a product called "Poly Prep”, a thick black-tinted CA adhesive, and a spray activator. These were the instructions Terry relayed to me:

Spray the Poly Prep on the rubber part only.
Then heat both parts in an oven to 120 degrees F
Then apply the adhesive to the rubber,
Then spray the activator on the alloy part
Then join the two parts together and hold then tightly for 15 seconds

Tech-Bond.jpg
In my case, I already had an industrial CA adhesive set, not including the poly prep. I heated the parts to 120 degrees, applied my thick CA adhesive to the rubber, sprayed the activator on the bases, and joined the two as directed. I left them 24 hours to cure and then tested them with a hard pull - nothing doing, they felt stuck tight.
IMG_0702.jpeg
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Re: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by NobleHops »

They turned out great!
IMG_1368.jpeg
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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by tevan »

Lol

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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by NobleHops »

Terry, you are 100% encouraged to chime in with what you have learned as you've done this. I just got asked about this privately, thought I'd collect the latest-greatest on all this for everyone's reference.
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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by Larry Zimmer »

We all say "thanks", Nils.
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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by tevan »

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Nils you summed it up quite well. You are very good at tutorials. Only thing I do different is how I take the old ones off. I start at the outside point and drive a sharp wood chisel down into the rubber close to the peg. Once I get it in there about a inch or so I spray carb cleaner down in there. I then pry on my chisel and spray a little more down in there with a nozzle. You should then feel the glue being released from the alum. peg. Keep applying pressure and spray carb cleaner and normally the rubber will come off in one piece.
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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by NobleHops »

Terry - that is some great tech, 10 times faster and cleaner than what I have been doing. I will try that next time. Thanks for the photos too.
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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by jt »

Great write up Niles.
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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by NobleHops »

Thank you, fellas, 2x to you, Terry.
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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by bigtex »

Has there been any change in the rubber formulation since we started this? I got these from Terry in April of last year but the nubs are not holding up.

(Sikaflex seems to be doing its job just fine, new method does sound easier.)

pegs1.jpg
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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by tevan »

This is the first issue I have heard. If you send me your address I will send a new set.

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Re: How-to: Restoring CBX footpegs - replacing footpeg rubbers - 2022 update

Post by bigtex »

Thanks, that sounds quite nice. PM inbound.

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