Hi All,

When mounting clampy things to my crash or handle bars (like highway pegs, lights, other accessories), I'm inclined to coat the inside of the clamp with one or two layers of electrical tape—the idea being this will prevent the clamp from marring the surface.

Is this a particularly bad practice for any reason?

What say you: yea or nay?

Well, I think it might actually be worse. The slippery, gooey electrical tape could cause the clamp to slip and mar the surface.

I think a better option would be a thicker rubber material without the gooey adhesive.
Phil

 

Well, I think it might actually be worse. The slippery, gooey electrical tape could cause the clamp to slip and mar the surface.

+1

I have on rare occasions, where the clamp just wasn't quite tight enough, used a piece of fiberglass, double sided carpet tape. Years later, however, the glue was a bitch to get cleaned off.

If the clamp is good and tight, it isn't likely to move in anything short of a major wreck.......and thus should leave only a small skuff......that nobody is likely to notice but YOU !!

IOW, I think you worry too much. :wink:

 

A piece of leather works the best.... IMO!

 

Thank you for the responses so far. It might be that I worry about this stuff too much. It's just hard to think about scratching up the accessory I just spent $300 bucks on.

The gooey tape factor might come into play. I lean towards e-tape because it doesn't seem to have that much adhesive, really, and it's rubbery. I agree that a non-adhesive strip of rubber might be better, but I don't really have much of that around.

Oh well.

 

Hah!

And just after hitting submit it comes to me. I love two wheels so much I don't just spend time on the Shadow, I also put time into riding and maintaining my bicycle. I have a couple of old tires and a couple of old inner tubes with holes in them.

The inner tube rubber might be great for this purpose.

Though, I still may be worrying too much.

 

Scotch linerless rubber splicing tape, sold at Homedepot somewhere between $3 - $4 for a 15' X 3/4" roll that is .03 thick. I have been using it lately and don't think you will have to worry about the adhesive melting like electric tape is famous for, as this stuff is rated up to 266 degrees F. It is intended to seal out moisture and electrically insulate, but I use it because it is substantially thicker than electric tape is, and does a far better job of staying put. The 3/100" thickness can also only help to protect your chrome plating for the simple reason that it is thicker than electric tape is. It can be cut through though, so it's not indestructible.

 

In the Air Force, we call that tape "F-4 tape. Self-vulcanizing elecrtical tape. Works great!-----Metalguy :wink:

 

metal to metal tends to work best

 

+1

Well, I think it might actually be worse. The slippery, gooey electrical tape could cause the clamp to slip and mar the surface.

I think a better option would be a thicker rubber material without the gooey adhesive.
Phil[/quote]

 

The inner tube rubber might be great for this purpose.

Though, I still may be worrying too much.

No and yes, it that order.

The inner tube will be too thick and too soft and will probably allow the clamp to move.

Those clamps are made for use on a chromed bar. Second guessing the people that made them is usually not a prudent thing to do. :wink:

 

Another alternative is mini "velcro" cinch straps. Pads and holds things in place very well. I just can't remember where I purchased them. (old-timers kickin in)

 

What you're doing is creating what is called a "soft joint".

Most people working to design vehicles do everything they can to avoid soft joints because they do not hold torque -- and it is practically impossible to predict what that means in terms of tension lost or time to lose it.

A properly sized and properly applied clamp won't mar the surface. Even if it did, it wouldn't matter on anything that is mounted as permanent -- as you'd expect highway pegs and lights to be.

So all in all, I don't really see the point.

 

I like clampy things 8)

 

Got it. Seems that there are more negatives than positives.

This is why I ask before I engage my strange ideas.

 

Sorry folks I missed the the whole nine yards of what the actual post was about. I hadn't had my coffee fix yet when I replied this morning. Metal to metal for this application.