Using worn rubber as ladder rack padding

This is 3rd set of ladder racks I’ve done this to and just thought I’d share. Using duct tape I string together a long run of used rubber and wrap the ladder rack bars. Then I go over it with about 3 layers of tape to create the outer surface and hold it all together. It usually lasts about 2 years before it needs another layer of tape or more rubber and tape. It is quiet and grippy and it looks cool.

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Nicely done! I gave a 36" rubber to my pops as a gasket for the bottom of a sliding shower door that tended to leak.

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Great idea but i’m curious why you do this?If ladders are clamped down properly noise should minimal anyway.If ots an aerodynamic roof bar designed to help with fuel economy doesn’t this method take away from that?

Think I’ll do that on my bike handlebars!

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Cool post. Any one else have any useful things to do with used rubbers? I can’t ever bring my self to throw them away. At one point I thought I would buy one of those sorbo rubber trimmers but I’m an ettore guy so my rubbers won’t with with it anyways.

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I thought about designing a rubber recycling system to melt and reconstitute the raw rubber material. Could be used to make new rubbers…or a bunch of bouncy balls!

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I wrap them around the chainstay on MTB to stop chainslap taking chunks out of my nice carbon frame. Squeegee rubber lasts longer than inner tube cos it’s so much thicker

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How about wrapping up poles for the winter use? Cut back on that frost bite

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i put small chunks of rubber inside my bigger poles to act as bump stops

How? Gotta pic?

I need a bump stop on the end of my favourite pole… carbons getting a bit shRp and raggedy

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How long does it take to wrap ladder rack s with rubbers?

It takes me between 1 and 2 hours. It all depends on if you have to remove the racks or not. I use Yakima load bars mounted on the cab of my truck so I need to take them off. If you have racks in the bed of a truck without a camper shell it would go a lot faster.

Good idea, I’m gonna do that!

I have a Pace Edwards rack which has two slots one a hard plastic to allow ladder to slide easily when tipped at an angle for unloading and a second slot of rubber to grip while ladders are level
Serve sililar purpose you have achieved.

Good drawings mate. I’m still on Crayola

So that rubber stops the pole from whacking into the clamps if you collapse the pole too fast?

I thought you meant the rubber was on the bottom section… like where some people put tennis balls

do also wrap the base with rubber ,then add a few turns of Gorilla tape to seal it

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