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Replacement Rubber for Pioneer PL-518 Feet

Update: Vendor is entreatable and responsive. The issue has been duplicated. He is now reviewing and testing his product. I am anticipating a satisfactory solution. Keep watching...

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
Update: The vendor made me a new set of boots, and sent them to me at no extra cost. The 2nd set is a significant improvement, to the point where I can definitely recommend these boots, with the following provisos: do not compress the assembled suspension/foot assembly much beyond where the turntable wants to sit normally. Also, if you want to reposition your table with these boots installed, you will want to pick the table up, rather than sliding it. You do not want the feet to cock a great amount, relative to the table, which they do have room to do.

Under normal conditions of use, these boots are the best, most cost-effective option I have tried to date, and closest to OEM. The vendor is continuing his development, toward eliminating the need for my stated provisos, above. When he gets there, I will update this thread, lifting my provisos and posting my unreserved recommendation. As things are now, I am dropping my own work toward creating these boots myself. What the vendor has now is more than sufficient, and I feel no further need to pursue my own PL-518 boot project.

Keep watching...

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
I had two of these tables. I bought 20 molded plastic feet with a brushed aluminum outside, from China for less than 10 bucks (40 mm wide). I bought 8 !/2" thick sorbothane donuts (durometer about 30 so they have lots of give) for about $30, I took two of the plastic feet and stacked them, then glued the sorbothane donuts to the bottoms. I added some self adhesive felt discs that were about 1.5 inches in diameter to the bottom of the sorbothane. I stuck a thick rubber grommet into the recess where the screws were to insert (1 3/4" #10, I think, wood screws with a rounded phillips head) on the plastic feet. Between the base and the plastic feet37627952_2217341045165075_6689490595213213696_n.jpg , I used what was left of the rubber feet (essentially a disc about 3/8" thick) and inserted a steel spacer approximately 5/16" long in their holes. On the other one, I bought some large faucet washers and used those between the new feet and the base. I screwed them on until they were fairly snug but not too tight so as to not crush the grommet or the spacer. They have a slight amount of wobble to adjust for slightly uneven surfaces and the sorbothane does a nice job of absorbing any shock. And they looked nice.
 
pustelniakr said:
Update: The vendor made me a new set of boots, and sent them to me at no extra cost. The 2nd set is a significant improvement, to the point where I can definitely recommend these boots, with the following provisos: do not compress the assembled suspension/foot assembly much beyond where the turntable wants to sit normally. Also, if you want to reposition your table with these boots installed, you will want to pick the table up, rather than sliding it. You do not want the feet to cock a great amount, relative to the table, which they do have room to do.

Under normal conditions of use, these boots are the best, most cost-effective option I have tried to date, and closest to OEM. The vendor is continuing his development, toward eliminating the need for my stated provisos, above. When he gets there, I will update this thread, lifting my provisos and posting my unreserved recommendation. As things are now, I am dropping my own work toward creating these boots myself. What the vendor has now is more than sufficient, and I feel no further need to pursue my own PL-518 boot project.

Keep watching...

Enjoy,
Rich P
Click to expand...
Rich are these available as a finished item or a somewhat simple DIY? I need feet for a PL 518. I was going to simply place on vibration pads until I can get some feet on this. I will check but I think the screws and rotted bits are intact.

TIA,
D
 
Has this project ever moved forward ?
I'm considering making them myself.

One could easily mold low durometer urethane rubber and repro these.
 
@pustelniakr So what did everyone do for feet? I have all the original parts for mine, springs, etc. Or is it just as well to buy the $30 versions on the auction site? Anyone here know the e b a y seller out of Gilbert, AZ that sells the rebuilt feet?
 
I got my rubber boots from a fellow on Etsy, who was making them. I don't know if he is still making them. You do need all of the other parts though.

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
pustelniakr said:
I got my rubber boots from a fellow on Etsy, who was making them. I don't know if he is still making them. You do need all of the other parts though.

Enjoy,
Rich P
Click to expand...

I do have all of the parts for mine. I guess it's one of those situations where I could do it myself if I located all of the extra parts , or, I just buy the rebuilt stock feet on e b a y and then send him my originals. Then there are the other sellers that have some feet around $28.50 plus shipping that use parts that run $3.00 for each foot plus the rubber grommets to make it a "foot". I could make those, too, but by the time you get all the parts, you might as well save yourself the trouble and get them already made. lol. I'm just not inclined to spend $100 on feet...maybe a new dust cover, though.

Thanks for the info
 
I ended up just buying the feet on e b a y that were around $30 plus shipping. They arrived the other day and I easily screwed them down on Saturday so back in business now. Next steps will be painting the plinth black the next time my buddy is painting a black car and figuring out which head shells and cartridges I have. I'll probably paint the PL-516 at the same time and call it good. But for anyone needing some reasonably priced feet for their PL-518 or similar T/T, I do recommend those. No affiliation with the seller.
 
pustelniakr said:
Pricey. How well do they deal with vibration? Do they attach to the plinth?

Enjoy,
Rich P
Click to expand...

Hi Rich,
I have yet to install them, but would think Sorbothane should possess some beneficial properties versus rubber

It looks like each particular set are designed for the various turntables, the appropriate attachment screws are provided with them.

Although I have a very pricey set of Brass Audiopoint Brass Cone Feet and Decoupling Discs under my VPI HW-19 Table, (Yeah, they were $235 for 4 from MusicDirect, crazy!) I sort of like the ones they make, as my HW-19 has a custom machined Arm Base, and Platter Clamp that looks almost identical to their Footers.
 
AK member, slobrain, is making new suspension boots for this model. Finally, there is a good replacement for these suspension boots. The new boots are very well executed. The compliance of these new boots is just right.

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
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Just got a set of urethane boots on ebay, they worked out FANTASTIC !!! Identical size and fit.
I couldn't be happier and am going to buy a few sets just in case !
 
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