The first rubber material used for every sort of rubber product was natural rubber. Natural rubber comes from the rubber trees in South America and Asia. Years ago, natural rubber was used to make tires and weatherstripping. The first rubber tires were actually white, but researchers added carbon black to make tires stronger. Today's automotive rubber is usually made from a synthetic formulation known as EPDM.
METRO rubber is made from an advanced, propriety EPDM formula which has superior ozone and UV resistance. METRO's rubber products are also molded using high heat and 40-to-125 tons of pressure, which gives them a longer life and clean, smooth looks.
METRO's parts quality, and look and feel usually surpasses the quality of the original rubber parts. All the fine details of the original parts are precisely duplicated, even the details that won't show after installation. The most advanced materials combined with the latest technologies make METRO rubber the highest quality rubber parts available.
To give your rubber that clean new, jet black look, start by cleaning it with mild soap and water. Follow with a rubber and vinyl protectant or even a silicone-based furniture polish. Do not spray protectants directly on the rubber. Rather, apply it to a damp rag then wipe it on.
Some rubber will naturally bleed paraffin, which will look like hardened candle wax. Use a solvent to carefully remove any visible paraffin.
Rubber contains plasticizers that eventually "evaporate" from rubber, leaving it hardened and cracked. This is a naturally occurring process, but heat, sunlight, smog, chemicals and gasoline/oil can shorten the life of rubber parts.
There are two basic types of rubber used today in cars and trucks.
Dense rubber is harder and used for gas and brake pads, hood bumpers etc.
Cellular sponge rubber is used for weatherstripping, to seal doors, trunks, hoods and roofs. Sponge rubber varies in degree of softness from one manufacturer to the other. The greater the softness, the better. Softer rubber does a better job filling in the tiny cracks and bumps along surfaces it presses against. This prevents water leakage. Softer weatherstripping also makes it easier to close doors, trunks and tailgates.
METRO's SUPERSoft sponge rubber is the softest and most durable auto rubber you can buy.SUPERsoft has a unique closed micro-cell structure. This cell structure helps give SUPERsoft its superior softness. The material formula and secret manufacturing process gives SUPERsoft better shape "memory", better looks, and better durability and resistance to abrasion, tearing and ripping. Unlike other auto weatherstripping, SUPERsoft does not absorb water -- a key condition to completely sealing out water.
