# Speaker cone surround maintenance?



## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

I have an older 15" bass speaker. A friend suggested the use WD 40 on the rubberized surround material to keep it supple. It's not the soft foam or rubber as on Hi Fi (?) speakers. Presently there are no cracks that might be seen on old well used speakers.
WD 40 has a multitude of uses - is this one of them?


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Probably not.


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

ed2000 said:


> I have an older 15" bass speaker. A friend suggested the use WD 40 on the rubberized surround material to keep it supple. It's not the soft foam or rubber as on Hi Fi (?) speakers. Presently there are no cracks that might be seen on old well used speakers.
> WD 40 has a multitude of uses - is this one of them?


I wouldn't!

Never heard any vintage speaker manufacturer suggest it be done to their speakers. I have never seen an old speaker that had such a problem. WD40 or any other oil would likely deteriorate an old style surround, ruining something that had no problem anyway.

New hifi speakers are different, of course. The foam surrounds tend to slowly rot away. I have seen many beautiful hifi cabinets in thrift stores. If you pull the baffle board you see the surrounds just full of holes. The cones always look just fine.

There are lots of shops that will replace the surrounds. The going rate in my town is about $35.

I have never heard of any customer at a hifi store being told about this when they first buy the speaker cabs. That's why they end up thrown away to thrift stores, I guess.

You think maybe it's a planned obsolescence thing, to get customers replacing their speakers every so many years?

Or am I just being cynical again?:2guns:

Wild Bill/Busen Amps


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

My friend mentioned this WD 40 'trick' on Monday -> April 1st.??? Must talk to him when he returns.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Wild Bill said:


> Or am I just being cynical again?


Probably..


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

WCGill said:


> Probably..


Well, I find it hard not to be, sometimes.

As Judge Judy says, "the preponderance of evidence".

Wild Bill/Busen Amps


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## TheRumRunner (Sep 29, 2011)

I think your buddy is a bit mixed up, WD40 is only used on the worm gear starter coil of old speakers. There is usually a small hole under the label in the bell cover. Most guys don't do it as it's a pain to get to it. The last time I did this maintenance it took me two hours as I only had a Swiss army knife to remove the screws to the cab.










DW

DW


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## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

ed2000 said:


> My friend mentioned this WD 40 'trick' on Monday -> April 1st.??? Must talk to him when he returns.


Could have been a costly joke if had lubed 'em up!


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2013)

Buddy (semi-pro) suggested using it on the back of a neck(?)


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## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

laristotle said:


> Buddy (semi-pro) suggested using it on the back of a neck(?)










and definitely not for these









hmmm.... I like this stuff,personally...


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