How to replace the Rubber Side Covers on Bose SoundsSport Wireless Earbuds

The rubber side covers on the Bose SoundSport Wireless earbuds tend to start peeling off if you use them in the gym or for running. This guide shows you how to install the replacement side cover.

 

🚥 Repair Difficulty:
Easy / 30 Minutes per side

Really simple to remove the old cover and adhesive. Installing requires no special skills and minimal tools. 

 

Parts you'll need 🧰

If the tool cost seems prohibitive, check out our repair catalog to see if we offer repair services for your device. If it's not listed, we don't repair it.

 

Select your side cover below: 

 

Tools you'll need 🪛 
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Thin Narrow Pry Tool  (your fingernail, a guitar pick, or the dull side of a butter knife can also do the trick. Just something thin, the thinner the better for this repair)
  • Heat Gun (A hairdryer can also do the trick)
  • A Small Phillips Screwdriver
  • A Small Flat Edge Screwdriver
  • Some 704 RTV 
  • Rubber band or clamp

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      1. Remove the Rubber Cover

      This process is essentially the exact same on either side. There will just be different parts on the inside of each earbud that you need to be careful of and one side has a charging port while the other does not. 

      Start by removing the rubber portion of the side cover by peeling it off of the plastic housing. We will be replacing the whole plastic and rubber side cover.  

      Peeling off the rubber side cover

       

      2. Remove the Plastic Housing

      Grab your heat gun and heat up the circumference of the plastic housing for about 5-10 seconds. This helps loosen up the glue that is holding the side cover in place. ***Don't use excessive heat above 300 degrees Fahrenheit or hold the earbud under the hot air for more than 10 seconds at a time. If you do either of those, you run the risk of damaging the earbuds beyond repair. 

      Heating up the side cover

       

      Insert your thin pry tool into the base of the side cover and gently pry up. Continue to do this around the entirety of the side cover. This will take a few minutes so be patient and don't rush. If you need to apply more heat partway through, go for it. 

      Prying the plastic side cover away from the main housing

       

      After prying around the whole side cover, it should come off with finger strength by just pulling it away from the earbud. 

      Removing the cover with your fingers after prying around its edge.

       

      3. Clean Off Any Residue

      Before attaching the new cover, it is important to clean off any old glue residue on the lip of the main housing. We typically use a Small Flat Edge Screwdriver to remove the residue.

      Cleaning off the excess glue residue.

       

      Once you have cleaned the residue off of the housing, test fit the new side cover to make sure that it fits snuggly onto the main housing with no gaps. Continue to clean the residue off of the housing until the side cover fits evenly. 

      Testing the fit of the side cover 

       

      4. Reassembly

      Apply a thin line of B7000 Glue around the lip of the main housing then slide your side cover into place.

      Applying glue around the lip of the housing

       

      Once you have seen that the side cover is evenly placed on the main housing, wrap a rubber band around the whole earbud so that it applies even pressure to the new side cover. 

      Wrapping a rubber band around the earbud

       

      Let the glue dry for 30 minutes then remove the rubber band and clean away any glue that is visible.   

       

      5. Get back to jamming out 🎶

      If you have any questions in regards to this repair feel free to shoot us an email or text and we will do our best to reply to you as quickly as possible. Please inquire using our Repair Catalog if you are wondering how much a certain repair will cost. If you do not see your item in our repair catalog, it means that we do not offer repair services for it. 

      📧 Support@JoesGE.com

      💬  360.362.1722

      Filed in: Bose, rubber, Sound sport, SoundSport, Water damage, Wireless
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