It looks like there may be a coating on the contacts. Try rubbing them with steel wool or a fine sandpaper. Then, test the connection with a piece of scrap wire by just bridging the connection manua ...
The pads need to be dense so they don't deform and cause an unstable condition. If the material is designed properly, the impact becomes distributed throughout the whole pad instead of going straight ...
Try [url=http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=714802&cp=2367453.2368579.2049960]these. They are fairly dense and are designed to reduce vibration as well as support heavy ...