Originally Posted by
ehcoplex
I have a feeling a cork wouldn't last very long (at least not a real cork, synthetic might fare better), but it may be worth a try. Of course it may take several bottles to find just the right French cork for the job....
In my experience, corks aren't compliant enough to allow the flexibility a spring would. Once it is compressed, it is pretty rigid, and it needs to be solidly secured to avoid rattles. I still like to use them as fender spacers, but I go in not expecting it to solve the need-to-deflate-to-remove issue.