Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (June 2000, week 4)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Mon, 26 Jun 2000 19:03:13 -0400
Reply-To:     Dave Katsuki <dkatsuki@world.std.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Katsuki <dkatsuki@world.std.com>
Subject:      Front eng clunk - miraculous cure!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Finally found the source of a really annoying clunk in the front end of our Westy!!

Details:

I've had a clunk (solid, metallic) when going over bumps of varying severity for about 8 months which sounded just like a loose ball joint and was driving me crazy. Replaced all the standard parts of the suspension - shocks, upper control arm bushings, upper ball joints, sway bar bushings. Checked for loose everything - tie rod ends, lower ball joints, inner tie rod ends, steering rack mounts, wheel bearings, etc. Even went so far as to take the left hub carrier out and try to press the lower ball joint out (didn't even budge with my 12 ton press, and much persuading, so I put it back together to wait for when I had the time to take it to a machine shop.) I also replaced the shocks again after 2 months on the old ones, since I had a new pair and was feeling pretty frustrated.

BUT, as I was contemplating the symptoms for the thousandth time, it occurred to me that each time when I had replaced the shocks (KYBs each time), the problem got somewhat better and then got worse again. The shocks also started feeling loose after a little while, like they weren't damping the higher frequency road bumps as well.

I checked the upper donut bushings on the (new) KYBs, and they all were as tight as they go and looked fine, (since I had replaced them with the shocks), but just to eliminate a possibility, I replaced the stock upper bushings with much stiffer ones that I had left over from re-bushing the sway bar link where it attaches to the lower control arm. I also sawed another bushing of the same type in half and stacked it (total 1 1/2 donuts per shock) to make the upper shock connection extra stiff. This not only fixed the clunk completely, but the front end now feels tight like a new car!

My analysis - the stock rubber donuts that KYB ships with their shocks just aren't stiff enough to anchor the shocks, and they get even softer after a little while. On older vans (which all of our are), it may also be that the rubber of the bump-stop/shock cover piece that fits over the shock inside the spring has compressed some, allowing the upper donut to have insufficient preload. I've never replaced those pieces on any of my vans.

Even if you don't have a clunk, I bet your front end will tighten up considerably with a stiffer bushing. I don't know what sway bar link bushings cost (Ron?), but they are probably pretty cheap, and will certainly last for a number of sets of shocks.

Dave

90 Westfalia


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.