Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 09:53:12 -0500
Reply-To: Gary Stearns <gstearns@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Gary Stearns <gstearns@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject: Re: ride harshness
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Assuming that you know that shocks and springs haven't had some huge
failure, harshness is almost always worn, aged bushings. For some reason
this isn't often recognized in the US. In Europe it's common to have an
older car "rebushed".
The first offenders are the rubber bushings. As they age, they get hard and
brittle; lose most of their flexibility (showroom stock racers who were
forced by rules to use stock bushings, used to remove them and bake them in
a warm oven for a day or two to advance the aging process. Stock bushings,
much stiffer...good for racing). There's lots of rubber in Vanagon
suspension that does go south over time. Upper and lower shock mounts, F&R
lower control arm bushings, etc. Some of what we perceive as harshness is
actally noise created by the slack in the suspension crashing around. Look
for this in loose wheel bearings, and loose worn front upper control arm
bushings. These are metal-on-metal and cause alot of this harshness when
shot. Finally, there are several places in the front suspension where a
shaft passes through a mounting point with a bushing on each side (ie: upper
shock mount, anti-roll bar mount to the control arm, T/C -caster adjustment
strut mount to body). Even when these bushings are new they allow the rod
to shift laterally in the mounting hole. This creates a knocking sound when
small, sharp bumps are hit. On our '88 for each mount I added an "extra
bushing" by sliding a small length of clear vinyl tubing around the strut
where it passes through the mount. Just enough to eliminate any play and
keep it from knocking. Worked like a charm.
For shocks, be careful. Some listed as Heavy Duty or Off Road or similarly
are so stiff, that they'll shake your van to pieces. Go with high end
quality shocks like Biltein or Boge.
Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Mayfield" <paulmayfield@EARTHLINK.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 9:05 AM
Subject: ride harshness
> What are suggestions to make the ride
> in my '97 westy less harsh?
>
> I can feel every tiny bump- and a speedbump
> is bonejarring- almost like no springs at all!
>
> stock shocks, Les Scwab LT tires.
>
> I'm looking for shock and tire recommendations.
>
> Do Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks fit? anyone
> have them?
>
> Paul
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