Date:         Mon, 5 May 2003 17:47:56 -0500
Reply-To:     Jeremy Speer <jspeer@POBOX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeremy Speer <jspeer@POBOX.COM>
Subject:      KYB Clunk-o-rama
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

> Date:    Mon, 5 May 2003 11:40:22 -0700
> From:    "Brian T." <nobleman36@YAHOO.COM>
> Subject: KYB clunk
>
> The noise that folks have mentions, is it a "clunk"
> over fairly rough road or hitting a sharp irregularity
> in the road?
>
> If so, I have this too.  It seems to only happen when
> the front suspension gets whacked with a sharp bump
> though.
>
> Brian from Salem,Or
>

I too have this clunk. I have KYB's all around. Right after replacing
the shocks i began noticing this sharp clunk whenever i rolled over
*small* road irregularities. I noticed it a lot this winter when we
began getting frost heave on secondary roads.

I noticed the shop that put the shocks on (our friends at *Good Karma*
Minneapolis) did not snug the top nuts down... then i realized the nuts
were at the end of their threads and not compressing the rubber bushing
at all. I double checked the model number on the shocks and they're
correct for an '89 Vanagon.

I took off the nuts, stacked up some washers that fit perfectly over
the top of the shock, and then snugged the nuts down so at least they
made good contact with the bushings. That seemed to help a little, but
on sharp little bumps i still get a resounding clunk. Front end only.

I figured this meant the hole in the upper control arm where the top of
the shock rests is somehow shot... and the only fix would be to replace
both the left and right arms.

I'm trying my best to ignore it along with several other, uh, ongoing
issues..... :-(

-jspeer
'89 Westy GL, "Mystery Machine"