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Date:         Mon, 4 Apr 2005 11:04:42 -0700
Reply-To:     Steve Schwenk <Steve@SYNCRO.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Schwenk <Steve@SYNCRO.ORG>
Subject:      Saved by a Guardian Angel...Again
Comments: To: syncrolist@yahoogroups.com
Comments: cc: Volks Cafe <vwcafe@volkscafe.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Yes, it is possible to drive a syncro with no rear shocks. We did it. For about 80 miles of rough dirt road and 50 miles of paved road. The paved road was the scariest...due to heavy winds. Lots of rocking and rolling and instability.

But thankfully, after all that, we pulled into the first sign of civilization we had seen in 10 days and there waiting at that dusty Mobil station was a pair of brand new Old Man Emu shocks, with my name on them. We were saved!

I decided to test a set of rear shocks I bought from the south africa group purchase some time back. They were the only high-pressure monotube shock supposedly available for the syncro, so naturally I had to try them. And so I took them out to our test facility, which is huge. Thousands of square miles. We crossed over the mountains fine. Nothing remarkable to report. Then came the long stretches of washboard on the valley floor. After 15 miles or so, we heard a bang and pulled over. The left rear shock had popped its top and completely separated. Oil everywhere. The shock shaft was bent. The lower tube was hanging free. The passenger side shock was still intact, but the cap that holds the tube and shaft together was crooked and clearly about to blow, too. And it did, on the next bump we hit. We were still 30+ miles of dirt road from camp and now had no rear shocks..

The big concern, of course, was that a rear spring might now pop out of the perches since there were no longer any shocks in place to limit the range of travel. If the spring popped out, the suspension would collapse and the wheel would be resting on the wheel well, making travel impossible. We knew the tow fee to get out of there was over $1000, so we took it real easy and thankfully made it in fine.

Once there, we met a couple who were headed out the next day. They kindly agreed to call Peter at www.VolksCafe.com once out of the valley and in cell phone range. Peter then had to call the Mobil station and get their address and then ship the shocks there...all without being paid first. We had no idea until we got out whether or not the call was successful. Had Peter not come through for us, we would have been delayed getting home by two days at least. Last year about this time, I called Peter from the top of a mountain at Hollister as we were removing a snapped rear axle from a syncro adventure wagon. He had new axles delivered to Hollister the same day! It saved the event for the owner of the Adventurewagon. That kind of service is above and beyond the call of duty! Volkscafe.com is now the official guardian angel for my syncro! Thanks, Peter!

Steve

www.syncro.org


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