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Date:         Fri, 14 Apr 2006 11:48:48 -0400
Reply-To:     Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Repair for rear trailing swingarm?
Comments: To: Jens Jakob <jayjay@ZORCK.DK>

One other point of this repair.The trailing arm bushings need to be pretensioned when installed.When the repair is done, and you lower the van to the ground,the weight of the vehicle will cause the new bushing to be twisted. This,by the amount the weight flexes the arm. Your new bushings will always be stressed until the suspension travels the entire amount it can move.Then the bushing is relaxed. You want the opposite. The bushing is stressed when you hit a pot hole and relaxes when the suspension is back to normal.To do this , complete your repair and lower the vehicle. All vehicle weight needs to be on the wheels. Now,crawl under the van one last time and loosen the bolts that attach the trailing arm to the frame.Dont mess up your alignmen,but loosen the bolts up good. Bounce on the bumper a couple times to release the bushing from its stressed, grip. It is now relaxed. Retighten the trailing arm bolts,any you are done.The same pretensioning goes for the front lower control arms weather they be sheet metal or cast iorn.However, for your vanagon(that thing I see between all that rust)this is a different story. When you hit your first pot hole , you will be writing,asking about how to replace an entire wheel.Use that Rustagon for parts.I have to wonder if it even has any good parts left on it.I have only seen one other vanagon that rusty.I think that vanagon was from Minnesota.Land of 10,000 lakes and 20,000 salt trucks.


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