Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:20:38 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: '84 value?
In-Reply-To: <637605.72034.qm@web33512.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
It will be interesting to see if anyone comes up with anything.
I imagine they cost more to make than the stamped ones, and they weigh more,
which are disadvantages.
My hunch is it was a safety thing - those stamped lower arms could rust
easily, and possibly fail, though I've never seen anything like that, but
I'm not where vans rust badly either. There could be higher standards in
germany than here about that. Somewhere in the 80's there were laws passed
about rust resistance, like a fender had to last 10 years no matter what -
they started galvanizing things, and using better paint processes for body
rust resistance somewhere in there. Porsche put a bare 911 shell after
treatment in front of their factory for years to show how rustproof their
process way - road & track magazine says.
They're sure are more elegant and well made looking - the cast arms.
If I was building a vanagon chassis from the ground up, I'd sure use the
later suspension.
Scott
turbovans
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Robert Keezer
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 11:54 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: '84 value?
What advantage is there with the cast vs the
stamped lower front control arms?
Robert
1982 Westfalia
--- Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
> Yes, the 85 front brakes and suspension will
> bolt up to the 81. If the
> 85 stuff is in decent shape I would swap it as
> a whole unit even,
> assuming the 85 has the later solid lower arms.
> The early 85 parts are
> the same ones as the 81 so in that case only
> swap if the 85 has better
> condition stuff, fairly likely.
>
> The 85 has the same brakes as the 81 in any
> case. Remember that the
> outer front wheel bearing is different
> beginning some time in 84, so
> swapping rotors or ordering replacement wheel
> bearings would require
> knowing which spindle it was to be used on and
> matching it up.
>
> I would swap the front springs too, for sure,
> along with the rears, even
> if you swap nothing else.
>
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> neil N wrote:
>
> > This is an interesting thread.
> > I still have my 85 parts van in the drive
> way.
> >
> > Is it worth pulling the front brakes and
> suspension for future spare parts?
> >
> > i.e. will the brake and suspension parts bolt
> up to my 81 Westy?
> >
> > I was going to just pull the steering rack as
> it looked the same as my 81
> > rack
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
> >
> > Neil (who clearly doesn't need to add work to
> his engine conversion
> > project!)
> >
> >
> >
> > On Nov 27, 2007 4:10 PM, Mike Collum
> <collum@verizon.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>You would have to get the steering knuckles
> off an '86 or newer model in
> >>order to use the newer brake rotors and
> calipers, David.
> >>
> >>Mike
> >>
> >>
> >>David Kao wrote:
> >>
> >>>Can it be done to put 86+ brake calipers and
> rotators on an earlier
> >>>1.9 Vanagons? Are the spindles compatible
> between the two?
> >>>
> >>>The front brake of my 84 and 83.5 have been
> a constant issue to me. I
> >>>found that I have to use only OEM pads for
> the front brake to work.
> >>
> >>Tried
> >>
> >>>many aftermaket pads with no luck. They are
> not even close to be usable
> >>>in my several attempts to use them. VW must
> have realized the brake
> >>
> >>issue
> >>
> >>>so they upgraded it for the 86+ models among
> other reasons.
> >>>
> >>>I am concerned that once VW dealers no
> longer carry them I would be
> >>>out of luck for good brake pads.
> >>>
> >>>David
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>--- Mark Drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>The main thing is to find one that has been
> loved enough to be worth
> >>>>committing yourself to and don't worry too
> much about the year.
> >>>>
> >>>>As Scott says, the later sliding door is a
> huge improvement that all 85
> >>>>and newer models have. The better parking
> brake was phased in during
> >>
> >>the
> >>
> >>>>85 model year and many 85s don't have it.
> Ditto for the plastic coolant
> >>>>pipes and cast front lower arms. At least
> the newer and much better
> >>>>parking brake can be easily added to
> earlier models.
> >>>>
> >>>>The 86+ has more powerful front brakes to
> go with the more powerful
> >>>>engine. Better caliper design, more pad
> area, larger effective diameter
> >>>>rotor and of greater thickness.
> >>>>
> >>>>The upgraded wiring found in 86+ is a more
> robust and versatile system
> >>>>though I'm not sure too many owners would
> notice the difference.
> >>>>
> >>>>Lots of small changes were made after 86 as
> well and the vehicle just
> >>>>got a little bit better year by year. I
> prefer 87 and later but 85 is a
> >>>>sweet spot in the value curve and 86 is
> only slightly different than
> >>
> >>87.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
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