Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:44:14 -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: Swing Axle Boot Leak Question - the only Swing Axle 88
Vanagon in existence
In-Reply-To: <C372DC21.3362%cichowski@montana.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi, just teasing.
You have CV joints, yes, but the last 'Swing Axle' VW Bus was the last year
of Split Windshield, 1967, and the axles did indeed 'swing down' since they
pivot at the transaxle, a design dating from about the 30's.
What you have are called CV joints ( constant velocity ) and IRS -
independent rear suspension.
Nope, not a result of jacking up one side. Vanagon CV joints boots last
nearly forever, about 15 times better than old Bug and Bus Boots.
They're not that hard to replace.
Here's an old indinan trick - if you don't want to bother with replacing the
boot for a while....get motorcycle chain lube in a spray can, spray that in
the hole in the boot all over the CV joint. This will keep a CV joint alive
for years and years if you do it every once in a while.
The 'right repair' is remove that whole axle, inspect CV joints for
looseness and not having enough grease, re-lube or replace joints and boots
as necessary, then reinstall.
There's a way to swap the rear axles around ( if manual trans, can't do
this with an auto trans since axles are different length ) so the CV joints
drive the other way, like rotating tires around to spread wear, but that's
another subject.
There's also buying a whole rebuilt axle and popping that in, but I don't
think one of those would be as well made or long lasting as putting in new
good german Lobro brand cv joints and boots.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Ben Cichowski
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 7:50 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Swing Axle Boot Leak Question
Hi all,
I checked the archives - there was a good post similar to this - but no
follow up replies.
I had my '88 Wolfsburg with the rear end up in the air on jack stands last
night to make a slave replacement easy.
I noticed one of the Swing Axle Boots leaking a bit of of oil out on the
narrow end facing the wheel. Kind of squeezed out when I jacked it up on the
opposite side. I'm thinking it may be a result of jacking the van up one
side at a time to put in the stands, thus put extra pressure on the opposite
side.
Has this happened to anyone else...and is it something to worry about - i.e.
change right away...
...or is it a common occurrence from jacking the vehicle up that just leaks
a bit only when under pressure like this, but doesn't pose much of an issue?
-Ben
BTW, slave and clutch MC replacement took all of an hour or so - Thanks Ken
for the quality parts. The MC I got from you is about 3 times the quality of
the one I took out from the PO...and the "new" slave he had put in looked
like it had been through a war. Now I'm just waiting on my pressure bleeder
now to come in.
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