Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:15:45 -0400
Reply-To: Gary Stearns <gstearns@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Gary Stearns <gstearns@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject: Fw: Fw: front suspension rebuilding (squeak squeak)
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=response
The message did show up, (at least in my gerry e-mail) at 12:35 pm
yesterday.
I can't think of anything else that you should be ready to replace, but to
be prepared be sure that you have an allen wrench or allen socket big enough
to fit the head of the bolt going through both bushings. Also be aware that
pulling the upper control arm is supposed to lose your camber settings
forcing an alignment job. I've always had success by carefully marking the
position of the allen head of that same through bolt. If you line up the
marks on reassembly, you'll be in pretty good shape.
I think the Bentley manual says that you'll need a hyrdaulic press to remove
and replace the bushings. I was able to smack them in and out using a
sledge and big sockets that were exactly the same diameter as the bushing.
Getting them out is pretty easy since you're not concerned with damaging
them. To install, I put a piece of 2x4 on the socket to cushion the impact
then supported the control arm in several places. One our two thumps with a
4 lb. sledge and the bushing is home. When you or someone else does the
spot welds needed to hold the bushings in place, be prepared to do it
quickly and douse it with water immediately to cool it down. A relaxed
welder is sure to melt the plastic and rubber inside your new
bushing...something you won't find out 'til months later. Ask me how I
know...
Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Renz" <eucasafari@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:05 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: front suspension rebuilding (squeak squeak)
> It was wierd that you got this message and I never saw it show up on the
> list?
>
> Anyway, that sounds interesting. I don't know if these have ever been
> changed or not.
>
> Is there anything else I should change while im in there?
>
> Gary Stearns wrote:
>
>> I got sick of the squeaking years ago and decided I was going to try to
>> figure out why these upper bushings had such a short life. What I
>> found was
>> that no matter who manufactured the parts, the seal on the outside (where
>> the plastic meets the outer metal shell) always failed. I cut open a
>> few of
>> my failed bushings and always found rust damage and washed-out lubricant.
>> When walking through the plumbing dept. at Home Depot, I had an
>> idea. Each
>> of my upper control arm bushings is now enclosed in a black rubber (or
>> vinyl) pipe cap that I think are used to close up sewer pipes no longer
>> being used. I found one diameter that was perfect to fit snugly
>> around the
>> outside of the bushing. You'll have shorten the cap a little so that it
>> will just butt up against the control arm. Surround with a stainless
>> hose
>> clamp, tighten down, and no more water damaged bushings. I haven't heard
>> that stupid squeak in almost 3 years now.
>>
>> Gary
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Christopher Renz" <eucasafari@GMAIL.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:25 PM
>> Subject: front suspension rebuilding (squeak squeak)
>>
>>
>>> so its time to do the upper control arm bushings, at least on the pass
>>> side anyway.
>>> I can't turn the radio up loud enough to drown the noise out anymore.
>>>
>>> I know I need to do the Upper ball joints as well, but what else should
>>> be done at the same time, if it saves in labor from having to pull it
>>> all apart again later?
>>>
>>> I want to have all the parts on hand when I take her in, since I can
>>> source them so much cheaper than the local shop (and they dont mind.)
>>>
>>> It looks like about $25 a pop for the upper control arm bushings, and 2
>>> per side, so thats $100 bones right there. blech.
>>
>>
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