Date:         Fri, 5 Sep 2008 09:27:58 -0600
Reply-To:     gary lee <gary2a@TELUS.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         gary lee <gary2a@TELUS.NET>
Subject:      Re: Me Sad. Trip cancelled. Whining Content + Warning (PICS)
In-Reply-To:  <48C11E03.4070106@pottsfamily.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

I would not want a 'rusty and then repaired' suspension part on my
van.  It's probably rusty and thin all over, it's the rust and
thinness that makes repair questionable and difficult.  I suspect most
certified (and accountable) welders would decline to repair that
particular part.  It's a suspension component, the consequences of
failure could be messy and expensive.
Vanagon Swing arms are cheap and easy to get.  Why bother fixing it?

Yah, we have rust in the west but nothing like that.

Gary

On 5-Sep-08, at 5:54 AM, Greg Potts wrote:

>
> Hi Gary,
>
> I had similar problems with my Baywindow bus back in Summer 2006.
> The rust monster was chewing on one of the front beam support
> stanchions. The holes were much bigger than Neils.
>
> I took it to a professional welder, and we WERE able to weld new
> support metal to it. It has been soaking up abuse for over 2 years
> now and is holding up fine, thank you very much.  The guy who did
> the welding is a licensed professional who spent the fall of 2006 on
> a project converting a lake freighter into an icebreaker. He knows
> his stuff, and he didn't hesitate to do the job at all.
>
> If there wasn't any metal to weld to, the wheel would have come off
> already. Since it hasn't, there must be something there to work with.
>
> I'm guessing you don't live in the rust belt. Frank, Ben and I see
> stuff like this ALL THE TIME...
>
>
>
> gary lee wrote:
>>> Hmm I think that I would haul this thing to a welder and have him
>>> spot
>>> weld some beef onto that part, take your meds and go.
>>> Sure not going to ruin the looks of that arm..


>>> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/TrailingArmHoles.jpg/TrailingArmHoles-full;init:.jpg
>>>  That cannot be welded effectively, I wouldn't waste your time
>>> trying.
>> You'll just make it worse.  You can't MIG rust, and gas welding
>> wouldn't do much good.  It's probably rusted on the inside in other
>> places also.
>> Gary Lee
>
>
> --