Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 15:23:44 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Upper COntrol Arm Bushing '85 GL
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No problem really Jeff, on those upper A-arm, inner bushings.
to remove them, use a grinder to remove the spot welds that help secure the
bushings in place.
The change the bushings in a press.....like they show in Bentley.
that works well.
then just take the arm to a welder...mark where you want a few short spot
welds with a black marker pen and say ...
' please make short spot welds here' .
that will take a welder about 20 seconds , maybe one minute total.
The kind of thing where a friendly welder might say '.............ah....I'll
charge ya somethin' next time.'
( in welding it's the set up and prep time that's time consuming, the actual
welding is very little effort. If you hand it to the welder all figured out,
clean, and ready to weld......it's like 'no effort' to a real welder. - take
them literally, seconds to do it.
If they want to make it into a big project, you're at the wrong place. ) A
muffle shop, the kind where you can walk into where they work....they weld
in wire feed all the time, super easy for them to do. )
Not arc welding, just common wire feed welding.
Not enough heat or penetration to melt the rubber ....just some short quick
spot welds.
And cool it off with a wet rag like GW says.
but no bid deal...
I've done it a number of times.
I have read of people not even spot welding them, but I don't recommend
that.
One 'trick' is getting high quality upper bushings.
Meyle is the common near bargain price option ...
Meyle suspension parts may not last 100,000 miles like the original ones
did. I can pretty much promise that.
I'd say get the best ones you can.
I do notice a big decline in the quality of aftermarket parts these days.
I am almost forced to get parts from the dealer, as difficult and sometimes
expensive as that is.
Just got a 2WD 2.1 wbxr ECU temp sensor ...figure I ought to have a new one
around ...
Made in ........'you know where' .
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Lincoln" <magikvw@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 9:44 AM
Subject: Upper COntrol Arm Bushing '85 GL
> Ok, so I knew before I picked Gertie up that she would need the Upper
> COntrol Arm bushings replaced. Common issue - no problem.
>
> So I was doing some research and ran into an article at Go Westy - an
> exerpt
> from that article here:
>
> *The next most common way an installation can go awry is specific to 2WD
> A-arms. 2WD A-arms are made of stamped steel sheets. 4WD A-arms are
> crafted
> from a thicker, forged design. To retain the bushing in the 2WD stamped
> arm,
> it is necessary to use a small weld. It's a very small spot weld that is
> required, followed by a quick quench in water right away before the
> plastic
> part of the bushing melts. If your weld is too large, or if you do not
> quench it quickly enough... heehaw heehaw heehaw.
> *
> I trust the experience there at Go Westy - so I'm not really questioning
> this - but then again maybe I am :) (I know I'm confusing)
>
> So what's up with the spot weld scenario above? I don't get it. This also
> means if I follow this that I can't do the replacement myself - because I
> CAN'T WELD!!
>
> I don't know that I have an actual question here - I'd just like to hear
> others opinion and experience with this I guess. Thanks in advance.
>
> --
> Thanks,
>
> Jeff
> '85 GL (Gertie)
> '90 Carat (Grover - the noble parts donor)
> '86 (We call this one Scrap)
> '78 Bus (Melissa) Patty's Bus
