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Date:         Sat, 4 Jun 2011 06:35:52 -0700
Reply-To:     Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Help the chimp avoid getting crushed
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Remember that old animal intelligence test where they put a chimp in a room, and from the ceiling dangled a bunch of bananas out of reach, but they did leave a stick in the room and the chimp shortly figured he could overcome the obstacle (out of reach) and knock down the tasty treats with it?

Well, let's say I am the chimp. Let's say that instead of a bunch of bananas, my goal is to change the rear shocks on my 1984 van. For the obstacle, let's say I do not have a flat place to work on. The driveway slopes sufficiently far that I need to stick 8'' high ramps under the downhill wheels to level the van. For tools, I have the right wrenches, the aforementioned ramps, a couple of cheap little jack stands with 6'' square bases, a hi-lift jack with Vanagon adapter, and a healthy desire to do the job without (a) the van rolling into the house or (b) getting crushed.

Seems like all I need to do is park the van on the ramps so it no longer has a downhill to roll down. Maybe nose down so the rears are on the pavement. Set it in Park and chock it, then, one side at a time, jack up a rear corner to get the wheel off and do the R&R.

But before I embark, I'd like to check with the group in case there is a safety issue with this plan.

SECOND QUESTION: I've never changed shocks, on level ground or not. The ones I'm trying are Monroe SensaTrac coilovers. I have not opened the box but it's pretty clear from the photo that I need to get the mounting points on the van the right distance apart because these shocks don't look like they are easy to compress or stretch by hand. How does a fellow go about getting the right distance between the upper and lower mounting points?

-- Rocky J Squirrel (Jack Elliott) '84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") '74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) Bend, OR KG6RCR


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