Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2012 13:17:01 -0700
Reply-To: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Front Shock Replacement, 85 Vanagon
In-Reply-To: <5018A3DB.9010609@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Volks,
Fluid drips on the garage floor, plus squeaks and groans and 200,000 miles on the originals indicated to me it was time to replace the front shocks on my 85 Tintop Vanagon. Searched the archives and got some information (some of it wrong me-thinks) on how to do it. Ordered Sachs OEM front shocks from Van-Cafe (3 day delivery with Famous Amos cookies) and got to it. Here's my advice:
1. Chock rear wheels with slats of wood, emergency brake on.
2. With vehicle on ground, use a 22 mm (not 23 mm per one website) to remove the nut, bolt, and split tapered sleeve holding shock at lower mount point. Might need to tap the threaded end of the bolt axially to get it to dislodge. Removed, cleaned up, wiped with film of Vaseline.
3. Using floor jack, raise vehicle front corner. I raised until I could gain easy access to the top mounting nut by reaching over the tire. I DID NOT remove the front wheel/tire as opposed to previously mentioned website. The tire was 1/4" above garage cement floor. Place jackstand under frame; lower slightly until vehicle is safely supported by jackstand.
4. Remove plastic dust cap on top of nut and shock stem. Hopefully the nut is clean (my California car was clean, no rust). Use a 17 mm box wrench to loosen nut on stem; the stem has 6 mm flats to aid anti-rotation of stem. Used an 8" crescent wrench for that job after the ears on my made-in-India 6 mm open-end wrench snapped. Remove 17 mm nut. Shock should drop down onto floor; maybe some gentle tapping with a piece of wood to encourage.
5. Also remove the metal cap-washer and rubber bushing from the top of the shock. I cleaned them up, and wiped with a film of Vaseline for re-installation.
6. My shock dropped to the floor, and I just moved laterally until the piston rod cleared the assembly. May need to reach up inside big front spring to move piston rod to fully down position. Slide off the upside-down plastic cup with a hole in the bottom (the protector from rocks) from piston rod.
7. Place plastic cup onto new shock. Have the lower bolt handy; insert shock up inside spring. Reach between spring coils to coax the piston rod to fully extended length. Insert top of piston rod through top mounting hole. Your arm will now be supporting weight of the shock from below; but slip the lower mounting bolt through the mounting holes and into shock hole to temporarily hold it in position. Replace the rubber bushing and the cap washer on top of the threaded stem protruding through the top hole.
8. The Sachs shock came with a new 17 mm Nylock nut. I struggled with this for a while; when the nylon lock patch came in contact with the threads, the piston rod turned but the 6 mm flats weren't exposed yet to grap onto to prevent rotation. Gave up. Used the original 17 mm nut. Utilize the 6mm flats to be keep rod from rotating while tightening the 17 mm nut.
9. Raise vehicle off jack stand, remove jack stand, lower vehicle to the ground.
10. Install the lower mounting bolt with tapered split sleeve into mounting hole, through shock, out through the other mounting hole. Might need to "sight" through the series of holes to get all in line before installing the bolt. The vaseline on bolt made it slide right in. Install 22 mm nut. Tighten. You're done! Now, do the other side.
Result: no suspension squeaks, the tiny bit of steering wheel vibration I had is also gone, and of course no mineral oil leaks on garage floor. Seems to drive nicer, tighter.
So maybe good for another 200,000 miles. Took me about 1 hour per side, working slowly.
Rich
San Diego
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