Date:         Sun, 9 Sep 2012 11:10:50 -0700
Reply-To:     neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Radius Rod (strut) Newbs: Clean First!
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Hi all.

Am enjoying my foray into the newer style front end. Well, mostly
enjoying.    ;^)

Last night, with a tired but determined mind, I made slow progress
getting the radius rod outer nut off. It doesn't have far to travel
but combine that lock nut with thread crud and a long wrench, it felt
like it might snap!

Cleaning the large portion of threads is obvious, but take a minute to
clean the threads at rod end BEFORE turning that nut.

Was using penetrating fluid, and turning the nut back may have helped,
(as it did with the inner nut) but a minute with a wire wheel likely
made the bigger difference.

The older style radius rod also has these big nuts but of note, take
the time to clean the threads at the lower 3 bolt threads. Image, new
nuts installed:

https://sites.google.com/site/tubaneil2/RadiusArmNuts.jpg

Those nuts are also lock nuts. Turn each a bit at a time.

You REALLY don't want this: (image of my '81 radius rod nuts):
https://sites.google.com/site/tubaneil2/RadiusArmSnappedBolt.jpg



Neil.

--
Neil n

65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly  http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp

'88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.

'81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"  http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:

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