Date:         Sat, 14 Dec 2013 10:07:22 -0700
Reply-To:     OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         OlRivrRat <OlRivrRat@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Parts? &Clunks&Bolts
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

        Does anyone in this group know the Name &or PartNumber of what I am
going to refer to as the Tapered/Split/Compressible/Bushing that
resides in the RearHole of the LowerFrontShockMount on a 2WD Vanagon ~
The LowerShockMountBolt passes through this Item & It appears to have
2 functions ~ As the Bolt&Nut are Tightened it is Pressed into its
HoleOfResidence & so TightensUp against the ShockSpacer while @ the
same time its Taper&Spilt causes it to act like a Colette so it
SnugsDown on the Bolt ~ It seams that if any of its dimensions were to
get reduced by Rust or Corrosion or Wear or if the Hole that it
Resides in were to get Enlarged by Same, it would cease to be able to
do its jobs correctly ~~ So I would like to get some Spares if possible.
        That Item has come to my attention as I have just done some R&R in
that area ~ For the 7Yrs that I have owned this 90Westy it has had a
Clunk in the FrontEnd that has sounded like a Loose Radiator or Bumper
or SuspensionPart & so over the years I have made sure that Rad' was
secured properly & I drove without the Bumper for a bit & I have
replaced all of the FrontSuspensionParts except for the
LowerBallJoints ~~ None of which made the Clunk stop ~ which BTW would
only happen on Some bumps in the road not all ~ A few weeks back I
finally got up the nerve to replace the FrontLower"A"ArmBushings using
PolyBushings that I had gotten from Burley a couple of years ago &
while doing that I came to realize that the ID of Burleys
BushingSleeves/Spacers was 1/2In instead of 12mm so I decided to
replace the OEM 12mm Bolts with 1/2in ~ The new bushings made some
Squeaks go away but the Clunk was still there ~ A few days later I
decided to do something that I had thought about doing many times as I
had heard that the Clunk could be coming from the LowerShockMount &
that OverTorquing that Bolt&Nut might solve the issue but I had tried
that without success & since I had now gotten myself into a
BoltUpsizingMood the 14mm ShockMountBolts got replaced by 9/16In & I
managed to find 1s with a NoThreadShoulder that was JustLongEnough to
SpanTheMount so nothing rides on any threads ~~ Viola ~~ ClunkBeGone ~~

                                                                                        ORR ~ DeanB