Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2016 10:56:54 -0800
Reply-To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Report: Front shock dust cover bumper
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Hi all.
I cleaned the broken sleeve and bumper surfaces with brake parts cleaner,
roughed up the surfaces then used Goop to re-attach the dust cover back on
at each sleeve-bumper assembly. I had to laugh at my previous attempt to
attach a dust sleeve. I used silicone! Laughable! This was done some years
ago so that's my excuse. LOL. ;) Given that one sleeve was still hanging
on by about 1/8 of the original material, and may have done so for some
time, I'd think that if the dust cover is bonded (repaired) so that it's
somewhat stable, and one does normal paved road driving, the repair may
survive for a while. I basically glued (back filled) 2 of the lower bellow
parts together. The Goop appears to hold the part well but it's no
installed yet. Caveat: making the bellows stiffer via a repair may not be
best. I can see the bond cracking over time.
As Ken suggests, the bumper portion indeed appears to be ok and should
provide some years more of service. It is, understandably, quite a stout
looking part.
Over on the samba, Mark Drillock kindly posted some rough measurements of
the bumper portion as did I (inadvertent timing of posts) although I think
I measured from a different point. Measuring from the face at step in metal
insert buried *inside* the bushing, (where shcek strut collar sits, I
think), to lower face of the bumper, I saw ~ 65 mm. The OEM rubber donut
and washer being used in place of the OEM bumper are less thick; I would
suggest that using those parts in place of the OEM bumper is a poor and
risky repair method. On the way into barrego springs CA, I hit some HUGE
awful road dips. All 4 of my springs must've bottomed out. The dips were so
bad, all the coins from my friends 85 westy ashtray jumped out spilling all
over the place. I suspect driving over these dips may have damaged the
new front shocks; the non oem "bumper" could've allowed the shock strut to
travel too far into the shock and there could've been metal to metal
contact vs the OEM metal to rubber contact. (Top of shock body to bumper).
Neil.
On Monday, December 19, 2016, kenneth wilford (Van-Again) <
kenwilfy@comcast.net <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','kenwilfy@comcast.net');>>
wrote:
... Beside that metal bushing and the dust covers being thrown away for
> some reason, the upper rubber bump stop thing is usually still fine as a
> used unit.
>
>
>
> >
>> > > On Dec 18, 2016, at 12:14 PM, Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM
>> <javascript:;>>
>> > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > Hi all. This is for a 1981 westy. I'm on a road trip and had 4 new
>> shock
>> > > absorbers installed. The front shock dust covers were broken, the new
>> > > shock threads did not protrude above the washer making it "impossible"
>> > for
>> > > the mechanic to install the lock nut so we deleted the dust covers (I
>> > kept
>> > > them) and mechanic used a new stock large washer, rubber donut and OEM
>> > > spacer sleeve in place of the bumper portion of the OEM dust cover
>> bumper
>> > > and installed the same type of washer and donut at the top of shock.
>> > >
>> > > Was this a bad idea? Will the shock hit the washer when fully
>> compressed?
>> > > Will the shock work loose over time?
>>
>
>
--
Neil n
Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
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