Date:         Mon, 22 Mar 2021 17:06:20 +0000
Reply-To:     David Boan <dboan@OUTLOOK.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Boan <dboan@OUTLOOK.COM>
Subject:      Re: Westy Lean
In-Reply-To:  <MWHPR22MB012863790070D6CC8B0340F5BA8F9@MWHPR22MB0128.namprd22.prod.outlook.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dear List

This is a follow-up to my email about my Westy being slightly lower on the rear driver side.  I have been looking into why grease is oozing from the CV and I found that the spring perch on the driver side was badly rusted on the front side and pulling away from the trailing arm, causing the spring to shift slightly to the rear.  Not that the rusted spring perch has anything to do with CV grease, but I think that shift would account for at least some of the difference in height between the left and right rear that I reported earlier.  The right side is not out of alignment or so rusted.  Dennis had commented that the problem could be a bad spring.  I think this qualifies.

So, I am now diving into a trailing arm rebuild.  New spring perches are still available, and I am going to do the bearings, seals and bushings while I am at it.  I do not have it apart, so not sure what I will see under the spring perch, but from chipping away at it I am hopeful the trailing arm is still solid underneath, and the rest of it has only superficial rust.

Any comments or suggestions on repairing the trailing arm are welcome.

Dave B.
Boise
'85 Westy
________________________________
From: David Boan
Sent: Monday, February 8, 2021 1:35 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Subject: Westy Lean

Dear Vanagon-Types

In the last year I added a spare tire mount to the driver side of the rear bumper of my 85 Westy and upgraded my house battery to an AGM, which is heavier than the previous lead acid battery and it also sits on the driver side.  Measured at the rear wheels, the driver side is 5/8" lower than the right side, measured empty and no driver, except for a full tank of gas.  In retrospect, I should have put the spare tire on the other side.  It is the Westy World heavy-duty bumper and spare tire rack, and they are rather heavy.  I am thinking of moving the spare tire mount to the right side to help counter the lean.  Because the spare rides on the bumper I think the impact of the weight is multiplied by the leverage created by sitting beyond the axle, so moving it would seem to have an impact.  I do not know the actual weight of the spare tire mount.

So, two questions for the wisdom of the group.  Does a difference of 5/8" seem significant and worth trying to correct?  The only comment I found in the archives or on Samba was that it could matter in extreme conditions, but what about otherwise?  I see a lot of comments about lean being common, bnut how much lean is common?  And does my logic about moving the spare seem reasonable?  Also, I have the GoWesty progressive springs in the rear, and will have them in the front when I get to it (front springs are still original).

Thanks in advance.

Dave B.
Boise