Date:         Fri, 1 Dec 95 19:03:24 EST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         John Anderson <ja@coe.wvu.edu>
Subject:      Re: Syncro Vanagon lifting Brainwork

> John, 
> 
> Your idea to weld a 2nd tube under the existing shock mount tube is
> brilliant--an elegant, simple solution. I imagine the existing welds which
> hold the bottom of the shock onto the stock tube could be strengthened
> somehow as well, either by additional welding or by something like the 1/8"

iDerek forgot to mention the thing that worries me here is that welding
to the tube will boil and burn the hydraulic fluid in the shock.  If I
didn't have this worry the perfect perfect solution is just to weld
something that looks like the bottom half of said remote control to the
bottom of the shock, after taking of the current tube with an angle
grinder.  Now I'm still not against this solution but if the heating
from welding is too excessive the thing might blow apart if pressurized,
you never did mention if this one is shot but was origionally gas
charged, if they are gas charged all the worse.  If merely hydraulic
which this one appears, hell this could be dissasembleable, certainly
looks like the top screws off.  Then I'd be inclinded to take first an
old one like this take it apart, do the welding, reasemble and see what
we get.  May even be able to weld to it if not dissasembleable as long
as not gas charged, probably could as the body and oil inside should
conduct away heat very readily.

Current thought looks like this

     |          |
     |          |
     |          |
     \__________/
      |        | <- lengthened piece out of solid steel welded to
      |        |    tube like origional
      |  /--\  |
      | |    | | <- hole same size as origional using origional bushing
       \ \--/ / 
        \----/
       
To quell any worries about this, this is far from exotic, I could do the
machining and welding myself though I'd likely turn both over to a pro and
figure no more than $50 for the whole things out the door.
However, adding spacers at the top is still a much easier idea for
whatever we can get out of it, both of these ideas BTW reduce no
suspension travel.

NEW> I simply love this design, John. 

John
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