Date: 11 Jul 1997 15:41:16 -0600
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Carl Hansen" <Carl_Hansen@ATK.COM>
Subject: Upper A-Arm Bushing repair
BatSubject: Upper A-Arm Bushing repair (long) 5/30/97 9:43 AM
Hi, I am reposting this 'cause I couldn't find it in the archives, and I
recall at least one question about how to do this in late June. I stumbled
across a copy, remembered my promise to Randy Newell to send it, and there you
are.
Perhaps someone can tell me how to make sure this gets to the appropriate
person that can add it to FAQ's or Technical Hints, or??? There is a correct
place to archive it, I can't seem to find the bookmark at the moment.
Ch Any Tool can be
the right tool
'89 Syncro Beast
'86 Scirocco
'87 GTI 16V
******************************************************
HOW TO, UPPER A-ARM BUSHING REPAIR. DoItYourSelf
1. Jack up the front, yank on the top of the wheel, push in and out. If it's
loose and rattles, yup, at least one bushing is shot. The wear mode on mine
was that the inner sleave locks to the outer sleve and then everytime the
suspension unloads on the right, or compresses on the left, the forces are
such that the nut on the long bolt that holds the whole thing together
loosens. You lose the alignment, and hear rattles and clunks. It is very
easy to tell, you can see stuff move "up there".
2. So take it all off. Follow Bently, he won't stear you wrong.
3. Do do both sides, if one is gone, the other is probably not far behind.
When you're done, go to the dealer and have him do a front alignment. By the
way, tell him to check for anything else you should do before the alignment
BEFORE he does the alignment. My guy charged ahead, did the alignment, and
later noted that the lower rubber bushings were shot, the tie rod ends were
gone, the wheel bearings were going, etc. etc.... You should check some of
that yurself while you have the front up.
Make sure your Alignment shop has teh updated data for alignment of a Syncro.
Derek Drew did a nice posting of the details and this should be in the
archives. Look for "Alignment For Vanagon Syncro" and message number
"msg07812". I am reading this from the sheet I printed, and note that Derek
first posted this on 17 Mar 1994, and reposted sending the info to Joel Walker
on8 Aug 1996.
4. OK, how do you get the bushings out. oof da. It's nice to have a
hydraulic press handy, but I think it can be done w/o. In any event, you will
probably have to "help" things out a bit due to the rust you will find.
5. How to help the bushings out.
o Cut the fat end off the bushing. I used a band saw, it can be done with
a hacksaw. You are cutting thru a thin shell, some plastic, and a thick inner
steel sleeve so be patient. Cut as close to the a-arm as comfortable, but no
farther away than about 1/8 inch. You need to break an inner connection of
thin metal to thin metal that can make it hard to press out the inner steel
sleave FIRST.
o Press out the inner steel sleave. Support the a-arm, or outer portion of
thebushing, and bang on it. It is just in there with plastic. (and probably
some rust)
o Split the hacksaw so you can insert the blade into the middle of the
bushing. Carefully cut the bushing lengthwise. This helps to release the
bushing from the a-arm by releasing some of the pressure. You are cutting
plastic, and a thin metal outer portion of the bushing. BE CAREFUL. DO NOT
CUT ALL THE WAY THRU. YOU DON'T WANT TO CUT THE A-ARM.
o Take a cold chisel and bang the thin end of the bushing into the center
of the hole. Do it all around, be careful to NOT HIT THE A-ARM, you don't
want to gouge that up. You can bang on whats left of the fat end also. That
helps to release the rust.
o When you've got the fat end cut off, the small end collapsed, and the fat
end banged on, you're ready to try to press the thing out.
o Press the thing out. Sorry, no tricks or short cuts here. Either use a
hydraulic press, or a hammer and socket, or??? what ever you have access to.
I used a hydraulic press, but I think that as easy as it came out after all
the cuts and chiseling, that you could use a big hammer. Support the a-arm so
that the bushing can come out.
o Smooth out the a-arm where you nicked it. trust me, I know you did, I
did, it's not easy to never hit it with the chisel. Just do your best to not
hit it, and file off the rough edges in the FEW places you did hit it
accidently.
o Now you are just about done. Optional, I put some anti-sieze on the
outer surface of the new bushing to prevent rust a bit and maybe in the next
150,000 miles it'll be easier to take out. ;)
o Carefully press the new bushings in. Press in straight. Press on the
outer portion of the fat end, do not press on the inner portion of the steel
sleve.
OK, now you are done and can put the a-arms back togther. Follow Bently
again.
o HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: DO BUY NEW allen head bolts for the upper ball
joint. I had to take my front apart a second time, two weeks later and had
just as much trouble loosening thes 2 per side bolts as I did the first time.
Of course, by that time, the heads stripped out and I ended up chisseling two
off, and vise gripping one other off.
o Allign the front. Keep in mind my caution from above, check all the
other stuff on the front BEFORE you spend money aligning the Front. It's no
fun taking it apart again. Especially note the detailed information on
Alignment spec's from Derek Drew. See the Archives.
It all can be done by u at home in the garage. Remember:
There is nothing you can't do, just stuff you haven't done yet. and
The hardest part of any job is starting. and
Any tool can be the right tool. (Courtesy Red-Green Show)
Go for it.
Ch
'89 Syncro Beast
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