Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 22:51:51 -0700
Reply-To: Gary Shea <shea@GTSDESIGN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Gary Shea <shea@GTSDESIGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Stabilizer link
In-Reply-To: <199803210150.UAA08470@iconmail.bellatlantic.net>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
This is amazing! I had no idea you could get those damned arms off, I
assumed they slid them on and then mushed out the bar so the arms
can't come off. Ah well...
I also experienced the dreaded rusted-off stablizer link bolts.
I found a complete bar assembly at a junkyard, unbolted my "looks
like a stablizer but is actually ballast", and worked the links
into place with the bar unattached to the frame. Just used my
hands, no tension in the system anywhere. Done with the
van on jack stands under the front jack attachment points.
Then bolted on the bar. Could feel some tension being added to the
system then.
Might be a bit simpler and less scary approach.
Gary
On Fri, 20 Mar 1998, Chris Higgins wrote:
> RECIPE
> A. Jack-up Vanagon and remove wheel.
> B. Remove old stab link parts: Use the gear puller to easily remove the old
> stab link. Cut old bushing off with sharp knife. Use flat blade screwdriver
> to pry-off upper strut bar bushing. Squeeze some penetrating oil in there to
> loosen things up a bit. Use the gear puller to force-out the old lower
> bushing and spacer sleeve.
> C. Attach the new stab link: Soap-up the new stabilizer bar bushing, and
> twist it into the new stab link. Slide the upper strut bar washer and
> bushing onto the new stab link, and place the threaded end of the stab link
> in the strut bar hole. Soap-up the end of the stabilizer bar real good, and
> the stabilizer bar bushing, and push the new stab link onto the end of the
> stabilizer bar (this requires some effort).
> D. Fasten it all together: Take your spare car jack, and jack-up the lower
> control arm to compress the suspension a bit. This will enable the threaded
> end of the new stab link to protrude through the hole in the strut bar. Be
> real careful when working with suspension components under tension! Slide
> the spacer sleeve, bushing and washer onto the protruding threads of the new
> stab link, and fasten it all together with the nut. Torque this nut to 30Nm
> per Bentley. Slowly release the tension from the suspension components by
> backing-off your handy-dandy spare jack, ensuring that your new stab link
> parts are seated properly. Now remove this spare jack from under your
> Vanagon!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Shea shea@xmission.com
Salt Lake City http://www.xmission.com/~shea
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