Dave, This is a classic symptom of upper control arm bushings asking to be replaced. It usually sounds like it's coming from under the front seat box (and it is...). Since it will often squeak when someone gets in the van or lifts a side up some, a diagnosis is to use a paper cup with a piece of wire attached as a stethoscope and touch the back of the offending control arm. Replaced them about two years ago on our 87, and need to do it now on our 90. It's fairly straightforward for a non syncro vanagon (at normal temperatures...), but I don't know what's entailed on a syncro. You should probably replace the upper ball joints also, if they are as easy as on a non-syncro. BTW - you can safely go a LONG time with the bushings squeaking (easily until spring, I would think), since the main thing that happens is that they eventually get looser and then start to clunk. Steering gets somewhat sloppy, but there are no catastrophic failures likely until you get very violent clunking. Keep spraying with silicone until spring is my recommendation unless you've got a warm place to work. Dave 87 Wolfsburg (replaced upper control arm bushings) 90 Westfalia (about to replace bushings...) At 09:58 AM 12/1/98 +0100, Andreas wrote: > > Hi team.... Maybe someone could give me some shortcut advice so I dont have > to spend too much time outside at 20 below with our beloved syncro.Its been > winter for 6 weeks now in Norway, but only last week did the rubbery > squeaking under the front end begin. Ive tried using silicon spray on the > exposed rubber, with a little improvement, but she still squeaks. Can anybody > tell me if there are particular moving parts that tend to squeak so that I > can isolate the problem joints and get to work? Thanks, Dave Perry 87 Syncro > bus |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.