Itinerant Air-Cooled FUBAR
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:54 am
The steering in the BobD was getting sloppy, even though its feel and liveliness were still good. The wind was still chipping away after the Indiana CV boot replacement, and since it was from the west on my southbound trip to Atlanta, it was making great demands on my concentration as all crosswinds do to VW bus pilots. With the aforementioned foreboding of the demise of this wonderful driving car mentioned in the Indiana CV post, I felt compelled to try, try, try, to forestall the sensation that this car is indeed getting worn out. Let's freshen the steering . . . carefully . . .
Pulled off behind some bridal shop in Kentucky, drove across the grass and perched at the curb of the back parking lot so I could have a little extra room to swing the large hammer that drives out center pin bushings. Remember, I am the traumatized survivor of wrecked steering feel in the late great Road Warrior as a result of stiff ball joints coupled with a looser-than-original Meyle replacement center pin kit.
Not This Time! I plead. But, right out of the box and the protective plastic pouch, this washer calls itself to my attention. It is gouged, with lifted scratch divots:
Good for me, say I, I will file the washer down smooth and keep the steering smooth and light. Then I take a look at the bushings and compare them to the original VW-Audi copper coated bushings . . .
Turkish Meyle's
OEM VW Audi
Looks like one of the replacements has been cut at some weird angle.
The original VW center pin measures in at 23.96mm at the worn end and 23.97mm at the lower end, the replacement is 23.97mm at both:
OK, so the old bushings pop out easily enough even with my out-of-shape arms tiring rapidly. I start the replacement bushing destined for the top of the tube and it is a bit difficult, but all seems OK until I feel the top of the tube for the requisite 1mm protuberance.We have a fricken corkscrew action going here. The bushing has ramped against that diagonal cut pictured above and has "ravelled". With great Rationalization, I convince myself it will be OK. Drive in the new lower bushing, and tap the pin up the tube. Yes! Nice snug fit. But then I reach the upper bushing. Upper bushing gets snagged by the pin, and when I tap the pin home, the upper bushing has corkscrewed up out of the tube a few more millimeters. Heck. Pin doesn't want to come back out either. Finally ViseGrip-twist the pin out (note: ViseGrip dents the new pin head far far more readily than the oem VW pin, that means it is a lot softer).I drive it all the way out. Use the other new bushing. It successfully drives up to the top and has a smooth 1mm protuberance. Then I try to drive the corkscrewed one in on the bottom. But no. There is a slight chamfer where my driver has expanded the inside diameter of the bushing and it is no longer in the mood to insert. So I file the edges and flat-sand it smooth along the edge circumference. Try again upside, downside, old pin driving, brass driver driving, no, no, no. Eventually, I grab one of the original bushings and file it's open side to see if it will close down the inner diameter when I drive it in the tube for a nice fit with the new pin. Sure did close down the inner diameter of the old bushing . . . yes, yes, yes, I tapped the new pin in there all lubricated and ready for final assembly, and the last 2mm suddenly Grabs That Pin and man, is it tight. But there is no going back. Assemble the relay lever, grease the front end and guess what? Road Warrioresque steering in the BobD. No return-to-center, horrendous vagueness in the still blowing westerly wind southbound on Interstate 65 towards Atlanta pondering the March of Time and the Changes To Our Culture not the least of which includes the Changes To My Professional Competence.
Colin
Pulled off behind some bridal shop in Kentucky, drove across the grass and perched at the curb of the back parking lot so I could have a little extra room to swing the large hammer that drives out center pin bushings. Remember, I am the traumatized survivor of wrecked steering feel in the late great Road Warrior as a result of stiff ball joints coupled with a looser-than-original Meyle replacement center pin kit.
Not This Time! I plead. But, right out of the box and the protective plastic pouch, this washer calls itself to my attention. It is gouged, with lifted scratch divots:
Good for me, say I, I will file the washer down smooth and keep the steering smooth and light. Then I take a look at the bushings and compare them to the original VW-Audi copper coated bushings . . .
Turkish Meyle's
OEM VW Audi
Looks like one of the replacements has been cut at some weird angle.
The original VW center pin measures in at 23.96mm at the worn end and 23.97mm at the lower end, the replacement is 23.97mm at both:
OK, so the old bushings pop out easily enough even with my out-of-shape arms tiring rapidly. I start the replacement bushing destined for the top of the tube and it is a bit difficult, but all seems OK until I feel the top of the tube for the requisite 1mm protuberance.We have a fricken corkscrew action going here. The bushing has ramped against that diagonal cut pictured above and has "ravelled". With great Rationalization, I convince myself it will be OK. Drive in the new lower bushing, and tap the pin up the tube. Yes! Nice snug fit. But then I reach the upper bushing. Upper bushing gets snagged by the pin, and when I tap the pin home, the upper bushing has corkscrewed up out of the tube a few more millimeters. Heck. Pin doesn't want to come back out either. Finally ViseGrip-twist the pin out (note: ViseGrip dents the new pin head far far more readily than the oem VW pin, that means it is a lot softer).I drive it all the way out. Use the other new bushing. It successfully drives up to the top and has a smooth 1mm protuberance. Then I try to drive the corkscrewed one in on the bottom. But no. There is a slight chamfer where my driver has expanded the inside diameter of the bushing and it is no longer in the mood to insert. So I file the edges and flat-sand it smooth along the edge circumference. Try again upside, downside, old pin driving, brass driver driving, no, no, no. Eventually, I grab one of the original bushings and file it's open side to see if it will close down the inner diameter when I drive it in the tube for a nice fit with the new pin. Sure did close down the inner diameter of the old bushing . . . yes, yes, yes, I tapped the new pin in there all lubricated and ready for final assembly, and the last 2mm suddenly Grabs That Pin and man, is it tight. But there is no going back. Assemble the relay lever, grease the front end and guess what? Road Warrioresque steering in the BobD. No return-to-center, horrendous vagueness in the still blowing westerly wind southbound on Interstate 65 towards Atlanta pondering the March of Time and the Changes To Our Culture not the least of which includes the Changes To My Professional Competence.
Colin