How do you really check out the suspension?

[delta9007]

She's an '89 manual Westy 2wd with 164000.

So, I'm getting ready to take the old girl off the road for a few months and have been making lists, long lists..
The only thing I've found on the front suspension is a loose and cracked radius arm bushing. All the boots on the ball joints are good, no cracking in any other bushings, no upper control arm squeaks, wheel bearings tight, suspension rebounds once and stops when I bounce my weight on the corners. I'll be replacing the rack and will throw on the polyurethane bushings for that.
But I still feel some pretty good thunking on rough roads. So what's the best way to check all this out? Rank on it with bars? On the ground, in the air? Your thoughts and input would be mucho appreciated.
_________________
'89 2wd, 4spd, 2.1 Westfalia.

[buildyourown]

This may not be the best way, but its what I do.
Look for loose bolts or cracked rubber. Lift it in the air and wiggle stuff. Bad ball joints will present themselves.
Shocks are a road feel thing. If it porpoises, they are done.

[dobryan]

It's 25 years old with 164,000 miles. Likely everything could use refreshing, but that doesn't mean it has to be done now.

On my '87 with 210,000 I recently redid my entire front suspension, steering rack, all bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, yada, yada. None of the existing stuff was horrible but when I replaced it all the effect was dramatically better. YMMV.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[MacLeod Willy]

To check ball joints, they need to be unloaded to get the sprung weight off. This will let you see and feel the amount of wear.
The tierods need resistance against them like the wheels on the ground. Put you hand on the socket while someone takes up only the freeplay in the steering wheel and you will feel it move if its wore.
Even though the boots look good, they could be completely wore out.
Check the rag joint too.

[rubbachicken]

i'd be willing to bet money that they will need replacing.
if one or two bits show themselves as needing replacing, go through the lot.
_________________
lucy our westy

lucy's BIG adventure

meet 'burni'


markswagen {mobile mechanic} san diego area all early VW's cared for.

619 201 0310 or 617 935 4182

[IdahoDoug]

FYI, the old "bounce the car" test for shocks has become a little inaccurate in this day and age. My Dad taught me this test back in the late 60s when shocks did wear out regularly and dramatically. But nowadays shocks last much longer, and when they are due for replacement the car still won't bounce much. So it may be time for all of us to base our assessment of worn shocks on driving dynamics like feeling the van heave itself through a lot of the spring travel once a day when a bump is the right frequency, etc. Or a van whose suspension seems to be always in motion as you drive. The slow wearout of modern shocks also means the deterioration is slow and not noticeable, so generally people only realize how bad their shocks are when they have new ones put on and the van feels like a new vehicle.

I don't really have any data on why this is so, but I suspect it is a reflection of modern materials in the shocks - better seals, better fluids. They seem to wear out only in the center of movement nowadays - the center inch or so of movement. In the old days when they were worn out, they just suddenly from one week to the next seemed to become worthless - usually while on a long heavily laden trip or from an hour on a dirt road.

Anyhow, my two centavos..
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[insyncro]

Take a drive in a van that has been refreshed...you will know straight away that your bushings, bearing, shocks and springs will be ready for updating within a couple of miles...not even

[delta9007]

Thank you much guys, looks like a front end rebuild is in my future.
_________________
'89 2wd, 4spd, 2.1 Westfalia.