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Pcforno
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2014
Posts: 575
Location: Santa Fe, nm
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 Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 9:57 am Post subject: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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So I have been rebuilding my front end - drivers side went down without a hitch - pushed out the LBJ and pressed a new one in. When I went to assemble the passenger side and press the small taper end of the LBJ into the steering knuckle it was way too small. Hmmm. No mention of any part in the Bentley. So I called Sodo who is doing the same thing right now, and lo and behold the LBJ presses into a bushing which is pressed into the steering knuckle. It stayed out on one side, but came out with the LBJ on the other. Unfortunately I unwittingly trashed the old LBJ with the bushing. Why VW decided they needed a bushing with a taper inside of the knuckle rather than just using the knuckle itself is beyond me.
So a warning- don't throw this part out with your old LBJ!!
And a request- I need one!! If anyone has one or access to a syncro steering knuckle I will pay for it or your time and effort- I'm screwed unless I find one
The pictures below are Sodos- the arrow points to the bushing stuck to the LBJ
And you can see it in the second picture
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jberger
Samba Member
Joined: November 17, 2003
Posts: 2476
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 10:02 am Post subject: Re: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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That sucks.. I just checked my local shop and came up empty.
I always keep junk ball joints.. one of my kids has a box full to make a robot sculpture some day. |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17124
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 10:07 am Post subject: Re: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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Bummer. I checked ETKA and the part number appears to be 251 407 186. I googled it and sure enough Bus Depot lists them. http://www.busdepot.com/251407186
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9606
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 10:48 am Post subject: Re: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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Whew! BusDepot to the rescue. Hope it's ACTUALLY available.
| Pcforno wrote: |
| Why VW decided they needed a bushing with a taper inside of the knuckle rather than just using the knuckle itself is beyond me. |
It's because the taper of the LBJ (of the Syncro) points downward, and a machine tool cannot access that with a tapered reamer (from above). To ream a tapered hole from the "smaller" side would be very costly. The tapered reamer tool would have to be two-part separable, to get "the big end" out of it's hole.
Perhaps the bigger puzzlement is why Bentley doesn't discuss it. And furthermore, why is it NOT a well-known "GOTCHAs" that theSamba is reminding members of? Try Google images: "Syncro ball joint bushing" (nothing). It's a secret! Probably because the front suspensions last 200,000 mile+ and members are just now getting to it (en masse) as the net wisdom is becoming splintered (Samba, Facebook, & whatever else).
Side-note: KEEP the Samba welcoming to Vanagon owners, we need the info HERE!
_________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb
Last edited by Sodo on Thu Feb 02, 2017 2:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Pcforno
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2014
Posts: 575
Location: Santa Fe, nm
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 11:52 am Post subject: Re: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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Just called and checked- it's an NLA part
Anyone know of any scrap syncros they could scavenge- I'll pay for your time!!
Help sambanistas!! |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16503
Location: Brookeville, MD
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Pcforno
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2014
Posts: 575
Location: Santa Fe, nm
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 1:51 pm Post subject: Re: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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Thanks guys!
Problem solved. I called the master of syncro trivia and parts - Burley. He knew exactly what part I was talking about. He said people have been throwing it away accidentally for years! he's made a number of reproductions for this very purpose! Thanks Burl!! |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9606
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 12:54 am Post subject: Re: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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Thread reply for cross-link of this important SYNCRO detail.
Also to show this part is NOT SHOWN in the Bentley repair manual.
Related thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
Note that Burley manufactures this special part, which is no longer available from VW. Syncro ball-joint bushing part# 251 407 186.
_________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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Busdepot
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2004
Posts: 1312
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| Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:23 pm Post subject: Re: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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| Quote: |
| Just called and checked- it's an NLA part |
| Quote: |
| Problem solved. I called the master of syncro trivia and parts - Burley. He's made a number of reproductions for this very purpose! |
What the rep at our shop didn't know yet - because I am still adding parts to our site as I write this - is that we now have these available from Burley as well. Yes, as of this month, we are a Burley Motorsports distributor, supplying the Burley products formerly sold by Van Cafe. Some of them are already on our site, more to come later, but we can supply any part Burley makes even if not yet on our site. (Of course you can still order them from his website as well.)
See http://www.busdepot.com/catalogsearch/result/index...p;q=burley for our selection of Burley Motorsports products so far. (The bushing's at the bottom, just added it.)
We haven't "officially" announced it yet, so you are the first to know! 
_________________
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com |
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burleymotorsports
Samba Member
Joined: July 17, 2005
Posts: 332
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9606
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 3:50 pm Post subject: Re: Lower ball joint syncro warning and a request |
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Kinda wish I "mistakenly threw away" one of my upper control arms.....and had to buy a set of Burley arms. 
(pic from Burley website)
_________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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