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Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve
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vanatic
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:56 am    Post subject: Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve Reply with quote

I'm having a gentle knock at low speed. It takes some small bumps in sucession like several expansion cracks close together. Bushings are new. LCA(GoWesty), UCA(Powerflex), Radius(Powerfelx), T3 Swaybar. Upper shock bushing if from Buslab. The UBJ and LBJs have been R&R'd in the last few years. I pulled my OME's and replaced with FOX thinking that was the culprit to the knock that happens from sharp edges. The bumps stops were a bit hogged out but I didn't really think it was a problem. The old spacer sleeves were nearly worn through, though. Again, I though that may be normal wear and tear after 30 years. However, upon closer inspection, the upper shock tower hole is definitely hogged out a bit too. It's slightly oval. I'm guessing this should be round and a snug fit for the spacer sleeve. I'm hoping that this is the source of my noise.
I'm thinking about welding it and drilling it or just punching it out and shimming it. What about machining a larger spacer? Ideally, I'd like to help the next user by not having anything proprietary in there but I also want to repair it with the best technique.

The sleeve in the pic has about 200mi on it. They both look like that... and...yes they were tightened properly!

Thanks Samba!

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Jake de Villiers
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:18 am    Post subject: Re: Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve Reply with quote

Did you do up the top nut with the van on the ground? The bushings need the preload to seat correctly - otherwise they knock on small bumps.
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4Gears4Tires
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:40 am    Post subject: Re: Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve Reply with quote

https://www.vanagain.com/shop/front-shock-bump-stop-bushing-for-all-vanagon

This thing? I am 96% sure my van does not have this. Cool. Cool. Yet another part I am missing. Time to disassemble the front suspension again. I really shouldn't have cheaped out on the cheap Vanagon... argh.

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It looks like it goes below the upper mount. (maybe that's why I can't see mine.) You appear to have it above the upper mount.
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mikemtnbike
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:44 am    Post subject: Re: Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve Reply with quote

At least if you had it apart recently, you won't have to hack the top off the shock to get it off (hopefully).

I was missing it on one side and replacing that little part did get ride of some clatter I had when going over high-frequency impacts.

It just slide into place, guessing that's why it looks like it's above the upper mount in the OP's photo.

Anyway,+1 on what Jake said, I also learned the importance of tightening the top nut down underload the hard way.
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vanatic
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve Reply with quote

Took the shock off to inspect the hole. Does this look normal? It's not perfectly round. Not bad, though. Could a played out bump stop allow it to be flexing or is there potentially something wrong in the suspension geometry. It's pretty much the same on both sides.
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4Gears4Tires
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2021 1:19 pm    Post subject: Re: Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve Reply with quote

That is not close to good. You can even see the lip from it being deformed by repeated hits. Replace or weld a thick washer in there to recenter the hole.
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vanatic
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2021 2:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve Reply with quote

Should the sleeve fit snug in there? I guess I'm curious what the diameter of the hole was originally.
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vanatic
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2021 2:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Premature wear Upper Shock Bushing Spacer Sleeve Reply with quote

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