Meyle Drag Link

RussellK · Samba Member Joined: March 09, 2006 Posts: 225

Has anyone made a recent purchase of a Meyle Drag Link for a late bay? I installed one on mine and the fit doesn't seem right. Both ends have similar problems. Bolt diameter is okay, the same as original. The length of the ends is .5" longer that the original. I measured my original drag link against the replacement with a micrometer and the replacement is definitely larger moving up the taper. It looks to me like the taper may be incorrect. As a result the drag link doesn't appear to be seating correctly. After torquing to spec, between the boot and arm I have around 3/8" of the stub showing and a 1/4" of thread inside the barrel of the arm. I called the vendor and they said they had other complaints about the fit and Meyle said not to worry about the gaps between the boots and the arms as long as the thread is not in the barrel which mine is. They offered a replacement which I received yesterday and after installing last night the fit still seems wrong. I'm going to contact the vendor again but I'm curious if anyone else has had this and what the outcome was.
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-Russ
'77 Westphalia
'68 Standard

aeromech · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 1:53 pm Post subject:

I installed one in a 1971 a couple weeks ago. They are the same part up to 1979 I believe. Anyway, I had zero installation problems. Removal was a bitch though. The aft one popped right out with my air hammer but the front one really sucked getting it out. I finally cut off both sides of the bolt going through the pitman arm, then heated it with my torch after drilling out the center. It finally popped out with a drift. On top of that I had rust from behind the front bumper falling in my eyes ever time I smacked it. To top it off... the homeless guy who was living in the van started crying about only having $40 to live on for the rest of the month so I think all in all I made about $6 on the job. I did however feel pretty good afterwards for helping the old guy. Boy his van stunk bad. I hated even touching the steering wheel.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

sped372 · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 1:55 pm Post subject:

aeromech · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 3:00 pm Post subject:

rcnotes · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 5:36 pm Post subject:

Yep. Working on a stinkfoot's bus can be very intense. Laughing

SGKent · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 5:52 pm Post subject:

we replaced one with a Meyle. There is a thread on it. The ends torqued in Ok but the sockets had more play new than a used one. Steering was awful. We returned it and bought one locally from Bugformance that was made in Italy and went by the brand of OCAP. It had very little play and helped the steering quite a bit. Works great.

Here is what I wrote at the time:

504 · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:45 am Post subject:

Any update on current drag link options? I need to order one, seems most of the ones available are Meyle, GS has Febi (brazil) and there are a few nameless brazilian ones, and I found one Lemforder but its more expensive than the Febi.

Anyone use these recently with any suggestions? Is Febi or Lemforder worth the extra $?

germansupplyscott · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:55 am Post subject:

aeromech · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:55 am Post subject:

I installed a Meyle into a 1971 bus and it seems to be fine, no issues.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

TheShane · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:06 am Post subject:

I but a Meyle brand drag link in my Bus about 200-300 miles ago. It is already loosening up, I can hear a slight "pop" coming from it. Wonder how long until its a violent "pop", just like the one I replaced.

I'd get anything but Meyle.
_________________
'78 Sunroof Bus

Central KY VW Club

504 · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:07 am Post subject:

I'm thinking an extra $30 is not that much compared to the amount of time I have invested in this front end.

Thanks for the input

420GOAT · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:09 am Post subject:

made in Turkey or isreal. Confused

_________________
once you realize im not impressed we will get along just fine

Bloog · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:10 am Post subject:

Alot of the "German" Meyle stuff I've been seeing is made in either India, Turkey, or China. Go figure... Rolling Eyes

Don't assume that because you're purchasing a trusted German manufacturer's name that it's still produced there.
Those days are gone.
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atmellovw · Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:18 pm Post subject:

So, I have the same situation as the OP upon installing my new drag link yesterday? Does anybody have any further info on this issue with the Meyle?
_________________
1972 Westy ("Bubbles") - Pastel White - 1700(1974 MT) - Dual Solex

RatCamper · Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:06 pm Post subject:

Hope that homeless guy wasn't actually driving anywhere. $40 is maybe half a tank of fuel or a bag of groceries. Tough choice to make.

Not looking forward to when these things start to fail on mine. Thankfully besides the old steering box there has been nothing wrong with the front end... besides the front shocks not really working for the last decade or so. Huge pain when I cant get a straight answer with what will actually fit! Shocks are way too expensive an item to order then discover they don't fit.
_________________
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based pop-top camper (LCA / Sunliner). Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

Jockomo · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:18 am Post subject:

Nice. Found this thread after receiving my new meyle drag link.
However I can't even seem to get the old one of to install the new one.
The front end of the link will not come out of the pitman arm.

I've destroyed a new one of these:0
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-point-joint-separator-99849.html
trying to separate the joint. Stripped the threads and also mushroomed the end of the bolt.

Aeromech's story makes me think the old one is not looking so bad, however now I've put a hole in the rubber with a picklefork and I did manage to get it to budge a few millimeters so now it's not seated as it was.

Any more suggestions to getting this one out? Keep banging on the picklefork?

Even if I do manage to get the old one off, will the new one be as difficult to put in?
_________________
'75 Westy with '78 2.0L engine.

regalasr · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:15 am Post subject:

Feelin you. Get another pitman arm from Busted Bus?

ccpalmer · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:05 pm Post subject:

I just installed a Meyle drag link - no issues.

I use something more like this for my drag link/tie rod ball joints -

http://www.revbeergoggles.com/balljoint1/ball-joint-tool.jpg
_________________
'71 Westy

kevin77westy · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 5:34 pm Post subject:

I use a tie rod puller that I got from aircooled.net.
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Tie-Rod-End-Puller-18-25mm-p/7080.htm
Looks alot like this:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Its kinda pricey (was $50 when I bought mine a few ys back but is closer to $70 now) but makes these jobs soooo easy and well worth the money. I can't tell you how may times I have used it on mine and friends' VWs even my old GMC pickup. It is a sturdy, well made tool. I just replaced my 77 bus drag link with ac.net's drag link last week and it was a smooth job. The front joint took more force than the rear one but it popped right out after a few turns on the puller. Really helped my steering that had been loose for yrs. Can't believe I actuallyhad gotten use to the that steering and put it off for so long.

That being said, have you tried a bigger hammer? Usually helps to have a little more umph

surfbus23 · Samba Member Joined: July 21, 2016 Posts: 383

Went to install my new Febi drag link and seem to have run into a similar problem?

I installed it and tightened down to torque and this is what it looks like. Notice the space between the boot and the union.

Is this acceptable?


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