Planning Trip: Scooby's Easting Down

[DAIZEE]

Was on my way back from "down east" in Vermont and it happened! At the top of a very long hill decline, my driver's rear tire blew up, it took some time to get Scooby stopped as only working on 1 brake and it was a long decline and fortunately straight which helped me keep the van straight. Narrow lanes, no shoulders and oncoming traffic. I remember the blow out, put on my 4 ways right away and then fought to control the van to her lane of the highway. Should say I was in a 55 mph zone.

When it finally came to stop I had a brake fire and absolutely NOTHING but a damaged axle. Drum and all brake parts gone. We couldn't find the wheel. Lots of good help. One Vanagon stopped and I waved a 2nd one on.

All this is a little valley with no phone service on ANY phone. I was in shock and unable to make decisions but long story short I requested and got a tow back to Franklin, Quebec where Eric Ley has a VW shop et al. Find out on Monday if we have a hub and backing plate to rebuild the back end.

I can honestly say that all I could think of was "this is not the way to die"!

So perhaps Scooby's wandering days are over. Have lost my nerve and confidence for sure. Nobody who has seen it can figure out how I was able to keep on the road (no shoulders). Lots of angels on my shoulders gave me the adrenalin strength required.

Depending on what we find out from Frank on Monday, I may have a shopping list for Scooby's L rear axle (yes it needs to be replaced too) et al.

Lousy ending for a 6 week voyage!!!!! I had wonderful support and aid from many drivers. Just really hard to arrange anything in a no cell phone area
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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[IdahoDoug]

Wow, that's quite a sturdy place on the Vanagon to have a structural failure. Looks like something was not properly tightened down and eventually vibrated loose - like the axle nut.......

DougM
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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

[danfromsyr]

WOW that's a most catastrophic failure I've ever heard of on that part..

I'm glad you are OK, but I can certainly understand the assault on your nerves and vanagon confidence.
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[IdahoDoug]

Btw, hard to follow post. Tire disappeared and was never found, yet said it "blew up" without evidence. And came to a stop with all brake parts gone, yet had a "brake fire" when stopped? Eh?

Hope it all works out, and soon.
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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

[danfromsyr]

I agree but I'd bet she was still a bit frazzled at that point..

to me it sounded like there was coming down a great long hill/grade
then the tire removed itself from the van in a catastrophic failure of the rear axle/brake assembly
the continued and substantial load on the front brakes created a front brake fire.. but also possibly a fire in the rear of heated parts and leaking fluids?

this is a failure I'd like to see a better picture of and have never heard of in a vanagon before.

I hope Z is regaining her whits and blessing her lucky stars it was only the vanagon that suffered damage..
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[IdahoDoug]

Yeah, i dont know either. Also the "1 brake" comment was puzzling. By law her van still had 3 brakes to stop with, then 2 if she repeatedly pumped until fluid emptied from one circuit. Frazzled, im sure but by the time u sit down, log onto Samba and begin typing, actual facts should be apparent...
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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

[DAIZEE]

Shamed that I don't seem to make clear explanations. Simply put: at the top of a long long decline doing 90 km , sounded like a tire blow out, got flashers on and started bumping brakes to stop. 2 lane old narrow highway with no shoulders and oncoming traffic. Steering became very very difficult and took all my power plus adrenalin to hold the van onto its lane. Finally came to a stop at foot of decline front end still on road. Jumped out on very wobbly legs, saw the fire at the brake line cut that was being dragged on the highway. Went to slider to get fire extinquisher, people telling me to get my dog out. Threw the dog at someone to hold, fire out by that time, big pool of brake fluid on highway.

Realized then that there was no tire,, no wheel, no hub, only the backing plate of the hub was holding axle off ground. Axle threads stripped.

That's what happened, I can't remember much after the sound of a tire blowout, too busy surviving and not veering into oncoming traffic. I remember faces with horror on them but thats it.

Lots of people stopped including 2 vanagons. I had lots of help so waved people on.

We are in a dead spot in Vermont, no phones, nor computer signals. Noboby could use their phones, we had no way to communicate so asked several cars to call the police as the van was partially blocking one lane. About 6 guys went looking for wheel and parts and only found a calipher and part of a shoe.

That's all I remember and it really sounded like a tire blow out. When it got tougher to steer I figured I was on my rim>>>NOT

Longer story shorter, I finally got DAA to approve a piggy back to Franklin Quebec (130 miles) where Eric Ley has a Vanagon repair garage which he presntly opens on the weekends. No problem crossing the border.



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'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[danfromsyr]

All I can say is ummm WOW...
glad you are alive and uninjured (other than your pride and possibly your shorts)

that's a pretty major event to have to manage in a really bad location..
it would shake the nerves of most of us 1/2 your age..
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[westyman71]

Glad you are OK and the bus has relatively minor damage.

I would have had to purchase some new "drawers" afterward.

One day, you will laugh about this....really....but it might be a while.

Safe travels, all
Chuck

[Windig89]

Did you have that rear bearing changed recently? Sounds/looks like the mechanic arm wrestled the castle nut back on stripping the threads.
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1989 Vanagon GL Westfalia - 2.1L waterboxer

[DAIZEE]

no I did not.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[Mofus]

Wow! I'm very impressed you were able to handle the van so well. I feel your pain. I lost my driver side wheel once and it almost gave me a heart attack, and I was only going 30 mph. Glad you're alright.
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'87 Syncro passenger w/ 2.2L Subaru
'10 Passat Wagon (keeps Mrs. Mofus away from my van)

[DAIZEE]

had a lot of special angels sitting on my shoulders and adrenalin. I just remember that "this was not the way I wanted to die" and seeing the look of oncoming traffic faces. That's all I remember.

ps I don't have power steering so that may have helped me hold the wheel(steering) in one position.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[shadetreetim]

Wow. Congratulations on surviving that one. Sounds like you handled it as good as anyone could have. The loud noise you heard was probably when Scooby hit the ground after the wheel fell off. That had to be chaotic with the sound of the hub dragging on the ground and the fear of losing control. Next time you go to the doctor and they want to stress test your heart, just show them this thread.

I hope you get Scooby mobile again quickly. Good luck.
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Tim Potts

Doing my best every time I drive it to dispel the myth these Vanagons have to be slow!


'89 Vanagon Bluestar/Country Homes 1.8T & .77 4th
'74 Jeep CJ5

[DAIZEE]

Scooby is mobile using a 14" Van tire which I had to buy when discovered my spare was a car wheel. Have gotten 2 or 3 websites for potential Audi Wheel (15") replacement. When I've got it then I'll either put a used tire on or replace all 4 wheels as they wore down a lot of that trip.

Because we could not recover the tire or the wheel we have no way of knowing or understanding what happened. That's the scarey part for me.

My years of being an RRT and being able to handle any emergency served me well in this case. My brain was fried immediately afterward and I couldn't make any decisions and I was not clear headed for quite a few hours. But my undies were clean!!

I credit Eric Ley of Franklin, Quebec with getting both me and the van back together, he's a VW mechanic full time and owns 2 Westy's. A GREAT BIG THANKS to the 2 fellows and 1 gal who helped me soooo much immediately afterwards.
_________________
'09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold)

[morymob]

If the stub axle was ok my guess the nut wasnt at tq , no cotter pin & then came off, even if splines suddenly were completely stripped the hub would stay on, my 2cts. Lucky day, know how it is with an actual blowout, was on rear also .