There's a man who knows what the Christmas spirit is all about. Bravo
Jonathan!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Bias" <rbias@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2001 10:00 PM
Subject: "Front Bearing Saga" has ended... Thank you Jonathan!

> Jonathan and All,
>   Today I had the extreme pleasure of meeting a true gentleman and fellow
> Vanagon enthusiast.  Jonathan Lewis lives about an hour away from me and
> last night he offered to come over and help me with my stuck bearing race.
> He came over on his big motorcycle with heated suit and all, Dremel and
cold
> chisels in tow.  Got off his bike, shook hands and jumped right into the
> bearing job.  He immediately assessed the situation and said we probably
> won't be able to get the hub off because the race was already "annealed".
> The metal was too soft and it was just mashing apart.  He said he has a
> wheel and hub puller at his house that we could use.  My problem became
> "our" problem the second he got off his bike.  I just met this man,
emailed
> him a time or two with list issues and he is taking his time and energy to
> help me out.  He said he would go home and get the wheel puller and like
he
> didn't do enough already, he MADE me a bushing to go over the speedo cable
> and leverage off the spindle.  A really great piece of craftsmanship.  He
> worked it into his family Saturday schedule to get by my house a second
time
> to drop the tool off.
>   Jonathan, the set up worked exactly as you designed.  The hub came off
> like I was pulling a stick out of the mud.  Only took a hit or two with
the
> sledge and then I just turned it off by hand.  Thank you, all though words
> really can't capture the respect and gratitude I have for you and what you
> did for me.  Thank your wife and family also.  This was a wonderful
gesture
> and I only hope I can return the favor some time.  I will email you off
list
> to find out how I can get the tool back to you.  Thank you again.
>
>   Richard  and Annemarie
>   85 GL "Buba"
>
> P.S.  Thank you to all who had many suggestions and words of
encouragement.
> You people are really wonderful.
>
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