I am always amazed at the amount of advice that flies around this list,
and in pmail. I surely do appreciate everyone who has offered ideas and
comments about pulling the rear hub to replace the wheel bearings.
Normally, I prefer to thank everyone "personally" but there are so many
who took the time to help, that I cannot keep up. Please accept a blanket
thank you to everyone who cared enough to give me a hand.

My mechanic wants about $350 to do the wheel bearings, and doesn't seem
all that thrilled, so I am gonna do it myself...... somehow. I can do the
work, but the nut...... well. I can get a 3/4" drive 46mm socket and an
18" breaker that will probably survive the stress, so I need a cheater
bar to get out to four feet or more. I am thinking black pipe, or
galvanized, in the right diameter to fit nicely on the bar. Which is
stronger, black or galvanized, or is there something else I ought to look
at using?

As with other major repairs, I am starting to overthink this, rather than
just jumping in and getting it done. The parts from Bus Depot seem
reasonable, and the writeups I have seen don't seem to present anything
that I cannot handle. All I need is the big old bar, and some heft, so its
time to get er done, or at least get started.

I am even considering investing in a real 3/4" breaker bar of respectable
length for whatever else may come up in life, but I am not even sure where
to look for it. The few places I have tried, I  have been met with an
incredulous look from some twenty year old kid who barely knows what 3/4
inch drive means. Its sure not a normal FLAPS tool, and the Home Depot
types don't go with such large tools. Guess I will look around till next
week, and lacking a piece of pipe, or a real decent bar, I will get out
the  chisel, and worry about reinstalling it later :-)

Always grateful for everyone's opinion and experience.  There is nothing
like a vanagon, and I want to hang on to mine.

Thanks,

John