David,

Do you have power steering?  Not all '84 Vanagons came with power steering.
It's also possible that the power steering pump belt was cut due to a
leaking power steering rack.

Chris S.

On Mon, May 5, 2008 at 1:51 AM, David Kao <dtkao0205@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I just realized that my 84's steering wheel is way too heavy, much
> heavier than my 83's. I was moving one from the driveway to park
> on the street and moving the one on the street to park on the driveway.
> It was so much heavier for the 84's. My 84 is a 7 seat GL. The 83.5
> is a westy. They are basically a same van with a same front suspension.
>
> This reminds me that the 84's steering was very heavy when it was new
> in 1984. I remember I had a hard time trying to park in a tight spot
> the first time I drove it to San Francisco in the first month after
> my purchase of the 84. I always thought it was normal. But today I
> suddenly realized my 83.5 is so much lighter. There must be something
> that makes the 84's steering so heavy. Can anyone suggest what to look
> for? It does not have an alignment problem to my best knowledge. It
> drives normally at speed. It turns easily as long as it is moving at
> some speed. BTW, it could be the tires. But I think the tires are
> properly inflated. They are the correct reinforced tires for Vanagons.
>
> David
>
>
>
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