Be sure to check the top of the trailing arms, where the springs contact....
These rust out pretty quickly, so if you have holes like that there, i'd be
curious to know what you could find with a screwdriver and hammer under the
spring perch.
If it's good there, and this hole is you're only problem,
FIX IT! You have a welder, you can access some scrap metal i'm sure.....Just
do it.
If not, take it to a welder, pay him $50 (That's how much it was to have 2
spring perches done on my mini van, about the same problem), and just don't
worry about it for a while. In the meantime, source a good set of trailing
arms, and use this as an eventual excuse to do your rear wheel bearings (And
everything else that has to come off to get these arms off).

-Craig
'85Westy (kindof)

On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 11:52 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:

> At 07:59 PM 9/4/2008 -0700, neil N wrote:
>
>> Hi all.
>>
>> *sigh*
>>
>
> Neil!  What a bummer!
>
> But hey -- poke around it vigorously until you can see how much sound
> metal is there, before you panic.  You've been driving on those
> holes, only difference is that some chunks of rust fell out that were
> keeping you from seeing the holes.  Maybe a big chunk of steel could
> be welded to the outside to bolster it temporarily?
>
> Good luck.
>
>
> --
> David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
> '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage," '85 GL "Poor Relation"
>