re
Comments? Experience? Advice?

Sure ..
the job sucks basically.
things are sort of binding or under tension ....
lube things real well where thoe bolts are ..
and jack up under the  lower control arm with a bottle jack to compress the
spring a little..
it's the angle that's formed by the dropped suspension that makes the whole
thing difficult - the coil spring is pushing things down of course.
You could use sring compressor threaded 'hook-bolts' on the spring to
compress it some ...though that's fiddly and nice to avoid having to resort
to.

also, back off the nut on the front part , screw it toward the rear of the
bar, to help reduce tension on those 3 bolts.

on the ovalized hole.
not good really.
ideally should be repaired by welding .
I found the same thing there ...
it would be fairly easy assmble without  the spring pushing things down
...putting tension on things.
I got the front bushings in , but it was a struggle part of the way for
sure.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill MacLachlan" <billmacla@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 9:54 PM
Subject: front end reassembly: strut bar

> I'm replacing the bushings on the front end of my 82.
> I've dropped the strut bar ( the big bar that bolts under the lower ball
> joint and runs forward and is bolted through bushings to the frame.)
> Is there a trick to getting it back on? It slides onto the three bolts
> under
> the ball joint, and then sticks. I don't want to hammer it on for fear of
> mashing the bolt threads. Looks like it should just slide right on ( ha ha
> ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!)
>
> btw the hole through the frame where the bushings go is quite
> ovalised....what effect will this have?
>
> Comments? Experience? Advice?
>
> Bill M 82 GLI4