On Dec 28, 2010, at 4:57 PM, C B wrote:

> Cunegonde limped over to Portland's Halsey Automotive (with a stop at
> the restoration shop Always Vee Dub for a new speedo cable). I was
> reassured by the dozen or so Vanagons, most of them Westies, neatly
> parked around the building, along with older busses and some newer VW
> and Audi sedans. "Tom" reports the front shocks are, indeed, shot, but
> the real problem is the front driver's wheel bearings, which wobbling
> wheel trashed the worn ball joints and control arm bushings. They, of
> course, recommend also replacing the driver's front corner spindle
> assembly, all four wheel bearings, plus all four shocks, at the same
> time.
>
> Wish me luck about their being able to recover the existing spindle.
> If not , anyone have a good source?
> My budget can't cover an all-four-corners re-bush plus bearings plus
> shocks right now, so what does the list wisdom say about just front
> bearings, bushings, ball joints, and front shocks (Konis or Bilstein
> HDs?) now, with rear shocks/bearings in a few months, when I do the
> rear drum brakes?

Hi Bretts,

IMHO, do the wheel bearings, the ball joints and put not Koni or
Bilstein shocks on the front. What you save on the shocks will
probably pay for all the other parts. There was a thread here within
the past month on alternative shocks.  I recommended NAPA's gas shocks
and I believe that Ron Salmon piped in with an inexpensive shock that
he offered.

Spindle is a not hard to find boneyard part. I know that the local
boneyard (B&K Auto Salvage) here in La Grande (east side of the state)
has three early l/h spindles, so I'm sure that one ought to be an easy
find in Portland.

Regards,

Jim