Dave,

This is a classic symptom of upper control arm bushings asking to be
replaced.    It usually sounds like it's coming from under the front seat box
(and it is...).    Since it will often squeak when someone gets in the van or
lifts a side up some, a diagnosis is to use a paper cup with a piece of wire
attached as a stethoscope and touch the back of the offending control arm.
Replaced them about two years ago on our 87, and need to do it now on our
90.    It's fairly straightforward for a non syncro vanagon (at normal
temperatures...), but I don't know what's entailed on a syncro.   You should
probably replace the upper ball joints also, if they are as easy as on a
non-syncro.

BTW - you can safely go a LONG time with the bushings squeaking (easily until
spring, I would think), since the main thing that happens is that they
eventually get looser and then start to clunk.   Steering gets somewhat
sloppy,
but there are no catastrophic failures likely until you get very violent
clunking.    Keep spraying with silicone until spring is my recommendation
unless you've got a warm place to work.

Dave
87 Wolfsburg (replaced upper control arm bushings)
90 Westfalia  (about to replace bushings...)

 At 09:58 AM 12/1/98 +0100, Andreas wrote:
>
> Hi team.... Maybe someone could give me some shortcut advice so I dont have
> to spend too much time outside at 20 below with our beloved syncro.Its been
> winter for 6 weeks now in Norway, but only last week did the rubbery
> squeaking under the front end begin. Ive tried using silicon spray on the
> exposed rubber, with a little improvement, but she still squeaks. Can
anybody
> tell me if there are particular moving parts that tend to squeak so that I
> can isolate the problem joints and get to work?  Thanks, Dave Perry 87
Syncro
> bus