Yes, first run out completed and all seems OK fuel gauge works, lights, wipers, etc good (glad I installed the new loom to the front with separate fuses, my OCD could not deal with the bird nest of wires) , engine sounds good, maybe blowing slightly on exhaust. Brakes are OK but am going of overhaul the front with new bearings, discs, calipers so they will be sound but the boots on the ball joints are shot so will need to replace, this seems to be above the call of duty for myself as think may as well go the whole hog and replace the arm etc (is there such thing as an exchange?) So looking for a mechanic/garage local FY4 Area if anybody knows anyone, I was told there was a vw guy around these parts but cannot locate.
Unless you like extreme engineering, pay somebody who knows how to assemble ball joints onto the arms. Not all aircooled garages are competent, people have spent good money and ended up with bangs and clanks or in one case three wheels on their bus on a roundabout. There are alignment markers on the ball joints and the suspension arms. And not everybody spots them being out of line. Also depends , some balljoint designs are more tolerant of misalignment.
Yes defo out my comfort zone, can do the brakes overhaul but need to find somebody who can carry out this job for me. It's changing just the boots an option?
Shockers: So any difference between the Heavy Duty front Shocks & the Type 2 Detectives Bilstein's ? have read both sides on-line reviews, I am running KYBs on the rear currently.
The correct shocks are the ones that cause the front end to rise smartly to the rest position with a single slight overshoot when you jump off the front bumper. Too low damping and the bus will nod its way down the road. Too heavy damping and the bus will smack into bumps and your feet will try to leave the pedals. Stock damping is best unless you have fitted e.g. non stock coilover springs. Gas pressure preloaded shocks act as uprated springs so would need more damping to match as your front end tries to bounce harder as the springs get stiffer. So buy for quality rather than shocks with non stock characteristics.
