Contents:

• Introduction
• Ordering
• Installation

Introduction:

VW equipped the rear leaf springs on the pickup/Caddy with rubber bushings. From the looks of them, they were designed for ride comfort rather than handling and/or control. They are made of very thick and soft rubber with fat flanges. This allows lots of play in the bushings, leading to a mushy, vague road feel that performance driver's demand. Add to that nearly 25 years of time since the bushings were new and you get the general idea. Up until now, there was NO replacement available anywhere, so you had to get by with what you had.

But now, Missing LinkZ proudly introduces poly-urethane replacement bushings for the VW pickup. They are made of strong 92A durometer polyurethance for precise handing and control. Also, they feature 1" dia. solid metal spacers for the bushings to replace the chintzy stamped steel spacers in the stock bushings. The oversize spacers reduce the amount of bushing material between the spring and the shackle for an even more solid feel.

Poly shackle bushings vs. stock	Stock vs. poly bushings	Poly bushing closeup

Note: Shackle in above photo is shown for illustrative purposes only, it is not included with the bushings.

Ordering Information:

If you are interested in replacing your worn rubber bushings with high performance polyurethane, 2 options are available.

1. The first is a shackle bushing kit to replace the pair of bushings on the top and bottom of the spring shackle. The stock bushings are split rubber and easily removed and replaced with simple hand tools, with the springs still on the vehicle. Cost for the shackle bushing set is $80.00 (bushings and spacers for both ends of both shackles).
2. The second option includes the front spring eye bushing in addition to the shackle bushings described above. The spring eye bushing usually needs to be pressed out with the springs removed from the vehicle. The stock bushing is housed inside a steel sleeve that is pressed into the front spring eye. With time, the sleeve rusts to the spring eye and thus the need for pressing. The front spring eye bushing kit (enough to replace the front bushings in both springs) is $50.00.
3. The full bushing kit runs $120.00 and includes both the front spring eye bushing set as well as the shackle bushing set.

Notes:

• Bushing kits are custom built to order, so allow ~1-2 weeks for fabrication time.
  • Current shackle bushings are red in color, spring eye bushings are black as shown above.
• Parts are shipped from zip 95051 (CA), so add sales tax for California orders
• Domestic/US shipping is $12.50 for regular or $15.00 for insured shipping, 2-3 day typical delivery time.
• International and expedited shipping options available, typical cost is $28.00 to Canda/Mexico and $45.00 to the most other countries, 6-10 day typical delivery time.

Ordering/payment options below:

Purchase w/ regular US shipping - Adds $12.50 shipping automatically	Purchase w/ insured US shipping - Adds $15.00 shipping automatically	Purchase w/ other shipping option - Add shipping to order total

• In the Payment For field, enter the vehicle information and items desired:
  • In the Price field, enter the parts total, including applicable sales tax and shipping if applicable
  • You can log into an existing Paypal account or enter your credit card information if you don't have or want to use a Paypal account
  • In the Note To Seller field, enter any specific options you want in the order
• Via PayPal:
  • https://www.paypal.com/
    • Login, select: Send Money
    • Recipient = sales@MissingLinkZ.com
      • Hint: Cut and paste this into the Recipient field
    • Enter Amount:
      • Be sure to include shipping and applicable sales tax in the total
    • Select Funds Source (e.g. checking account, credit or debit card)
      • Using an e-check results in a 3-4 day delay for the funds to clear Paypal
    • For Transaction Type, select: Goods, Non-Auction
    • Enter Subject/Note describing items desired
    • In the Note To Seller field, enter any specific options you want in the order
    • Check for correct shipping address and hit the "Send" button
      • If in doubt on the address, (or you want to use a different address) please include the address you want to use in the "NOTE TO SELLER" field when given the option above.
      • Double check the shipping address before hitting the "Send" button
    • Notes:
      • Company name will show up as "Visual Diagnostics/4Crawler Offroad"
      • Feel free to e-mail MissingLinkZ to let us know you issued the payment, although we automatically get an e-mail notification to this effect.
      • If you prefer, MissingLinkZ can issue a PayPal funds request/invoice as well
      • You should receive a confirmation e-mail from Paypal if the transaction was successful.
  • If you don't have a Paypal account, its easy to set one up using the link above, enter your name/address/e-mail and account info.
• Credit Card via fax/mail: FAX:+01.408.564.0801
  • Supply the following information:
    • Name
    • Billing/Shipping address
    • Phone # and e-mail address
    • Credit Card number
    • Expiration Date
    • And the 3 or 4 digit security code on the back (or front) side of the card
• Via mail; certified check/money order payable to (US funds):
  • Visual Diagnostics
  • Attn: Roger Brown
  • PO Box 61092
  • Sunnyvale, CA 94088-1092 USA
• Via USPS-COD (Collect On Delivery - US only) there is an additional charge for USPS-COD, typically $10.00 (varies with order total)

Installation Notes:

The old spring bushings must be removed from the spring eyes and shackle hanger, as appropriate. Likely the shackle bushings can be pulled out and the front spring eye bushing may need to be pressed out. Clean up the spring eyes so they are free of rust, you may want to paint them to prevent rust in the future.

The front spring eye bushing is a single piece that is pressed into the spring eye, then the center sleeve is inserted in the center hole and the two large washers slip over the sleeve on each end. If the bushing or sleeve fit is too tight, an application of grease can make them easier to install.

The shackle bushings are pressed in from each side. Note that they do not extend the full width of the spring inside the eye. Then a sleeve is inserted from one side to the other for the shackle bolt to pass through. If the sleeve is longer than the bushings, you can cut/grind it down in length to be just shorter than the width of the bushings to ensure proper bushing compression. If the bushings are too tight to fit inside the spring eye, the heat shrink sleeve on the outside of the bushing can be cut off to reduce the size for an easier fit. If you wish to fill the spring eye with bushing material, you can cut the needed length off the old bushing and slip it into the center of the spring eye. Only the ends of the spring bushing supports the spring and shackle, the center of the bushing does very little in this regard, so leaving it open is not an issue, but if you want it filled up, go ahead.