The Vanagon Dictionary

a running gear system designed for heavy loads and off-road use

• suspension
• off-road

Rubber components that mount the gearbox and differential to the frame

• gearbox
• differential
• mounting

Bushings for the front shift rod in a vehicle

• shift
• rod
• bushing

a system that adjusts the vehicle's suspension and steering for optimal performance

• suspension
• damping
• steering

Term referring to the smaller rear axle nut and reduction box design used in pre-1964 VW Buses

• bus
• vw

All-wheel drive, a system where one or more wheels can provide power to the ground at any given time

• vw
• drivetrain
• awd

a type of clutch cover that uses a diaphragm to engage and disengage the clutch

• clutch
• cover

A device in the front differential of a Syncro that provides the switching action between the rear diff/wheels and the front.

• syncro
• viscus

An upper ball joint is a type of ball joint located at the upper part of the suspension.

• ball
• joint
• upper

A type of rear axle that is 'fixed' at the wheel (that is, it is not able to flex up or down), but is able to move up and down at the transmission end. It required the rear wheels to move in an arc, rather than vertically, when hitting bumps. in some cars (beetles and corvairs and some early porsches), it could cause the wheel to tuck under the car during high speed cornering.

In a Syncro drivetrain, a driveshaft decoupler disconnects the prop shaft so the front axle is no longer driven through it; it is not the front differential lock. A Gerry discussion on 16 May 2004 compares the original non-viscous-coupling layout, which used a driveshaft decoupler, with viscous-coupling Syncros while debating front-lock behavior. The thread is historical community discussion, not a retrofit procedure; identify the drivetrain configuration before interpreting parts or controls.

• vw
• syncro
• drivetrain