I *think* that I do not have upper bump stops, need to find a solution for that, haven't driven her for 6 months or so - you soon forget.....(I also missed that in your post). With Coilovers you can adjust the spring and the damping to minimise rubbage, still need the stops though really. The shocks I *think* are standard, and I am at odds with Zed on this topic if they are, as they have plenty of travel....suck it and see would be my advise. Still have the horseshoes, but plan on swapping for adjustable spring-plates. That way I have reasonable adjustability all round. I don't think narrowing the beam is ever out of necessity
Yes they are to a point, but if you find a big adjustment needed it's better to move them round a spline and use the adjustment to fine tune. Silly me when I fitted them didn't mark the originals though so when I went back I had extra work to get it right. I kept standard tyres at the back for the gearing + I liked the look, but the fronts had to be smaller with flipped spindles. I seem to recall with stadard on the front the tubs sat on the wheel when I let the jack down. The problem with flipped spindles IMO is they are too low. You might be right about the standard rear shocks at one spline down. Removing the upper front stops? They really only come into play if the wheels leave the ground or you jack it up. Good luck cutting the lower ones, I don't think it'll be enough with adjusters. All this to get it in the garage? I don't believe you, I expect that's what you told the missus. Surely adapting the garage door/opening would have been cheaper and quicker.
Some pictures of my own messing. Flipped spindles and smaller tyes, pretty obvious there's only an inch of suspension negating and claims that you retain the original ride unless you only drive it on motorways or fit really small tyres. Even smaller front tyres, still not much suspension travel. Bump stop bodge for flipped spindles (jacked up for photo). Flipped leave the arms where they started but the wheel hits the tub before they come into play. More camber than I remembered. Then again, plenty of camber still at full height. Trying to get it back up to the right height take 1. It might be of interest that this is what happened when I set the spring plate angle with a digital inclinometer to EXACTLTY the figure in the book. Quite a bit different to book angle, but by now guessing of course. Phew, that's better.
Hi chaps. New here so please be nice.. I've read this thread and probably a thousand other posts on this and various other forums related to lowering and my thinking has distilled as follows: - i want the van lower because it looks good, but i don't want it to look slammed or to look like the suspension is broken or missing. - yes i will probably use the "handling" and "fitting in the garage" excuses to justify it, although these would be useful spin-off benefits! - i want it to remain useable for camping/ road trips etc so no rubbing, scraping or nonsense like that will be tolerated. - it needs to ride like stock or better otherwise i will have failed. - i don't want a track increase options i'm considering: - transporterhaus 3.5" dropped spindles (no track increase) fitted up with gaz coilovers; should give a reasonable drop with the option to adjust the damping and to some extent the ride height with the coilovers. - transporterhaus adjustable rear spring plates. again no track increase, seems a sensible approach for a small drop, better than horseshoe plates as those aren't adjustable? plus some suitable dampers. or: - red9 wishbone front end; expensive but comes already with coilovers and rack & pinion plus i could sell the beam to offset some of the cost. all the reviews from people who have this seem great - the only negativity i see is from people who don't appear to have first-hand experience. Thoughts?
One spline ,front weld in adjusters , cheapest and the best in my opinion ,mines been like it 20 years ,full size tyres which you can remove ,standard shocks ............
would anyone else recommend beam adjusters? My beam looks solid and this is how I was thinking of lowering mine, my front shocks need replacing anyway as the passenger one creeks over bumps. are they reliable (beam adjusters)?
I went with wot lhu1281 recommends. Put a CSP adjuster in the top tube on the front and lowered the front by about 65mm. 1 inner spline on the back (couldn't do an outer as the torsion bar and spring plates seem to be joined for ever now) which gave about 60mm (ish) on the back. Running standard steel wheels and tyres with no sign of rubbing. Drives well now - once I found someone with the right kit and knowledge to re-set the camber and tracking.
Both options are good, the first is what I have and took a while to get there, by the time you have messed about (time and expense) the RED9 kit looks like good value - and rack and pinion is a VERY nice to have. I wonder if anyone has a RED9 kit for sale second hand? they have been out a long while. You'll still need to lower the rear, so you can simply go down a spline and live with the camber (the ride is fine this way IMO). For the adjustability then adjustable spring plates are they way to go. Horseshoe plates are not adjustable themselves, the adjustment is still made with the inner and outer splines, that is a ball ache to do more than once.
The rear on the doka is only down one spline, the drop partially achieved with the dog leg in the plates,the plates are a standard width and as they are adjustable it would make it easier to get wheels off than a standard set up, the problem with your wheels would be the offset I would imagine, looking at the front they are sticking out further than the originals. I have 195's on the back of me camper with the standard offset and they only just fit under the arch, I think that using some wheels designed for other makes Audi ect can be like opening a big can of worms!
@PIE: I only had a problem with my aftermarket FOOSH rubbing once I put horseshoes on - the camber helped them fit under the rear arch beforehand!
Where do they get this 3 1/2" from? It's more like 4 1/2". Forget this option as it'll make all your other wants unachievable. If you want better handling HD ARB's make a difference. As baysearcher says to get what you want, apart from looking lower, leave it as it is.
Had beam adjusters fitted over 4 years ago to level bus up as rear end had slumped over time with weight of interior. Enabled me to get bus in garage, never noticed any change in ride quality ....in fact no issues at all ! VW specialist says it a pleasure to drive ...one of the best he's driven.......I can't comment as it's my first bus....I dread to think how a bad one handles.
Don't really know, but it wasn't a lot. Guy who did it just made it look level when empty........couldn't have been more than 2 inches.
If im after a 2 inch drop and go with beam adjusters, would i need new shocks or would current standard ones be ok?
