I'd like to drop my bus using drop spindles. About 2 -2.5 inches. 3.5 is a little too much for me as Alf is going to be a rental bus Also, I've just bought new shocks, these ok to use on a 2-2.5 inch drop?
Can of worms, all have pro's and cons. If you're going to hire it out to newbies, I would fit adjusters instead - cheaper and of course - adjustable.
Yes I've been reading the pros and cons and everyone seems to point towards drop spindles. I asked the same question on the samba and once again it seemed to kick off an argument. Drop spindles seem to have better ride characteristics it would appear.
No they don't, it's advertising. You have to stiffen up suspension with dropped spindles anyway so all the talk of retaining the stock suspension is complete rubbish. Add to that the ones that provide the small drop you're after also increase the track and cause yet more rubbing. I could go on, but you seem to have made up your mind already.
The way i see it no matter how you lower it you are reducing the amount of travel the wheel can make so to stop the wheel bottoming out you have to make the suspension stiffer so making it a harsher ride. You will need shorter shocks no matter how you do it to stiffen it up I have a 4" drop on adjusters on mine
Ok so forget about me hiring the bus out or using stock shocks. I was looking at drop spindles because they seem a lot easier and a cleaner instal.
Its about keeping stock suspension angles, adjusters put effectively more load on the leaves within the beam which creates a stiffer ride in nature. You should be able to fit: https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/AC405310/dropped-spindles-t2-68-79-6cm-drop-all-new/ With no modifications, They use stock ball joints too so an easy replacement down the line, unlike the flipped upsdiede down jobbies which use Merc ones i think? It should not effect the ride as you dont change the tension on the leaves within the beam. @zed is correct you will either need to stiffen up the ride a bit or run lower profile tyres so as not to rub (Not such an issue with these 2.5" spindles) It is a BIG issue with the flipped upside down jobbies. Using the same shocks (which you want to do) you should retain the same ride quality except the small amount you will lose by going for slightly lower profile tyres on the front. I would recommend going for differing shocks designed for your new ride height. Your shocks will work but i would think they will be bottoming out which will cuase them to wear out prematurely. P.s. our are thesame as the French Slammer / Vintage Autohaus ones. Really you have 3 types This one, brand new cast item The flipped upside down jobbies Welded OG ones
I have to disagree about your welded ones Alex. They are not good IMO and finite stock is only on the market at all so that the maker can retrieve their R&D costs. Yes I have fitted a pair and it's owner almost had them removed immediately. The main prob is the track increase pushes the wheels out just far enough to loose another inch of suspension so you might as well go flipped, have the same suspension movement while being an inch lower. Either way, fitting dropped or flipped spindles is just the start of a long journey to a driveable bus that eventually ends with or rock hard suspension going back to stock.
@zed I wonder if you have seen the wrong product? Ours are brand new cast items not welded! The maker is actually in talks about producing the next batch so I am afraid where ever your getting your info from I think you have been led astray.
So in short, to drop the bus by around an inch or so, the best way is an adjuster in the centre, can keep stock shocks and it won't affect the drivability to much?
If you only want to go an inch then yes. BUT ideally you should still replace the shocks with items designed to deal with the new range of travel.
if you go down a spline at the back, what would the rough drop be, I've seen somewhere it's about 2 inches? If that's thr case I'll have to go 2 inches and I'm back to square one!
I got my info from you Alex, you were very open about it on a previous thread. Yes the chunky cast ones that are so bulbous there's no space for a backing plate. They look like mass has been used to overcome poor production/design to me, they are a huge rectangle with the fittings for wheel/steering sticking out. While I'm sure they are perfectly safe, they're not for me and I steer my customers elsewhere.
@Paul Weeding has a handy chart which I cant find at present which has the inner and outer splines and what they relate to drop wise.
More like 2 1/2 inches and as the front is naturally higher than the rear when you start, you can afford to drop the front a bit more
Completely upto you dude! Thats the joy of having a few to choose from. Personally I steer away from the flipped upside down jobbies as they are 3.5" which may seem a bonus but as you have pointed out above they are the so soft with so much travel you cause yourself grief with rubbing so most end up fitting coil over shocks to compensate which defeats the point and is not what the coil over is trully designed to do. so you put undue stress on the shock and coilover and tend to cause a premature failure here. I personally prefer the OG welded ones but they are trciky to source and you are alwasy taking a BIG Risk as you dont know who was wedling them up and if it was last thing on a friday rush job or not? All three add to the track in someway shape or form, Ours clearly states on the wesbiet how much they widen the track. If you got your info from me you've not heard what I said correctly, as you reffered to them as 'your welded ones' These are a brand new cast items and not welded!
Yes my mistake saying welded. The flipped ones don't add to the track at all BTW, but as you suggest, they're too low to be practical. I had these and after a year reverted to stock height and have never looked back. Looks cool too.
All I can say is by using Wagenswest 2.5" drop spindles, the track width was increased by 1/2" per side and the drive was as good as stock spindles..but having 195/65 x 15 tyres, the tyres scrubbed on the wheelarch inner and also caught the bulby bit at the back end - this was slightly improved by fitted KYB Gas a Just dampers up front but the problem didn't go away, more down to the country lanes in Notts and Derbyshire. I could have replaced the tyres with slightly lower profile ones but went back to stock instead!
