Date:         Fri, 13 Oct 2000 12:20:34 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Subject:      Re: Lowering a Vanagon
In-Reply-To:  <200010131027.AA88211960@biz-direct.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> So what am I missing here?  Why would I want to lower my van?  To
> improve cornering?

> Some do it so that the Westy pop tops fit in garages.  VW did it
> in ~87-88 as a factory made with the Wolfsburg lowered springs.
> I put on the H&R springs to improve the handling in curves and unexpected
> sharp curves.



I did it for a more frugal reason, which had nothing to do with lowering the
van.  My old springs on my Westy were shot.  The thing was listing badly to
the left, and was bouncy, even with new shocks. You hit a dip the right way
and the van swayed side to side like a boat on a wave. It was time for new
springs.  But new, stock springs are extremely expensive ($1200+).  These
Boge springs are under $400, made by the original supplier to VW, and do not
dramatically alter the van's ride.  (They are perhaps slightly stiffer than
stock but not tremendously. By comparison the H&R's by all accounts give the
Vanagon a significantly stiffer ride.  Good for people looking for
high-performance.  Bad for me, as I did not want to sacrifice ride comfort
for performance.)  The fact that these Boge replacement springs also lower
the van by a couple of inches was of no great importance to me.  Personally
I do happen to think the van does look better this way (at "Wolfsburg
height"), but I'd have bought them even if they did not lower the van.  It
was the cost savings (and reputable brand name) that sold me.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  http://www.busdepot.com
  (215) 234-VWVW