Date:         Fri, 6 Jul 2001 21:20:51 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: New to list...a few questions, and I need some stuff
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>> Issue 3:  This thing handles like a pig.
>
>Put the correct 6 or 8 ply tires on it.  I'll bet you a dollar that it's
>got Passenger rated tires on it. Remember though, it's not an A6.  It's
>a one ton truck.  However, it will spin before it falls over.

With a nice low center of gravity and good suspension geometry, these vans
handle extremely well if in good condition. Mine tended to understeer
except when provoked under power in tight corners, when the rear could snap
out (mine, like all 1-ton vans here in NZ, has car tires; truck tires do
NOT promote good handling). They race them in Germany; there are heaps of
customized ones there with big alloy wheels and low-profile CAR tires
there.

>For shocks, you're going to find that Bilsteins are not an option.  KYB (too
>stiff), OME (even stiffer) or the stock Boge are your best options.
>Bilstein doesn't make shocks for it.

Sure bilstein does. So does Koni, and I have a set of these on the way from
Germany. Chosen over Bilsteins because the latter tend to break, according
to various listees.


Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin, New Zealand
ph   64 (3) 473-8863
fax 64 (3) 479-7527
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
www.goingplatinum.com/member/vw1
www.highyieldcrusaders.ws/ref.html?ref=vw
VW & Toyota vans, Toyota diesels and Macintoshes rule