Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 09:58:55 -0600
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: Leveling shims for Vanagon springs
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Good heavy duty spacers can be cut from old heavy duty 18 wheeler mud
flaps. Replacement mudflaps can be cut from the same material and
pop-rivited to the old mudflap bracket.
Stan Wilder
On Sat, 5 Jan 2002 01:42:45 -0800 Todd Last <Rubatoguy@MINDSPRING.COM>
writes:
> Yes, it is easy as falling off a log.
> For the rear, you just unbolt the shock, raise the van and slide the
> spacer
> between the top of the spring and the body. Lower the van and rebolt
> the shock.
> The front can be done in a similar fashion, but it is much harder to
> lower the
> spring.
>
> On my van, I used spacers at both the front and rear. Steve Schwenk
> (www.syncro.org) helped me determine what the spacer widths should
> be. It is not
> a one-to-one relationship between the spacer width and amount the
> body is
> raised.
>
> Todd
> '88 Westy
>
>
> developtrust wrote:
>
> > My 1989 Camper van is one inch lower on the left by measuring from
> the
> > ground up to the top of the fender at the wheel wells. I've been
> reading the
> > archives about leveling solutions. One solution suggests leveling
> shims for
> > the Vanagon springs to coorect the sway to the left.
> >
> > One post says that when you put a shim under the left side rear
> spring it
> > raises the left rear side and also lowers the right front side.
> >
> > Another post says to make a circular shim with a 6 & 1/4 inch
> diameter from
> > a 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick plastic cutting board with a 2 inch hole
> in the
> > center. Another post says not to use more than two 1/2 inch shims
> on the
> > rear spring (one at top and one at bottom.)
> >
> > Other solutions of course were new springs or reversing left and
> right
> > springs to level the van. One person who reversed his springs did
> not see a
> > noticeable correction and still had the sag to the left after all
> his work.
> > It seems the weight of the camping equipment and the aging of the
> springs
> > resulted in the same sway to the left.
> >
> > The shim idea seemed reasonable to me. I'd like to assemble
> information
> > about the solutions to the "westy sway" to the left and possibly
> post it all
> > at a later date in one convenient posting or on a web page.
> >
> > However by looking at the Benteley manual I can not seem to
> understand how
> > to install that shim. Has anyone actually installed one of these
> leveling
> > shims? Please pass on instructions if anyone knows how to do this.
> Opinions
> > and advice invited.
> >
> > William Polowniak
>
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