Date:         Wed, 3 Jul 2002 23:48:59 -0400
Reply-To:     Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Subject:      Westy rear end sag
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

With both Westies now running and parked out front I have the opportunity to
compare and contrast the two vans on the streets and roads.

The '84 sits high and level. The '87 sags in the rear. ( I'll measure the
difference tomorrow (doing so at 11:40 pm would only serve to support the
neighbors' suspicions of continued aberrant behavior in this "VW person").
This height difference (nor the neighbors' impressions)  wouldn't bother me
a whole lot except I've noticed a major difference in the way they each
handle the road and particularly curves.  I, at first, attributed the
difference to the better tires on the '84; and because of this, I switched
wheels/tires. This yielded a slight improvement in the '87's ride but not in
the handling in dips, sways and curves.

What to do? What to do?

Shocks? ... no body-springing when I do the bumper dance like my Dad taught
me; and I don't really feel much difference in either van in the way they
act through pot holed alleys and such.

Springs? ... the front end of the '87 is actually higher in addition to the
rear end being lower.

Oh blessed, rational Listees.

Answer my pleas, and in doing so put your knowledge into the archives under
a logical subject line..."Westy rear end sag"... a search of which yielded
no results in all forms of querying said archives.

BTW... Isn't the List much nicer lately? It seems to be back to normalcy.
TY TC!

{Personal PS to JC, JP, & GS... the outhouse is almost done.}
--
Stephen Steele*
Chillicothe OH
'91 Caravelle  "Hans"
'87 Westy      "Franz"
'84 Westfalia  "Fritz"
'81 Diesel Rabbit "Ol' Yeller" by PO
'82 Caddy VW Diesel P.U.
'90 Jetta GL  17 yo Sons' "together" car
'74 MGB  My first car...yep, I've kept it since '74
'93 Chevy S-10
*all rights reserved/no portion of this document may be reproduced w/o prior
written permission