Before you worry about the shocks, please check the tire pressure. All too frequently folks will inflate tires to the maximum tire pressure (rather than to the VW recommended tire pressure),...and that will give you a harsh ride (especially if they've put 50psi or more into the tires. When I bought my Westy, for example, the previous owner had the tires inflated to 48psi...And the tires on the Westy were BFG All Terrain T/A Kos in the 27x8.5R14 size...which is a LARGER size than the 205/70R14's that came stock (and had a recommended tire pressure of 40psi). One of the first things I did with my Westy was to lower the pressure down to 40psi. Once I put 15" wheels on it (with 215/75R15 tires), I put the tire pressure to 38 psi (based on my estimated 5% larger contact surface of the larger tires). When looking at your tires, the side wall (under load) should have a slight bulge near the pavement (usually). This is the flex which gives comfortable rides. If your tires have heavily reinforced sidewalls, you might not notice the bulge. Vanagons, of course, need reinforced tires ANYWAY, but properly inflated tires on it, will have a slight bulge. |
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