Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:10:19 -0700
Reply-To: dylan friedman <insyncro@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: dylan friedman <insyncro@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Syncro bad handling problem
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
This is very true and seen readily in the 90 and 91 Syncros with the cast lower arms.
They sit much lower in the front after the springs sag from many miles.
Even when new springs are added I still have found much more spacing needed in the fronts of later models to level them out.
They do react with over steer when they are ready for a suspension over haul.
I have tried allot of different caster adjustments with different springs, rates and shocks.
It totally has depended upon the van, the height/weight and the driver, when it comes to getting it "right" in my experience.
What Benny has described is one of the bugs that seems to appear in some converted vans.
I pmailed him and shared my experience with Air Ride bags and rear sway bars in a converted Syncro.
I have driven a van that sounds like what he is dealing with and it is very scary.
Super top heavy and squirrelly at the pavement.
I ended up having to through it into corners and throttle steer it.
This particular van also reacted much better with a decoupler added.
It was a 3.3 and had some work done to the engine so it was very powerful.
dylan
----- Original Message ----
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 10:42:40 AM
Subject: Re: Syncro bad handling problem
Hard to tell in the pictures but is the rear jacked up higher than the
front? Vanagons do not like that. Check the Caster of the front end and
radius rod mounts. Jacking the rear will reduce the caster angle and cause
the twitchy over steering.
Dennis
>From: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
>Reply-To: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Syncro bad handling problem
>Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:01:47 -0400
>
>Hey all, i'm stuggling to find an handling problem on a customer van. So i
>wonder if any of you ever had that problem.
>Van oversteer dangerously wile turning at speed over 40mph, loose rear end,
>rear want to go in front when turning It's almost scary sometime.
>The van is HEAVY, i can barely lift this one on my electric lift in the
>shop.
>It's also very sensitive to wind.
>
>Condition: Big Syncro, custom interior (heavy), of course, big tire :-)
>Rear tire rack, ladder in the back, 2.5 Subi, new shock and spring on all
>wheel, no loose or play anywhere (of i can see), front stab bar is fine.
>The spring are not from GoWesty but from another reseller, i just don't
>remember the name.
>
>I thought about a rear trailling arm bushing problem but i see no play at
>all. This problem just happen lately, i mean i didn't like the handling of
>this van last year when i did some stuff on it but now it's worse than
>ever.
>
>Here is the van (tire where replace):
>http://www.benplace.com/jp_syncro.htm
>
>van look very similar and as now the same tire as the Syncro that i
>restored
>lately:
>http://www.benplace.com/87_syncro2.htm
>
>I know, it's not much and it's dificult to give advices when you don't feel
>and see the problem but maybe some of you had a similar handling problem???
>
>Any info would be appreciated.
>
>Cheers, Ben
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