Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:55:38 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Purple springs from H&R
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
Cool Mark,
sounds like those springs aren't right for you and your vanagon all right.
If you do drive a stock 2WD vanagon and you try to really corner, like jam
into a curve with it.......
they're a bit 'boat like' , a bit too much.
And I assume you are aware that vanagons must have vanagon -rated tires,
they can't be 'P' car tires, then need to be LT's ....( for light trucks )
or C load range tires, etc. And 15's are way, way better than any 14 inch
wheels as far as I'm concerned.
When the spring rate/ show damping rates are well matched..........
with really good shocks - I've done all right with Bilstein Heavy Duty
shocks...........the ride is firm, yet still supple, not harsh, which is
what you want, I at least what I prefer by far. The car or van should be
able to eat up bumps without harshenss, yet really hang in there tenaciously
when corning, with plenty of dirctional control,
and be foregiving at the same time, like if you overcook it going into a
corner........you can always 'get some back' ........get some control back.
Really well-sorted cars will tighten their line when you back off in a
corner. You can get some of that in a 2Wd vanagon with the right springs,
shocks, wheels, and tires.
What fun you are going to have !
congrats on arriving in the Vanagon World !
They are near-infenitely versitle, useful, and adaptable vehicles.
25 years old and no end in site for them either.
Treasure and help preserve every one of them.
I didn't post it, but I was semi-outragged about that good 91 body being
parted out the other day.
You can't get these anymore. Except for crashed and badly rusted ones, I
save every last vaagon. Of 40 or 50 or so that I've owned........
I sent excatly one air-cooled vanagon carcas to the crusher - all the rest I
made happy again, and they're on the road, or for sale, and I have a few
parts vans.......
but save these babies, and take good care of them !
There is just nothing else quite like them.............a 'sporty
non-quite-truck' that you can work on, sleep in, haul stuff in, modify all
kinds of ways etc. etc.
I'm even starting to regard us as Caretakers, not just 'owers to use and
abuse' ................. of these magic vehicles.
I'm in a super dry climate too..........so very easy to preserve and restore
vanagons where I am.
sorry to go on - last thought. I consider the Dodge Sprinter to be sort
of, maybe, 'the next vanagon'.........and I saw one crossing the street
yesterday.
Just an ordiany short wheel base one too................
the thing was stupidly tall and huge. Like the 'oversize SUV vanagon'
.................won't even fit into most house garages, like most westy's
will.......
it was just 'stupidly oversized' ........and 'too much of a
truck'.........very high floor hight, like a shcool bus...........you can't
push start that thing I gotta say !
Or get it into small placces either. Or rebult the engine easily, etc.
Making everything bigger and bigger is kinda dumb I think. They start
looking like cartoon versions of cars as they get so stupidly oversized. And
now I see at ToysRus you can get a 600 dollar two-kid electric 'mini' (
about 6 feet long ) plastic ( made from petroleum ) made in China Cadilac
Escalade SUV - what does that teach kids ? The cell phones and ipods get
smaller and smaller and smaller, the cars get biger and bigger and
bigger........what's up with that ? !
We shall see what happens, in the mean time, treasure, and preserve, our
awesome vanagons !
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark A Kippert" <vanagon@KIPPERT.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 1:04 PM
Subject: Re: Purple springs from H&R
> Since this is the only Vanagon I've driven I don't have anything to
> compare this ride to. However it does seem stiff to me. When I pull
> into my driveway there is a dip and then it goes uphill slightly.
> Unless I hit it at a 45 degree angle, I always the plastic dam on the
> front. I've also noticed that on several occasions while pulling into
> the drive, again at an angle, one of my back tires will lose traction
> and spin, like its not making contact.
>
> You mentioned wheel/tire combo as important. That's why I've been
> looking for something to replace the stock set on my van. What I think
> is strange is that someone would go to the trouble of installing these
> springs and have stock 14" wheels and tires.
>
> -Mark K
>
> On Dec 17, 2008, at 2:58 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>
>> Hi Mark, 'stiffer than stock' springs are definitely very desirable.
>> they considerably help handing as far as turn-in and corning ability
>> go.
>> I kinda hate stockers for having just too low a spring rate for any
>> performance corning abilities on pavement.
>>
>> What I want is 'same ride height' just stiffer by 30 % or so.
>> I haven't heard of any of those for sale.........I get the
>> impression that
>> what you have is 'stiffer and lower' which is not what I want.
>> but if you're selling that set .........maybe I'd be interested.
>>
>> I put Syncro.org springs, with Old Man Emu shocks, bigger brakes,
>> and 15
>> inch wheels with Michelin Agilles tires on an SVX syncro westy I
>> built for
>> a guy......
>> I have raced cars, I've raced off road in Baja, I've raced
>> motorcycles, and
>> have driven over a million miles in many kinds of cars.......so I
>> have 'some
>> experience's and I have to say, that syncro westy with that set up
>> on it
>> handling fantastically on pavement. Like I couldn't have asked for
>> any more
>> out of it.
>> Running those same tires and wheels on my current 2WD vanagon I can
>> say
>> some of that was those tires.........awesome pavement summer tire
>> for a
>> vanagon ......205/65 R15 C ..........but I hate my stock-soft spring
>> rates -
>> thing still mushes out easily into hopeless understeer if you push
>> it hard
>> into a corner........
>> primarily due to too soft spring rates.
>> Bottom line is, you want something other than stock springs,
>> but what you want is 'taller and stiffer' ......which is what
>> syncro.org
>> springs are for syncro's....
>> another well-known company makes their version,
>> and I have not tried Van Cafe 2WD springs......but I believe those are
>> taller and stiffer too, for 2WD.
>> Ideal to me for pavement is close to stock height........and about
>> 30 %
>> stiffer, and just guessing on that figure.
>> I don't want or like the 'slammed' look, like 'quite lowered' and I
>> don't
>> need the '2 inches taller thing' either ..........personally, I just
>> want
>> somewhat stiffer.
>>
>> ( my performance personal car, a turbo volvo sedan.........is almost
>> 'unreasonably' too stiff in the ride department..........but that
>> car NEVER
>> mushes out or lets you down in a corner. It's brilliant that way,
>> and I'll
>> gladly live with a little stiffness to get handling prowess. What
>> tire you
>> run matters a LOT too. Stock on my volvo are H speed rated tires,
>> which are
>> very harsh riding, but 'T' speed rated tires are perfectly supple
>> and sweet
>> on it, and handling is still 'right there.' )
>>
>> And you gotta have 15 inch wheels on a vanagon too ( or
>> 16's ) ....... 14's
>> can't really cut it at all, not for any well-developed properly
>> sorted-out
>> serious vanagon.
>> The difference on my personal 2WD vangon between any kind of 14 inch
>> tire I
>> could find, and 15 inch Michelin agilles tires is night and day, not
>> even
>> comparable, the van is so much 'more' in every way with 15's and
>> really good
>> tires on it. Let me know if you want to sell those springs you
>> have, I
>> might be interested in them.
>> or trade for other vanagon or SUBARU-Vanagon parts.
>> Scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Mark A Kippert" <vanagon@KIPPERT.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 11:31 AM
>> Subject: Purple springs from H&R
>>
>>
>>> While crawling under my van cleaning the tranny to body ground I
>>> noticed that I had purple springs. They are on all 4 corners. I
>>> finally got around to checking them out further. They appear to by by
>>> H&R. I took some pictures and on the passenger side saw what I think
>>> is a model number (29 951 VA). My research indicates they lower the
>>> van 1.5 inches. I'm not sure I want my van lowered, I kinda like a
>>> taller ride.
>>>
>>> Does anybody have any experience with them? Are they something I want
>>> on my Vanagon. A previous owner must have wanted them but is it
>>> something I will find beneficial?
>>>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> + To unsubscribe from the Vanagon List send an e-mail to
> + listserv@gerry.vanagon.com with SIGNOFF VANAGON
> + in the body of the message.
> ------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
+ To unsubscribe from the Vanagon List send an e-mail to
+ listserv@gerry.vanagon.com with SIGNOFF VANAGON
+ in the body of the message.
------------------------------------------------------------
| 
