Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (February 2009, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 3 Feb 2009 22:50:20 -0600
Reply-To:     Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Shock Absorbers for Vanagon (2WD)
Comments: To: Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <333BDAED-10E0-4AA3-B0B0-FA8392743A49@COMCAST.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1250"

Actually, driving at a speed that minimized washboarding also gave the shocks a huge workout. This is because the tires were moving up & down while the body stayed stationary and all of the travel & dampening converted to heat, melting the tops of the shocks.

If you had driven slower or faster, letting the van washboard, you would not have lost the shocks. This is because more energy would have traveled into the van body instead of being absorbed by he shocks.

Thanks, Tom Hargrave www.kegkits.com 256-656-1924

-----Original Message----- From: Tom Buese [mailto:tombuese@COMCAST.NET] Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 11:12 AM To: Tom Hargrave Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Shock Absorbers for Vanagon (2WD)

On Feb 3, 2009, at 7:01 AM, Tom Hargrave wrote:

> Wow! If both had melted tops then you were really exercising them! > > That's probably not he shocks fault.

The road was not bad except for the uniform washboard set up by vehicles passing over at higher speeds? I was only going 12-20 mph to keep up w/ Richard who had discovered that you either had to go 35 or 15 to avoid the jarring of the washboard-I never tried the 35 mph & still blew em out! Yeah, I am not quibbling at the Bilsteins, in fact replaced them w/ the HD's which is what I probably should have had in the 1st place, trying to keep up w/ the syncros.

YMMV,

Mr. BZ

> > > Thanks, > Tom Hargrave > www.kegkits.com > 256-656-1924 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On > Behalf Of > Thomas Buese > Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 11:47 PM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: Shock Absorbers for Vanagon (2WD) > > I just replaced my Bilstein Touring rear shocks w/ the HD's on my 2wd > westy after the shocks both blew seals while negotiating 27 miles of > washboard dirt roads on the way into the Racetrack in Death Valley. 2 > fellow vanagonauts in syncro westys who were w/ us, had no problems w/ > their Old Man Emus & ProComps(?). Unfortunately for my 2wd, OME > doesn't make shocks for 2wd Vanagons, so after researching all the > shocks, I ended up going w/ the less expensive HDs! Thought about the > Konis, but not in the budget at the moment. I really liked the ride > on the Touring shocks, but they didn't last 3 years. Hope the HDs > hold up, & I did get em on sale @ Van Cafe, which hopefully is a > certified Bilstein Dealer, so if they die, I can get them replaced, or > go to Konis. > > I am going to return the old shocks which had melted tops on them to > Bilstein & see what they say, just for kicks. > > YMMV, > > Mr. BZ > > > > FWIW, Bilstein has a limited lifetime warranty on their shocks unless > you buy them on Ebay, which I had, so no replacement. > > On Feb 2, 2009, at 6:38 PM, Jake de Villiers wrote: > >> Bilstein HD >> >> On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 3:44 PM, Dave Arthur <dave.arthur@nscc.ca> >> wrote: >> >>> What are my options for new shocks for my Westfalia? >>> >>> I see Koni and Bilstien are on the list also KYB and Cofap. Has >>> anyone ever >>> tried Munroe? >>> >>> Mine is a camper so even empty it has a pretty good load. What is >>> the >>> current opinion of the list? >>> >>> Thanks >>> >>> Dave >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Jake >> 1984 Vanagon GL >> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" >> Crescent Beach, BC >> www.crescentbeachguitar.com >> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27 > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1929 - Release Date: > 2/1/2009 > 6:02 PM > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1929 - Release Date: > 2/1/2009 > 6:02 PM > >

No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.17/1931 - Release Date: 2/2/2009 7:21 PM

No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.10.17/1931 - Release Date: 2/2/2009 7:21 PM


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.