Date:         Wed, 6 May 2009 13:21:45 -0700
Reply-To:     David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Subject:      Maximum droop of rear trailing arms.
Comments: To: Syncro@yahoogroups.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I am thinking of undertaking a project - 2" body lift for my
Syncro.  Reason for this is some new 235/85R16 tires that are left
over from my LT, and my engine sticks through my engine cover by about
1.5" so.... let's lower the drive train by 2" !

The
front would be a "simple" set of spacers that will go between
the front diff sub frame and the van body, shock extensions, machine up
some upper ball joint spacers and then finally lengthen the tire rod ends
to get the steering set right again.

At the rear, lowering the
engine and gear box by the same amount will be 2" spacers between the
engine carrier and the mount for the gearbox.  

What is
remaining is the trailing arms - do I modify them so they droop down
further and install some longer shocks or would be really be better build
a spacer that bolts into the original pivot position and then has a new
bit for the trailing arms to go into?

I am half tempted to
build my own tubular trailing arms and this way I can run chains and
235/85LT16s with chains... 

David Marshall
VW Adventure
Driver and BMW Adventure Rider
 
http://www.hasenwerk.ca