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Date:         Sat, 1 Jan 2011 20:10:50 -0500
Reply-To:     Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jonathan Poole <jfpoolio@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Front Spring Replacement
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Howdy List,

I wanted to add a few details from my front-spring replacement experience to the general knowledge base.

My van is a 1983 Air Cooled Westy. It is running stock wheel and tire size. The shocks are Al-Kos from the Bus Depot. The van is usually operated with moderate loads. The tool box, two house batteries, extra propane tank and camping-living equipment make up most of the constant load.

I was unhappy with the ride height of the van and with the fact that the drivers side was noticeably lower than the passenger side (especially up front). The van was comfortable on the road though a bit soft up front under braking and cornering. When much gear was added in the back there was a noticeable sag in the rear level.

I added 3 layers of cutting board material to each of the rear springs and rotated the rear springs side to side while I was at it. This put the rear end at a good level but made the sagging front even more obvious. I then installed Moog 5660 springs in the front. The Moog springs were $57.43 with free shipping from Amazon and I received the correct springs (not the 5662 that was reported by some that ordered these springs from amazon). The Moog springs were about 1 inch shorter than the stock springs that I removed but the coil wire is a bit thicker. Installation was pretty straightforward and I used ratchet straps to partially compress the springs for removal and reinstallation. If you use ratchet straps to compress the springs be careful since the straps could slip on the springs. Soft rubber pads in between the webbing and the springs should keep the webbing from slipping but be very careful. Replacement of the front springs took a little over one hour per side but could have taken longer if I had run into more rust etc.

The result of these changes are that the side to side levels are now within a quarter of an inch. The ride height up front is about 1 inch higher than it was and in the rear I gained a bit less than one inch. Looking at the van, the front end seems a tad too high (in relation to the back at least). Hopefully I'll get used to this, or it will settle a bit but it could be that the Moog 5658 springs would have been a better fit or that I should have gotten new springs in the rear or added more spacing.

On the road the van handles much better in cornering and braking. The increased firmness up front is apparent but doesn't seem great enough to compromise ride comfort. The alko shocks don't seem to have any trouble keeping up with the stiffer springs. Overall I'm very glad to have a more level and firmer riding van and would recommend these changes for folks that want to play around with the height and handling of their vans without spending much money. I have been considering spending a lot more on 4 new springs all around but for around $60 I've probably gotten most of the performance improvement that would come with a more expensive setup.

Happy 2011,

Jonathan Poole '83 AC Westy


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