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Date:         Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:39:55 -0700
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: Shocks for 2WD
Comments: To: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

shocks, springs, anti-sway bar, tires, and wheels.. and alignment, front and rear.. it all adds up.

if we could try numerous different spring/shock/wheel/tire set ups.. ( and anti-sway bar/s ) we would find that some have a much better blend of ride/handling/straight line tracking/ crisp turn-in, and conering stability. than others..

the biggest most easily attained gain is had in the wheel-tire package, and very good shocks.

I just drove a fine looking 85 Westy ( it looked like an 88 or so at first glance ) with a new Zetec engine conversion in it. On pumps going striaght downt the road , it was leeping around left and right ..requiring correction to keep it it on track . it drove like it was too tall on the suspension, had bad shocks, and too high tire pressures. It was a handful even. Some kind of alloy wheels..and P passenger car tires. ..sure did not track down the road well at all.

* a really good car*..........like a good mercedes ...........goes exactly where you point it .. with almost no coscious effort to keep it tracking right down the road. a really good car doesn't change it's line in a corner with bumps, or pot holes or anything. You can throw a really good handling car, like most mercedes benz sedans, violently and carelessly into a corner........and it'll just track right on through on a perfect line, totally unperturbed by anything.

vanagons can't quite do that .. but we can stive for that with the right blend of suspension parts .........and tire pressures. Tire pressures are the most obvious suspension tunning adjustment. I was even suprised once.. talking to a vanagon owner about tire pressures .. his focus was on load carrying .. mine is always on handling. and there is a good reason tire pressures are spec-d higher for the rear than the front. There is a lot to be gained just fiddling with tire pressures. I have ..for example non-P but H speed rated rear tires , 215/65 R 15 on two of my personal vans. Those tires to not like high pressures at all...or the van doesn't I mean. the van gets all darty and weird if those very stiff tires have a lot of pressure in them ..they sure don't like anything like 38 psi. That's way to high ..unless I get a good heavy load in.

anyway ...sure wish we could try 6 different set-ups back to back,. That would be very interesting. and too stiff tires don't work well on a vanagon .. handling wise, in my experience. C load rating ( 6 PR ) is just right. or LT. just like the tire sticker says.

and I did look again, at a late synco tire sticker.. and by golly ......it does say 6PR in front, 8PR in the rear. Wahtiya know. VW must have a reason for that. it's handling stability, and good straight line tracking, combined with good ride. scott

----- Original Message ----- From: "Karl Wolz" <wolzphoto@Q.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 8:34 PM Subject: Re: Shocks for 2WD

> Shocks, springs, and tires work as a system. Long time back I bought > passenger Michelin X tires for the van - obviously a poor choice in > hindsight. I tried to fix the handling issues by putting on stiffer > shocks. > Having stiff shocks and soft tires made matters noticeably worse. > > Karl Wolz > > > > |-----Original Message----- > |From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] > |On Behalf Of Don Hanson > |Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 7:18 PM > |To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > |Subject: Re: Shocks for 2WD > | > | Here is something to be aware of on "adjustable" sport > |shocks like Konis, > |etc.. Most of those only adjust on "rebound".... And most > |of what is > |perceived as 'nose dive' under braking....it is usually the > |rear end lifting just as much (or more) as the nose diving.... > | > | Shocks and springs work together as a system...The shocks > |dampen the movement of the vehicle and the wheels, in concert > |with whatever rate the springs have...They do nothing to hold > |the vehicle up....they simply slow down how fast it reacts to > |the forces....Swerve sharply and the shocks will resist the > |inertial forces that cause body lean or roll. > | > | I got some decent ones from NAPA...Monroes...for $20 > |each...they work just great on my tin top... > | > | Don Hanson > | > |On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 4:11 PM, Dennis Haynes > |<d23haynes57@hotmail.com>wrote: > | > |> Truly defective shocks can make themselves known in other > |ways. Shocks > |> do stop dive, only the rate at which it happens. I find it > |amazing how > |> original shocks can for years and 100,000 miles or more but once > |> replaced they become consumables. The Bilsteins are among the better > |> ones out there. I like the HD especially with the 225/55-17 tires. > |> > |> Dennis > |> > |> -----Original Message----- > |> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > |> Behalf Of Todd.Last > |> Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 4:43 PM > |> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > |> Subject: Re: Shocks for 2WD > |> > |> How long do they usually last? > |> I have them on my van and they pass the bumper bounce test, > |but I am > |> getting quite a bit of dive when braking - so I am wondering if they > |> are due for replacement. > |> > |> Todd > |> '88 Westy > |> > |> On 8/24/2011 11:55 AM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote: > |> > HD Bilsteins ..that's all I ever run . > |> > they're great. > |> > > |> > > |> > ----- Original Message ----- > |> > From: "george jannini" <georgejoann@GMAIL.COM> > |> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > |> > Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 7:43 AM > |> > Subject: Shocks for 2WD > |> > > |> > > |> >> I'm needing an opinion or three. <G> > |> >> > |> >> I'm looking at the Billsteins, but I'd like some input. > |HD or Touring? > |> >> > |> >> Mostly highway driving broken up with sprints up and > |down the Blue > |> >> Ridge Parkway, or The Tail of The Dragon, just a couple of our > |> >> favourite rides where I have been known to (ahem) test > |the suspension. > |> >> Currently running KYBs, that were seemingly installed > |forever ago, > |> >> 270 something miles on the bus. > |> >> > |> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deals_Gap,_North_Carolina > |> >> > |> >> George/ATL > |> > > |> > |----- > |No virus found in this message. > |Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > |Version: 10.0.1392 / Virus Database: 1520/3854 - Release Date: > |08/24/11


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