Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:54:01 -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: use of airbags to level van, spare tire, auto trans
In-Reply-To: <1bce.15ae2088.3e53a499@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
re spare tire fitment ..
it's not the distance between frame rails that is the issue ..there's a
mile there.
It's that a too large diameter tire will rub on the steering shaft that
goes right by there on the driver's side.
There is some room to move the tire toward the passenger's side ..
depending on how the spare tire carrier is made.
Of the ones I have seen..they never offer any sidewall protection to
the spare tire..
like the stock clamshell does. Seems like a real oversight to me
....especially if the van has any off road ambitions.
I can't stand a van sitting high in the front myself. Sounds like you
need shorter front springs .
or taller/stiffer rear springsto me. I've had to adjust both ends of a
few vans to get them to sit level .
Tongue wieght , not total trailer load weight, is what determines how
far down the rear gets pushed with a trailerof course.
I'd say 250 lbs of tongue weight would be the highest you'd want to go,
generally.
The front end won't come off the ground.
they actually have more weight on the front axle than on the rear ..even
though rear engined ..
though a subaru engine would help with that I'd think.
I've put Air Lift Bags in the rear of an SVX Syncro Westy I built for a
guy ..
they work. You can have one tire valve to blow up both sides equally ..
or two vavles so you can lift either side the right amount, for
left-right leveling ..
( which I've never had any reason to even think about )
I used Steve Schewk springs (about 7 years ago) and they were nigh perfect..
just a bit taller, like an inch, and slightly stiffer ..just right.
With 15 inch Rhien alloys and Michelin Agillestires, and Old Man Emu
shocks, on pavement that SVX Syncro Westy drove and handled like a Porsche.
scott
turbovans
On 2/18/2013 7:36 AM, Pat Patterson wrote:
> I have GW lift springs all around and Bilstien shocks. I also have the
> rear spacer pad thingys. I have been running 75 tires in the rear and 65's
> in the back to keep my van level. I'm going to 70's all around so I can
> have 1 spare to fit any corner. The van will sit about an inch low in the
> rear and much lower if towing or adding 4 bikes or both (which I hesitate to
> do since I don't want to lift the front off the ground.) Does anyone have
> any advice on air bags that would work to help level the van for everyday use
> and also when hanging a load off the back?
>
> Are our vans ever done? I want to add the Porsche 930 drive axles and get
> the proper Audi Turbo Trans so I can get more reliability with my Subi
> powerplant. I have misplaced the year and trans code if anyone has that info.
>
> I'm also waiting to hear if the forienautosupply spare tire carrier will
> fit my new tire size. Their website claims it will fit and they are double
> checking for me. If anyone knows the distance between the frame rails in
> the spare area please let me know. I have yet to crawl under to measure.
> The tires I have ordered are 9 by 28.5 inches exactly in the center of my
> current front and rear.
>
> Pat
>
> in SC near Charlotte NC
>
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