Date:         Tue, 8 Oct 1996 22:56:16 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Austin <austins@ix.netcom.com>
Subject:      Re: rear camber adjust/ride height

At 10:19 PM 10/6/96 PST, you wrote:
>
>On Sat, 5 Oct 1996 22:20:11 -0500 Austin <austins@ix.netcom.com> writes:
>>
>>Might be worth a try to install a set of gas pressure shocks - I put 
>>on
>>Bilsteins ~80k miles ago & the bus is still riding over 1" higher than 
>>stock
>>(raised it about 2" initially - about the same as a Synchro);  the
>>pressurized gas acts as a spring, of course.
>>
>>Austin
>>
>Simple yet effective! Very clever.  Does  Bilsteins have a direct
>replacement for the Vanagon? You wouldn't have the part # handy?
>
>ken lewis
>kdlewis@juno.com

Sorry - took a while to track down the invoice.  Fronts were #B46-0820,
rears #B46-0830 (for an '87, non-syncro);  I paid a fortune (>$100/ea) for
them, but that's long forgotten 7 years later for the ~80k or so miles I've
enjoyed them (& they came with a 'lifetime' warranty).  They were quite
stiff at first - 20k miles B4 they broke in & softened a little.   

Bilstein is currently advertising "...shocks that normally cost up to $119
ea are $50 for a limited time/selected applications...."  Phone is listed as
619 / 453 - 7723.

Austin