Date:         Mon, 22 Jun 1998 02:36:28 EDT
Reply-To:     SyncroHead@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         SyncroHead@AOL.COM
Subject:      Re: Pre-loading Rear Springs re Syncro Suspension (long)
Comments: To: sxs@Schwenk-Law.com, vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

In a message dated 98-06-22 01:41:28 EDT, sxs@Schwenk-Law.com writes:

> I still think the spring gets compressed.  I will take one last stab at
> convincing you.  We start with the rear of the van on jackstands, left
> rear wheel removed and the shock fully extended with the spring in place.
> Now, remember, the shock is fully extended since the wheel is off the
> ground and there is no weight on the suspension at all.  What do you
> have to do to remove the spring at this point?
> Compress it, right.  Why?  Because the size of the space the spring fits
> into is smaller than the spring and, more importantly, the size of that
> space is determined by the length of the shock when it is fully extended,
> not by the length of the spring.

No.  This is not correct.  When you jack up the rear of the Syncro and push
the suspension to travel all the way down till it stops the spring is actually
not compressed.  Normally the suspension doesn't move this far cause it only
has it's weight and the spring pushing against it and stops moving at the end
of the spring's travel.  At this point you can actually lift the spring up and
jiggle it around a bit.  To remove it you would need to compress it to get it
over the bump-stop, but it is not compressed at all in this state.
One key point lacking here is that I don't remember how much space is left
here, and how many do-nuts could be inserted before spring compression would
be required to make room for them.  I'd guess perhaps two do-nuts.

Regards,
Jim Davis