Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 18:25:13 -0700
Reply-To: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject: Re: Pre-loading Rear Springs re Syncro Suspension (long)
In-Reply-To: <358A0AE0.9D654FC4@Schwenk-Law.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I trick that I did to my wife Cabriolet when the rear was 2" lower than the
front was insert a spacer under the spring perch. The perch is removeable
on the rear A Series VWs. I took a 2" long piece of 1/4" wall pipe with
the same ID as the OD of the strut. This spacer came to rest on the stop
that usually holds the perch from sliding down the shaft any further. Then
install the perch on top of the 2.0" pipe/spacer. I did this three years
and no problems yet. But as I can see the perch is welded in place on the
Syncros. So my question is - is there any other strut out there with a
removeable perch with the same diameter shaft as the Syncro? If so, then a
spacer like I used in my wife's cabriolet would work fine...
At 23:53 6/18/98 -0700, Steven X. Schwenk wrote:
>
>
>David Marshall wrote:
>
>> Great dicussion happening here! I am currently using an extra stock
>> "donut" on each side of the rear of my Double Cab. I have a question about
>> the front spacers that we are talking about. Where do you put them in and
>> what do you use? I am assuming that it is above the spring cap and the
>> piece that attaches to the frame where the spring cap rests against. If I
>> am correct, how high can one go before the spring/strut assembley could pop
>> out sideways? In the rear there is about 3" worth of spacers you could use
>> before you risk everything popping apart.
>>
>> I have done the same on a Rabbit where I installed a 1" metal spacer
>> between the fender and the strut bushing but I replaced the oringinal bolts
>> with longer ones to hold it in place there was no chance of it popping out.
>>
>> I am all for lifting my Syncro a bit, but safety first!
>
>Derek Drew has already covered in detail using spacers on the shocks and
>alternative shocks available for syncros...in the archive. I believe he
>determined that it was not feasible to use a spacer on the top of the front
>spring. Fabricating a spacer for the bottom of the spring would be
safer and
>may be possible. I am talking about a spacer of only 1/2" to 1" thick.
I do
>not think using a properly-sized spacer to pre-load the spring presents any
>problems. On every motorcycle I have owned, the pre-load on the shock spring
>was adjustable. I know what a bike feels like when the pre-load is too stiff
>and when it is too soft. My van is too soft, and sags too much. A little
more
>pre-load will help if not cure that.
>
>Why couldn't a spacer for the bottom of the shock be fashioned out of the
>bottom spring perch of an old shock. Cut off the old bottom perch so that it
>will slide over the new shock and rest squarely and firmly on its bottom
>perch. An insert of the thickness you want to pre-load needs to be made and
>inserted between the two perches. A piece of an old and thinner coil spring
>might do the trick nicely and be the right thickness and shape. The lip
on the
>inner side of the lower perch would secure the piece of coil spring. The lip
>on the perch from the old shock would secure the bottom of the whole coil
>spring. The two sections would fit together fairly snuggly and would be held
>together by the force of the spring.
>
>Attack at will!
>
>steve
>
>
>
-- David Marshall, Quesnel BC, mailto:david@volkswagen.org --
-- 78 1.8L VW Rabbit, 80 2.0L VW Caddy, 87 Audi 5KQ --
-- 85 1.8L VW Cabrio, 88 1.6L VW Syncro Double Cab --
-- Volkswagen Homepage http://www.volkswagen.org --
-- USE DAVID@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG WHEN SENDING EMAIL --
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