Date:         Thu, 18 Jun 1998 23:23:12 -0700
Reply-To:     Per Lindgren <lindgre@ONLINE.NO>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Per Lindgren <lindgre@ONLINE.NO>
Subject:      Re: Pre-loading Rear Springs re Syncro Suspension (even long-er)
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Like everybody else, I also want to raise my syncro high enough to touch the clouds,
and I follow the discussion with great interest. There is one thing that bothers me
though, and that is the belief that a raised syncro needs 16" this under here, and 16"
that under there, because the 16" is soooo much taller. Well, I'm here to tell you all
that it is NOT taller in the suspension than an ordinary syncro! The only difference in
the ride height is in the wheels and tires. The technical specs in my owners manual for
my 88 syncro covers all models offered (in norway), including panels with or without
windows, highroof, kombi, kombi highroof, caravelle, caravelle gl, caravelle westy popup
roof, westy highroof, ambulance, pickup, pickup with extra wide box, and doublecab, all
offered as rwd, syncro 14" and syncro 16".


measurments:*1          rwd                     syncro14"               syncro16"

lenght                  457     cm              457     cm              457     cm
widht                   184,5                   184,5                   184,5
height                  196,5                   199                     202
grclear.front *2        19                      21,5                    24,6
grclear.rear *2         19                      19,3                    21,8
wheelbase               246                     245,5                   248
track front             158,3                   156,8                   159,7
track rear              157                     156                     159
waterdepth              -                       35 *3                   39 *4
turning circle          10,7    meter           10,9                    11,3
wheel size              5,5Jx14                 5,5Jx14                 5,5Jx16
opt wheel(alloy)        6Jx14                   6Jx14                   -
tire size               185R14c 6PR             185R14c 6PR/8PR         195R16c 8PR
opt tires               205/70R14 97R           205/70R14 97R           205R16 104R
opt tires                                       205R14c 6PR/8PR         6.50R16c 10PR
wheight,GL              1510 kg *5              1655 kg                 1705 kg
wheight,westy           1640                    1785                    1835
fueltank (approx)       60 liter                70 liter                70 liter

*1 specs are for panelvan, unless otherwise stated
*2 At permissable load
*3 turbodiesel max 20 cm
*4 injections, max 32 cm, turbodiesels max 23 cm
*5 gasoline engines, diesels + 70 kg approx.

As you can see from this, the 14" syncro is only 2,5 cm(1 inch) higher than rwd, and
16" syncro is only about 3 cm higher than 14" syncros, most of which is because of the
much taller tires!

Per Lindgren