Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 17:03:15 -0700
Reply-To: "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
Subject: Re: Pre-loading Rear Springs re Syncro Suspension (long)
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I would guess that this thread may be getting a bit old. Still, a few last
words. I now realize that on my motorcyles, the spring adjustment does in
fact compress the spring. You turn a nut that directly compresses it. Of
course, this raises the height of the bike by reducing sag, too. What Fred
and Derek, et al. have said is pretty convincing that inserting a spacer
alone does not compress the spring on the syncro...but only raises the van.
I would accept it at that except that what about the change in firmness. I
swear the suspension is firmer .... it does not have that too bouncy feeling
in the initial range of travel...I don't feel like I am piloting a boat
anymore as much. Has anyone else who has done this noticed any change? I
think the result is more important than the reason, but it would be nice to
know why.
steve
Fred Porter wrote:
> > Riddle me this: if the spacer were 12" thick would it compress the
> > spring? I think it would. Therefore, it stands to reason that a 1"
> > thick spacer would, in fact, compress the spring by some amount, IN
> > SPITE OF THE WEIGHT BEING THE SAME!
>
> well Riddler, of course a 12" spacer would compress the spring cause you
> would have topped out the shock at about 3-4" (or whatever the sag is)
> and the suspension would have become rigid and any additional spacer
> length would compress the spring. A 1" spacer will just raise the the
> van body/frame combination. If you stand on a bathroom scale and your
> weight reads at 170 (which, by the way reflects the amount a calibrated
> spring has been compressed) and then you put a phone book under the
> scale you are standing on, will the reading of your weight
> change???????? I hope not. In that analogy your body is the van
> body/frame and the scale is the spring and the phone book is the spacer.
> >
> > This riddle is not intended to offend or contradict anyone in anyway.
> > Rather, I think there is a lot of annectdotal evidence/reasoning being
> > thrown around by everyone. The wholey ignorant "I" tends to believe
> > there is some validity in what Steve says. And clearly, Derek has more
> > experience than anyone else on the list -- but even he could be
> > mistaken in some of his beliefs.
> >
> nor is this tended to offend, but if you can prove why inserting a short
> spacer (like the ones Steve and Derek are using), all else being equal,
> should compress the spring then show me the money!
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