Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 19:15:37 -0700
Reply-To: "Steven X. Schwenk" <Steve@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Steven X. Schwenk" <Steve@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
Subject: Re: [Syncro] Custom Syncro Springs
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Derek, of course your use is quite different...where sometimes you may cover no
more than three miles in a day of technical off-roading....and where more ground
clearance is a much higher priority. Out here, a more common use is to travel
much greater distances deep into remote areas...where in a day it's not uncommon
to cover 100 miles of varring dirt road ranging from high spped washboard across
valley floors, to tight twisty moderate speed foot hill travel, to steep and
sometimes rugged mountain stuff. Ground clearance is typically not the issue on
this terrain....sure some more would be nice, but not at the cost of having to
sacrafice on the other handling characteristics.
BTW, how do you like the taller springs?
steve
Derek Drew wrote:
> Needless to say from looking at my SIG I ordered David Marshall's springs.
>
> At 06:24 PM 5/25/99 -0700, Steven X. Schwenk wrote:
> >From: "Steven X. Schwenk" <Steve@Schwenk-Law.com>
> >
> >To clear up any confusion, the two springs are very different. The
> >list-purchase custom springs will offer better performance for most syncro
> >owners than the taller, commercially offered springs. The list springs are
> >being designed (spec wise) by engineers, not by me. The goal is optimum
> >suspension performance, not jacking the van up. Maintaining stock
> >ride-height will result in a more stable and better handling van, and hence a
> >more off-road worthy van for the my intended use....which is not traversing
> >rock fields or terrain where incresaing ground clearance becomes a necessity
> >or is critical. Cornering, traction, stability down off-camber steep
> >downhills on loose gravel and on high-speed washboard are higher priorities
> >for me than another inch or so of ground clearance. The list-purchase
> >springs will out perform the taller springs on this type of terrain, and on
> >the highway, too. The suspension will perform better overall, too, IMO,
> >since I believe increasing spring length and spring rate, without any other
> >modifications to the suspension, results in an overall loss of available
> >travel out in real world conditions.
> >
> >There is no profit involved in the list purchase.
> >steve
> >
> >David Marshall wrote:
> >
> >> From: David Marshall <david@volkswagen.org>
> >>
> >> Just so everyone knows, I offer Syncro springs (in stock) for $200 USD,
> >> they are designed to lift your Syncro 4 to 5cm and are 15% stiffer than
> >> stock... Please check out http://www.fastforward.ca for details.
> >>
> >> At 13:17 25/05/1999 -0700, Steven X. Schwenk wrote:
> >> >From: "Steven X. Schwenk" <Steve@Schwenk-Law.com>
> >> >
> >> >As previously reported, I have been working with Betts
> >> >Spring co www.bettsspring.com to come up with some
> >> >replacement springs for the syncro.
> >> >
> >> >These springs will be top quality, peened, heat set (or
> >> >something like that) and powder coated. Betts had my syncro
> >> >springs for a week and tested them for rate, etc. I will
> >> >also be taking my syncro to Betts witht he stock springs in
> >> >place for final gathering of data before production.
> >> >
> >> >The springs I am going to have made will be somewhere
> >> >between 15% and 20% stiffer than stock. This is the last
> >> >detail we need to work out. The ride height will be very
> >> >near stock, perhaps a 1/2" taller than stockers. These
> >> >springs are not intended to increase ride height since we
> >> >want full performance from the stock suspension and unduly
> >> >increasing ride height limits the amount of travel available
> >> >for use in real world conditions.
> >> >
> >> >The more we order, the cheaper they'll be. If i can get a
> >> >total of five orders, the price per spring is one-half what
> >> >it would be for just one pair. (from about $125 per spring
> >> >to about $70 per spring.) Thus far we have 3 people who
> >> >want them.
> >> >
> >> >Let me know if you are interested. Also let me know how
> >> >muchg stiffer you think they shopuld be. the plan is to not
> >> >make them too much stiffer....they do not need to be a whole
> >> >lot stiffer. The rears seem fine and we want to be able to
> >> >use the new fronts with the stock rears anfd still have them
> >> >balanced.
> >> >steve
> >> >
> >> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> >Having difficulty getting "in synch" with list members?
> >> >http://www.onelist.com
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> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >> -- David Marshall Quesnel BC, Canada --
> >> -- 78 VW Rabbit, 80 VW Caddy, 84 VW Westie, 85 VW Cabriolet --
> >> -- 87 Audi 5000 Quattro, 88 2.0L VW Syncro Double Cab --
> >> -- David's Volkswagen Home Page http://www.volkswagen.org --
> >> -- Fast Forward Autobahn Sport Tuning http://www.fastforward.ca --
> >>
> >> Note: VOLKSWAGEN.ORG is not affiliated with VWoA or VW AG
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> Where do some of the Internet's largest email lists reside?
> >> http://www.onelist.com
> >> At ONElist - the most scalable and reliable service on the Internet.
> >
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Having difficulty getting "in synch" with list members?
> >http://www.onelist.com
> >Try ONElist's Shared Calendar to organize events, meetings and more!
>
> ________________________________________________________
> Derek Drew New York, NY & Washington, DC
> drew@interport.net
> '90 Syncro Westfalia...
> ...seen off-road at http://www.tiu.net/~des/vw/drew/index.html
>
> Also seen at: http://www.pipeline.com/~tforhan/swrange.htm
> http://4wd.sofcom.com/VW/snow.html
> http://www.pipeline.com/~tforhan/swmassn.htm
> http://4wd.sofcom.com/VW/Campers/Campers.html
>
> Note: most valuable Vanagon sites on the planet (for owners) are:
> http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?S1=vanagon
> ftp://gerry.vanagon.com/pub/
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