Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2010 23:02:30 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 84 Westy -- Shock Questions
In-Reply-To: <001d01cad209$a8482740$f8d875c0$@net>
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Ride height is only one part of it. And ride height can really vary if the
suspension is not "settled" properly.
I laugh when I see so called suspension experts and alignment guys lift up
a vehicle then just plop it on the alignment rack and start making
adjustments. Who knows exactly where that suspension is in it's range of
motion? You must drive around a little before measuring anything to do with
alignment.
What is also important is the Corner Balance...Think of your van as a
table with the wheels being the legs. It's possible to have two of the legs
a little long and still have a level table...but the other two are not
carrying any of the load and the table is easy to "rock"......In a van it is
possible to have things out of whack and have very little weight on one or
two wheels..."Corner Balance"..it makes for strange behavior and if the
driver has an 'educated seat of the pants' it is noticeable.
Just as when you cut off one leg on a tippy table, it affects all 3 of the
other leg's relative load... One way to visualize the concept is to take a
couple of pencils and cross them at right angles, holding them in your hand
parallel to the ground. Now, roll your hand around a little and watch the 4
ends of those pencils...That is exactly how your vehicle's wheels work...
My 84 needed almost 1/2" of shimming on the right rear to get close to
corner balanced (as close as I needed in a 5000# camping utility van anyhow)
Getting the corner weight properly adjusted really helped my traction.
When you measure that stuff, you need to have the van configured like it
will be driven....driver's equivalent weight in the seat, tank with proper
fuel load, your normal load aboard the van..
Don Hanson
On Thu, Apr 1, 2010 at 7:10 PM, Jack Reynaert <jack007@comcast.net> wrote:
> I'm running the HD Bilstein's in my 84 Westy, and haven't noticed the
> height
> difference of 7/8".
> I'm 210lbs, and even with a full load, it only drops about 1/2" at most for
> me.
>
> Where did you measure at, the top of the wheel well in front?
>
> How does it compare to the rear?
>
> Jack R.
> 84 Westy Wolfie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Geo
> Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 7:18 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: 84 Westy -- Shock Questions
>
> My Westy rides lower on the drivers side by 7/8". Not surprising as
> the kitchen, H2O tank, propane tank, closets and one heavy driver are
> over there.
>
> Part 1 -- Is it okay to use air-adjustable shocks to level the ride?
> They would, of course, be installed with individual air-lines, not a
> tee, allowing separate adjustment left-to-right.
>
> Does this (different pressure side-to-side) introduce undesirable
> issues in handling? I checked the archives but didn't find much on
> the adjustables.
>
> Part 2 -- Some sites seem to think different shocks are needed for 85
> and earlier vs 86 and later... others show the same part number
> throughout the range. Which is correct or is the answer 'it depends'?
>
> TIA for any help.
>
> Geo
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