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Mon Nov 17, 2008 5:51 pm

I posted in the lowering topic up top but haven't got any help.
I have a 72 Bus that has boomerang plates in the back and a cut and turned beam up front. I need to know what shocks to run that will smooth out the ride. The stock shocks are compressed all the time and have no travel so I need shorter shocks. Will ones off a Bug work? What are you guys using? Thanks

Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:35 pm

The word 'absorber' in shock absorber is a misnomer. Shocks do not absorb one ounce of shock. They are travel dampners. The springs absorb the shock. Then the shock dampens the spring travel.

If you want a smoother ride, no shock will help you. You need more spring travel.

What is the aspect ratio of your tires? A thin sidewall, i.e. a 40 series tire, will give you a harsh ride.

Take your shocks off and drive the bus. If the ride is still rough you need more spring leafs to raise it up.

Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:58 pm

Karl wrote: The word 'absorber' in shock absorber is a misnomer. Shocks do not absorb one ounce of shock. They are travel dampners. The springs absorb the shock. Then the shock dampens the spring travel.

If you want a smoother ride, no shock will help you. You need more spring travel.

What is the aspect ratio of your tires? A thin sidewall, i.e. a 40 series tire, will give you a harsh ride.

Take your shocks off and drive the bus. If the ride is still rough you need more spring leafs to raise it up.
No it is definately the shocks. The shocks are compressed all the way so there is no travel left in them. It still has the stock size shocks on it so once they get compressed it's the same as having a steel rod mounted. So, I need some kind of shorter shock that will be allowed to travel.
Think of it this way, If you take a spring that measures 6 inches and put it in a space that is only 3 inches then it will be very compressed. But, if you put a spring that measures 3 inches in the same space then it will not be compressed at all.

Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:05 pm

I realize that. But before you invest in shorter shocks, remove yours and drive the bus without them. I bet it will still be a harsh hard ride.

Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:12 pm

Karl wrote: I realize that. But before you invest in shorter shocks, remove yours and drive the bus without them. I bet it will still be a harsh hard ride.
I've already done that and it smoothed it out a lot. My Bus isn't that low. I know that when you lower them that the ride isn't going to be what it was stock, but I have had every one of my VW lowered and they never rode like this one. However, this is my first Bay.

Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:42 pm

That bus is awesome, by the way...

Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:36 am

Thanks

Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:13 am

i just got my rear end assembled last night. i used beetle front shocks on mine. however, i am agressively lowered- boomerang plates, knotched frame, and about 4 inches of rear torsion adjustment i dropped a little over 7 inches with suspension mods alone. if you arent lowered at least 6 inches they wont fit. 6 would be cutting it very close. . . .

having said that, the beetle rear shocks BARELY were long enough for me.

here is the unloaded position. at this point, i only have about 1/2 inch of travel UP on the beetle shock.

and here is where is sits loaded with the bus weight.

for my height, beetle shocks are PERFECT.

Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:22 am

i used lowered beetle shocks on the front of my bus. the worked perfectly and my bus is much lower than yours and it's all beam. but, like Karl said, try it without shocks. the difference in mine with and without shocks was a real bouncy ride. the shocks got rid of that. if your shocks are bottoming out then that's why it's so harsh...no spring travel. also, do you still have your bump stops? it's possible you're trailing arms are resting on your bumpstops causing you to have not suspension travel

Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:34 pm

Thanks everybody. This gives me some direction now.
I do have the bumpstops removed by the way. The shocks are just bottoming out :x

Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:01 pm

Most any place that sells shocks is going to have a catalog showing all the various sizes. Just flip through the pages until you find something with the mounting you need and the length you want. Not every possible variant is made, but a whole lot are.