Drop Spindles

[Redpepper31]

I know I'm probably going to get beat up here discussing drop spindles,but I need to lower the front of my 77 bus about 1 inch to fit it in my new parking space under my second story deck. Looking at the Empi 2 inch drop spindles for around $240 and found a place called vintage vdubs that fabricates a 2.5 drop out of my cores for $425.
I drive my bus no more that 2000 miles a year so considering the Chinese Empi spindles but don't want to die from a failed spindle. Any input as to if the Empi's are safe or should I just suck it up and pay for some good ole Merica made stuff?

[hazetguy]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=156211
_________________
thebucket: I invested in hoodride, now DBD won't return my call?
hazetguy: invested?
thebucket: Yeah Haze, its where people put money into a company in hopes of a return on their money

[ratherb-buggin]

Wagenswest

[Redpepper31]

[ratherb-buggin]

[Zed999]

Dropped spindles lead to lots of problems - increased track or just too low if they're flipped ones. They are attractive because the beam stays on and it's just a bit of spannering... until you find the tyres hitting the arch and start on your road to fabricating bump stops, coil over shocks or whatever, it never stops at bolting on spindles. If you have early disc brakes they don't fit on many welded spindles so new brakes too, and no backing plate as they don't fir either.
For 1-2" I'd fit adjusters to the beam every time or let your tyres down a bit.

[ratherb-buggin]

[Redpepper31]

[Balmoral1958]

Hi - I have a '77 and went with the Wagenswest - great quality.

Have Konis and a larger front roll bar - bus handles very well now!
_________________
2x 1974 Karmann Ghia Coup
1984 Citroen 2CV
1956 Citroen 2CV
!984 911 Targa

[Redpepper31]

[SGKent]

no.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[airschooled]

[Spike0180]

[Zed999]

That sounds sensible...but isn't it the braking that puts the weight on the front wheels rather than the nose diving? Mine's all stock, I've used the brakes in anger and I wouldn't say the nose dives much. I've had 2" and 4 1/2" lowered vans that didn't behave any different under hard braking, they were all poor compared to modeern braking - no anti-lock.

One wonders why nobody has produced a retro anti-lock system for a bay. Well I do, I think there would be a queque for them. My father was a electronics designer for truck anti-lock systems in the 60's and 70's but sadly he has dementia so no help there.
He used to drive a Jag full of electronics across frozen lakes firing coloured chalk at the ice each time the brakes cut in/out. Neat stuff when you're a kid but I never got a ride as there was only one seat, electronics were big in those days.

[jtauxe]

It would be better to modify your deck to fit the bus. Just take a Sawzall to the bottom of the joists, adding a nice curve to the bottom that just clears the bus roof.
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[Busstom]