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Shock length and CV angle for my 2WD lift.
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jeremypbeasley
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Joined: September 18, 2018
Posts: 164
Location: Seattle, WA
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:12 pm    Post subject: Shock length and CV angle for my 2WD lift. Reply with quote

Howdy there, internet people.

I've lifted a 2WD 85' Tin Top Vanagon.

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I'm sitting right at 20" on front and rear (center hub to fender vertically), but the ride quality is garbage. Super loud and every pothole in the city just slams when I hit them going 25-30. I don't have a ton of room for downward travel from body to tire, but there's some. 

My setup is:
- Burley UCAs
- Front shocks: Konis from T3
- GW 16” black Steelies
- GW 1.5” lift springs 
- Tires are K02 225/75r16 (I'll get narrower tires next time!)
- Rear shocks: HD Bilsteins from GW

Front and rear shocks are topped out when the van is empty. When I load it up with 4 more people and all our gear (~400 lbs) it rides a little better. When I hauled 1000 lbs of bricks last week, it rode like a cadillac. I need less spinal damage and more cadillac. Seems like that translates to overall longer shocks. 

As far as I can tell, I've already got the long ones common amongst vanagons. 

What's the next move? Jack up the van on all 4s, let the wheels drop without shocks and measure how long I need my shocks to be? I don't love this idea because on the rear end, the axle will be limiting downward travel of the trailing arm. On the front end, the is going to curve quite a bit when there's no pressure on it. Doesn't seem like a reliable way to do this. 

Next to shock height, I'm concerned about the angle of my CVs post-lift. I drove about a year on this lift and my rockford boots ripped up about 10 months in. This may have been because I didn't have them clamped, but now that I've replaced them, I'm concerned that history will just repeat itself. I've seen some threads about people lowering the engine and transmission, but I'd rather avoid that mess of work if I can.

I welcome any ideas you might have for both shocks and CV angle.
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erste
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Joined: March 29, 2013
Posts: 1110
Location: San Francisco
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 8:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Shock length and CV angle for my 2WD lift. Reply with quote

looks good.

I think the Koni shocks are a bit shorter, but campervanculture sells shock extenders for them.

For the rear you can get the long travel Fox shocks from gowesty. They're made for the syncro, but you can buy them individually when they're in stock.

Do you have 944 CVs yet?
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4Gears4Tires
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Joined: October 08, 2018
Posts: 2982
Location: MD
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:13 am    Post subject: Re: Shock length and CV angle for my 2WD lift. Reply with quote

You need shocks that have separate high and low speed compression damping. The van being lighter means the hits are lighter and it's jolting the van. With 1000lbs in bricks, the hits are going into the suspension instead of the chassis. Your suspension is too stiff when empty. For example, picture a race truck hitting a whoop at 80mph vs 8mph. At 80, the suspension moves and the chassis doesn't, at 8mph it's the opposite. At 80mph, the chassis has a lot more inertia in the forward direction than at 8mph. By adding bricks, you're adding inertia. You could test this by hitting a speed bump at 80mph, but I don't recommend it, haha.

The Burley Motorsports Radflo system is in stock and it has "velocity-sensitive valving." I don't have any experience with this, compared to Fox shocks with separate high and low, but I am assuming it is comparable. The point is you need a more responsive suspension. https://burleymotorsports.net/product/2wd-radflo-shock-system/
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rogertj
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Joined: October 07, 2008
Posts: 503
Location: Tijuana, Baja California. Mexico
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:54 am    Post subject: Re: Shock length and CV angle for my 2WD lift. Reply with quote

The Radflo shocks say: " Front shocks, for many reasons, will not work well with anything longer than stock"

Dont now if this will also affect your ride if its higher than stock height.

There must another thread about this subject here in the samba or an offroad forum for sure.

All the suv's and pick up trucks that I had in the past have this issue, when empty is louder in the holes or bumps, when loaded its more comfortable. The weight of the vanagon should be enough to put the shocks to work but maybe those shocks that you have dont in fact work well because they dont have the high and low speed compression damping.

there must be something in the market that can help you with your ride at that magnificent height! Cool set up by the way!
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Roger
Had a Carbureted ABA after engoing the heck out of it now going for ABA 2.0 Jetta EFI ill put a garrett in to the tin can later or maybe go electric?
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
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