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PDXWesty Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2006 Posts: 6235 Location: Portland OR
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:58 am Post subject: Anyone install GoWesty 2WD Lift Springs? |
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This question is specifically about the GoWesty springs only. I know about other springs and modifications already. Thanks for providing the info.
GoWesty is now selling genuine German H&R lift springs for the 2wd Vanagon. Ther are progressive wound springs similar to their Syncro spring set. GoWesty says they add 1.5" to the ride height.
Has anyone purchased or installed these springs yet? Specifically on a Westy? I'm curious of what the impression of the springs is and what the final ride height ended up at.
http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=4202&category_id=91&category_parent_id=
Thanks.
Moderator note: This topic was started in 2008. GoWesty now sells their own, USA-made progressive springs. Skip to page 2 for start of current spring discussion.
Last edited by PDXWesty on Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:01 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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jackbombay Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2007 Posts: 2723 Location: Eastern Idaho
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 11:53 am Post subject: |
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1.5" higher than what model year I wonder, my 82' sits WAY lower then my buddies 85', maybe his already has different springs in it...
Can I just buy one rear spring to correct my westy lean? |
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campism Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007 Posts: 4485 Location: Richmond VA
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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My '87 Westy sits much higher than "normal," as I've read only the older machines do. If I wanted to lift it I'd be concerned that any springs I buy would not take it higher than it already is. I measured it just now and it's at 16 1/4 inches at the front and 16 1/2 at the back, and yet it appears to squat
Probably a good idea to pick a mutual reference point for these measurements, like from the centerline of the axle to the bottom of the wheel arch (both front and rear) when talking about "high" or "low." That way everyone has the same reference point.
Last edited by campism on Thu Jan 03, 2008 6:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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captainpartytime Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2005 Posts: 715 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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vwjedi Samba Member
Joined: November 29, 2005 Posts: 1463 Location: G-ville, FL - hopefully on a trail.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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It has been found that the '85 Westy springs seem to be the tallest stocker out there.
My '87 Wolfy came with "Carat" springs which sits 1 1/2" lower than norm. This is a pic of the Bilstein touring shock mated to 85 Westy springs.:
and 'raked with '85s rear and '87 front:
and '85s front and rear: (blurry)
I gained about 2" over stock which really helped stuff the BFG A/T's under the fender.
...................yes, my Van is a pic whore. _________________ 1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on... |
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rockfish Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2007 Posts: 740 Location: Palo Alto, Calif.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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PDX,
I just purchased the GoWesty 2WD springs. I am planning to have them installed either next week or the week following. I also had GW throw in a third spring "cap" for the left rear spring ... hopefully the upgrade will eliminate both the "sag" and "lean" on my 89 Westy.
Stay tuned.
C |
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djs94124 Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2007 Posts: 79 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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PDX,
I was just at GoWesty last week having these installed on my '87 Westfalia full camper. The drive back from San Luis Obispo to San Francisco and then another trip yesterday into Sonoma provided an extended opportunity to evaluate the new springs.
So far, I am quite happy with them. My original front springs were quite worn out, causing my camper to almost bottom-out upon hard braking.
My camper now sits noticeably higher at rest. I think the claimed 1.5" lift is accurate. As for the driving experience, the ride seems about the same as before, due to the progressive-rate design. The big difference I notice is that the camper no longer dives as much on braking, recovers on rebound sooner, and is more stable and responsive when turning. I also have a larger front swaybar installed along with Bilstein gas shocks, so the improved handling is not just due to the springs, but they are a definite improvement over stock. My main reason for upgrading my springs was because my old ones were sagging. I can recommend these very much! _________________ 1987 2WD Westfalia
Modifications: GoWesty 2300 engine & rebuilt transaxle, 16x7.5 tire/wheel kit, South African "Big Brake" kit, Bilstein HD shocks, Whiteline front sway bar, 2WD Lift Springs, 2nd deep-cycle battery. |
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PDXWesty Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2006 Posts: 6235 Location: Portland OR
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:28 am Post subject: |
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DJS-
Thanks for that info. It sounds like a big improvement, one I've been waiting for.
I wonder if you could do us a favor and measure your ride height at each wheel. That's the distance from the center of the hub to the lip of the fender. That measurement can be compared to other vans regardless of what wheels/tires you have installed. My measurements vary from 14.5" to 16'5" on different wheels. Syncro.org claims their springs give a final ride height of about 17" all around. I was curious what the GoWesty springs provide.
So do you have any pictures of the van with the new springs? San Luis Obispo is also my old stomping ground. I lived there for 9 years. You're lucky to be so close!
Your van looks a lot like my first one that got wrecked. Very nice!
Thanks!
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djs94124 Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2007 Posts: 79 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:03 am Post subject: |
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PDX,
I will be happy to measure my van's ride height and post it as soon as I can. I can tell you that it will be at the upper end of the range. My van definitely sits pretty tall now. I haven't taken any pictures yet of the camper with the new springs, I'll do that as well.
I really like SLO, but I also like the Portland area and often wished I lived there. My company is building a plant in Hillsboro right now, so there is the possibility of moving up there in the future, I suppose. _________________ 1987 2WD Westfalia
Modifications: GoWesty 2300 engine & rebuilt transaxle, 16x7.5 tire/wheel kit, South African "Big Brake" kit, Bilstein HD shocks, Whiteline front sway bar, 2WD Lift Springs, 2nd deep-cycle battery. |
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K58 Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2006 Posts: 1173 Location: Santa Barbara
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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Is there a reason that spacers aren't used with the 1.5" springs?
I had a mildly lifted Jeep that I used spacers on to balance out the lift and keep it from sagging
just a thought |
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rockfish Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2007 Posts: 740 Location: Palo Alto, Calif.
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:45 am Post subject: |
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GoWesty ships a spacer/cap for each rear spring. I requested a third spacer for the rear left spring ... hopefully this will eliminate not only the rear sag, but also the left lean due to all the kitchen/tank/storage. |
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allsierra123 Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2006 Posts: 1462 Location: Tecate, Baja California MX
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:07 am Post subject: |
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Those pics make me miss home. I just moved up to eastern WA from Cambria. I love San luis obispo county. Was just getting to impractical to live there. _________________ 95 GMC Yukon 6.5 TD 2 Door Tow pig/ Daily driver.
91 Vanagon GL. 1.9TD Conversion Sold
81 Vw rabbit 1.6 Diesel. Sold |
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djs94124 Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2007 Posts: 79 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: Pictures of 2WD springs installed.... |
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Here are some pictures of my '87 Westfalia with the GoWesty 2WD springs intalled:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/405640.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/405642.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/405641.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/405640.jpg
Today when I was taking these pics I noticed that GoWesty did NOT install an extra shim on the left rear spring to compensate for the "Westy Lean", which was there previously. But because these springs are a bit stiffer than stock, the lean isn't as noticeable. Still, if you have GoWesty do the work, you may want to ask for this extra shim if you have a full camper.
Ride height as measure from wheel centerline to fender lip is as follows:
Front: 18.5"
Rear: 18.5" (slightly less on the left side as previously mentioned) _________________ 1987 2WD Westfalia
Modifications: GoWesty 2300 engine & rebuilt transaxle, 16x7.5 tire/wheel kit, South African "Big Brake" kit, Bilstein HD shocks, Whiteline front sway bar, 2WD Lift Springs, 2nd deep-cycle battery. |
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r39o Samba Polizei
Joined: May 18, 2005 Posts: 9800 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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How many days have the springs been on? My after market springs went down, at least, 1/2 inch after a few weeks. The rear of my 85 Westy rides with rear syncro.org springs and Monroe shocks with helper springs. (See Best Threads sticky for Saggy Butt posts.) The front sits with stock 85 springs. I too sit at a proud 18.5+ inches all the way around, including no Westy lean because I made a thick spacer for the left rear.
My ride is firm in the back. I have KYB shocks in the front and either my springs are weak or the shocks, but my van dives during braking. So that is something I have to deal with.
I do admit it is VERY handy to be able to drive (slowly) over curbs, when needed. Or to be able to just drive where ever I want, for the most part. _________________ "Use the SEARCH, Luke" But first visit the Vanagon FAQ!
1990 Multivan EJ 22, Rancho trans 0.82 4th, Small Car front AC, CLKs w/ 215/65-16, homemade big brakes 303mm, Konis, Recaros, etc....
Click to see my ads for Cup holders, Subaru clutch fix and CLK wheels (no wheels currently) |
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djs94124 Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2007 Posts: 79 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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I have had the springs on for just about a week and a half, so I expect they may "settle" a bit. However, they are a huge improvement over what I had previously:
The problem on my camper was always the front springs, which almost bottomed out on hard braking. With the new springs, dive is much less, and the camper recovers faster. _________________ 1987 2WD Westfalia
Modifications: GoWesty 2300 engine & rebuilt transaxle, 16x7.5 tire/wheel kit, South African "Big Brake" kit, Bilstein HD shocks, Whiteline front sway bar, 2WD Lift Springs, 2nd deep-cycle battery. |
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dogcoves Samba Member
Joined: September 09, 2005 Posts: 266 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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Installed Gowesty lift 1.5 Springs a few weeks and love them. No more deep front end dips when hitting the breaks. Handles better around the highway turns.
_________________ Current VW: 1987 Westfalia
My Past Volkswagens:
1958 karmann ghia
1963 Beetle
1963 Westfalia
1966 Westfalia
1970 Beetle
1970 Westfalia |
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djs94124 Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2007 Posts: 79 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I've had them on my '87 camper now for over 5 years, I'm generally happy with them. Van sits level and with the Bilstein shocks and a larger front swaybar, it corners pretty flat and handles well (for what it is).
The only concern of late has been the possibility that the increased lift is contributing to my CV boots not lasting like they should, due to the increased angle of the axles. But the jury is still out on this, as others have noted their CV boots failing prematurely on vans with normal springs.
-Dan _________________ 1987 2WD Westfalia
Modifications: GoWesty 2300 engine & rebuilt transaxle, 16x7.5 tire/wheel kit, South African "Big Brake" kit, Bilstein HD shocks, Whiteline front sway bar, 2WD Lift Springs, 2nd deep-cycle battery. |
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scubabrian Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2008 Posts: 117 Location: San Diego, CA
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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I've had mine on for about 3 years now. They sit a little bit higher than my stock 85 springs but its not a lot. I have a Subaru and it sits a little lower in the rear but not enough to bother me. I did not use any additional spacers. I have had some CV boot failures at a really rapid rate until the latest set from Rockford. I think it is as much a boot quality issue as the increased angle. The progressive nature of the springs make for a nice ride but probably adds to nose dive under breaking, a bit more lean than I would prefer. Overall I'm happy with the set up and it works well with my larger all terrain tires. _________________ Brian
85 Westfalia with 2.2L Subaru
brian-mchugh-uwphoto.com |
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solarguy Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2012 Posts: 85 Location: las vegas nv usa
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Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 1:11 am Post subject: |
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I put the Gowesty springs on my 84 and it still saged then I added two spacers on each side but once I did my Bostig conversion it was saged again so I had to go with syncro spring much better now. |
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luVWagn Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2008 Posts: 1340 Location: Snoqualmie (WA)
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