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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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 Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:59 pm Post subject: Air ride |
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my Van is pretty noisy on lowering springs, the red H&Rs. It is very nice and drives quite nice when the pavement is smooth, but over potholes, bridge joints, patches, etc , it is very harsh. AFTER SETTLING DOWN THE REAR SPRINGS (oops) have maybe two coils of compression, the rest of the spring is compressed.
Anybody else have the H&R springs installed, what is your experiance?
Eric has the cup springs in his Tristar, I wonder how that rides of the roads down there?
I am considering and air ride installation, in the hope to get a smoother, quieter ride with decent handling. Unlikely the roads will get smoother anytime soon.
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Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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Gauche1968
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2006
Posts: 1518
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| Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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You mean you Canadians won't be getting an economic stimulus package that includes massive infrastructure investment to renew the roads under your new minority government? Go figure.... 
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1984 Vanagon GL
1984 Vanagon Westy |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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no we are getting a 1.2 billion train system built, reaady next year. A perfectly good road that had just been rebuilt at a cost of 5 million dollrs was torn up, even though the train is elevated. The road was rebuilt to acomadate a bus system with dedicated lanes, stations, and articulated buses. the bus system is wildly successful. It really was a beautiful thing, with new trees and landscaping, an nice 4 miles or so of ugly strip malls primed for improvement. The train guideway is finished and the road is just now slowly getting rebuilt again. (THE TRAIN REPLACES THE BUS SYTEM)
MY VANNY HATES IT. I CALL IT PATCH AND SPEND.
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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presslab
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2008
Posts: 1730
Location: Sonoma County
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| Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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Something like this, you mean? This is my van. I have regular springs in the front - either the shock will need to be moved or you will need special air bags that have a hole in the center.
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BlackDogVan
Samba Member
Joined: December 21, 2007
Posts: 855
Location: Vancouver Island
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| Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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I smell KYB.
konikonikoni... I still have a extra pair of fronts... |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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yes Presslab that is what I am looking for.
How does it ride? Does it cut the noise and thumping at all? Regular springs up front you say?
How much work was it to fit the brackets, etc?
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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Blackdogvan, the shocks on the back of my van are big yellow things. Methinks they are Monroe or Bilsteins, all the lableing has warn off.
the van is from Cali.
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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presslab
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2008
Posts: 1730
Location: Sonoma County
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| Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| 240Gordy wrote: |
yes Presslab that is what I am looking for.
How does it ride? Does it cut the noise and thumping at all? Regular springs up front you say?
How much work was it to fit the brackets, etc? |
So did you heat your springs (to make it even lower) to get it where only two coils are working? I'm not sure I understand exactly what you meant in the first post.
The air bags are stiffer than the stock springs, however for a lowered van this is needed. You might just be bottoming out your suspension and need a stiffer shock.
My van rides stiffer than a stock van but this is what I wanted. It is not harsh over bumps. I wanted the rear bags so I could raise the van back up when carrying my dirt bike on the back. The spring rate of the air bag is pretty much the same regardless of the static air pressure; adjusting the air pressure adjusts the ride height. If I recall the spring rate of these 276C bags is about 650 lb/in.
It might have reduced the road noise but it was not by a whole lot. I didn't really have any complaints about the noise before or after the air bags. I found some suitable front coil springs and it would be harder to do bags on the front, so I didn't install front air bags.
Installing the rear air bags was not too hard. The circle plates the bags bolt to were purchased and a couple pieces of bar stock were bent and everything welded together. I have two schrader valves to fill the bags up. |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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I have 4 H&R springs.
Looks like this, they are the sport model.
after sitting for a couple months only the bottom small coil is active the rest just rest upon each other.
the front,
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:26 am Post subject: |
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what a difference a few months and miles makes . . .
now looks like this,
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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presslab
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2008
Posts: 1730
Location: Sonoma County
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:42 am Post subject: |
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| 240Gordy wrote: |
what a difference a few months and miles makes . . .
now looks like this,
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Wow, yes I'm sure you are going into coil bind or bottoming out!
Those springs look defective or poor quality to have sacked out so quickly.
I admit, I have lowered cars by heating up the springs... However they never had any problems. You should get a warranty replacement from H&R or you could try heating up your stock springs if you still have them. |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:44 am Post subject: |
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better view and the problem becomes obvious . . .
the big bump stop ( ? ) surely hits the trailing arm pad in the middle of the spring perch.
guess that's why they call it slammed?
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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presslab
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2008
Posts: 1730
Location: Sonoma County
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:52 am Post subject: |
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| 240Gordy wrote: |
better view and the problem becomes obvious . . .
the big bump stop ( ? ) surely hits the trailing arm pad in the middle of the spring perch.
guess that's why they call it slammed? |
Slammed, LOL!  Yep that's the bump stop.. I would not really recommend cutting it down, your springs are the real problem.
You could go air bags, but the only two reasons for doing this in my mind are load leveling (like I do) or extreme lowering (like for car shows) and then raising back up so you can drive the thing over bumps.  |
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M_atthewanderson
Samba Member
Joined: January 25, 2005
Posts: 288
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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Wouldnt this work for the front to replace both shock and spring 
The Shock Wave
From Air Ride,
I have some H&R springs waiting for the konis but 240Gordy you're freaking me out now  |
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pete000
Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2004
Posts: 642
Location: Ocala FL
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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Did you cut your bump stops? This is a must when running lowering springs...
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1990 Vanagon RS 2.1
1967 Deluxe 21 window
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Koni Shocks
H & R Red Springs
Addco Sway Bars Front-Rear
18 X 7.5 and 18 X 8 OEM Porsche Wheels
Recaro Power-Heated seats |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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ya those look very sexy. they come in black too.
I don't know if they can handle the load, and they cost $700 for the pair.
but nice bling. and easy to install
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| pete000 wrote: |
| Did you cut your bump stops? This is a must when running lowering springs... |
how much to cut ya figure? we are talking about the thinyg sticking down inside the spring right? at the rear?
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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the guy who put the springs in told me there was no bump stops . . .
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR |
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M_atthewanderson
Samba Member
Joined: January 25, 2005
Posts: 288
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| 240Gordy wrote: |
ya those look very sexy. they come in black too.
I don't know if they can handle the load, and they cost $700 for the pair.
but nice bling. and easy to install |
I am pretty sure the load on the front of a vanagon is much less then a 383 Stroker in a 67 camaro. But yeah $700.00 each.  one day 
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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| mattography wrote: |
| 240Gordy wrote: |
ya those look very sexy. they come in black too.
I don't know if they can handle the load, and they cost $700 for the pair.
but nice bling. and easy to install |
I am pretty sure the load on the front of a vanagon is much less then a 383 Stroker in a 67 camaro. But yeah $700.00 each. one day
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too loosely quote Napolean,
I thought you were bringing me a German, but that my friends, is a car.
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR
Last edited by 240Gordy on Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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