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llilibel03
Samba Member
Joined: February 03, 2008
Posts: 767
Location: Redondo Beach California
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 Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:28 am Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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| How do you lower the drivetrain? And doesn't that partially defeat the purpose of lift springs? |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:32 am Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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You add spacers between the trans/engine carrier and the body to lower the drivetrain. This allows you to run much taller springs and tires without overly stressing the CVs. My engine currently has about the he same ground clearance as a stock Syncro despite having a much deeper oilpan. I don't think this a solution for everyone, but it is an option I haven't seen explored too many times in discussions about raised 2WD vans.
[EDIT] I reviewed the thread and found this comment from a member who I'm sure knows way way more than me about this subject:
| Jeroen_M625 wrote: |
In my case I used a set of new double green syncro springs at the back to lift a 2WD Westy. Lowered the engine mounts and gearbox mount about 30mm (1 1/5"). With normal load I can just mount the standard shocks fully extended, so had to extend the shocks (a adapter to raise bottom pivot joint shock was quickest solution). Used the standard CV joints, since syncro has them as wel (with dropped engine/transmission).
Have to lengthen the front shocks also since the GW 1.5" lift springs gave the club joker a lift of almost 80mm (bit over 3")...
Without longer shocks the van has zero suspension stroke so it lifts it wheels in the air after every little bump, very bouncy and dangerous to drive. |
It remains to be seen whether the front suspension will similarly need upper balljoint spacers/aftermarket UCAs to mitigate issues with raising the ride height so much.
_________________
Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?
Last edited by Zeitgeist 13 on Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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vanonimous
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2013
Posts: 362
Location: Burien, Center of the Universe
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| Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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Stock springs Syncro on the left and GW zero lift Westy springs Vanagon L on the right.
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If happiness is being a mechanic, owning a Vanagon is nirvana.
Lighting upgrades: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=578291 |
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o-town
Samba Member
Joined: June 27, 2014
Posts: 62
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 2:38 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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83 westfalia with AAZ swap
sporting plywood spacers on the rear (lifted to 18")
MOOG 5660 springs and GW ball joint spacers on the front (lifted to 17.75")
custom bumpers
running mercedes 15 inch steel wheels
wow, don't try to remove the lower ball joint bolts to remove the radius arm as per the bentley instructions. REALLY DON'T! I took the entire lower control arm and spindle to a machine shop to have them drilled out after they snapped, and they had trouble drilling them out
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Aville
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2013
Posts: 85
Location: Spokane, Wa
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| Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:37 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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Picked up the new shoes today!! General Grabber AT2 225 75r16
Looks like it will be a busy weekend or two. [/img]
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"I will dream what no one else is dreaming, and will build what no one else is building" DaVinci I believe
'71 tin top
'91 tin top |
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owokie
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: 533
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| Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:46 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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| Aville wrote: |
Picked up the new shoes today!! General Grabber AT2 225 75r16
Looks like it will be a busy weekend or two. [/img] |
Those are massive. I hope the weekend(s) thing means you're lifting it and installing a larger engine? Even with that I suspect you'll be rubbing the fronts on moderate to deep compression and downshifting more. Fashion before comfort, I suppose... |
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Aville
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2013
Posts: 85
Location: Spokane, Wa
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| Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:55 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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No larger engine yet. Springs and Spacers are sitting here ready to go. Planning to notch the front lip as needed and clearance the rear control arm. Nothing that hasn't been done on the forum before.
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"I will dream what no one else is dreaming, and will build what no one else is building" DaVinci I believe
'71 tin top
'91 tin top |
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Aville
Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2013
Posts: 85
Location: Spokane, Wa
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| Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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Finished it up today. I have a bit more to do on it but it is good to drive in the mean time. I'm at 18" in the front and 18" in the rear. I cut away the fender flares for clearance on the front tires and left the back alone. I love the looks of it now and no complaints on power driving around town.
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"I will dream what no one else is dreaming, and will build what no one else is building" DaVinci I believe
'71 tin top
'91 tin top |
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singlecross
Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2017
Posts: 5
Location: DownEast Maine
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| Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 6:38 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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I just bought this van and am starting to go through it. I have added the roof rack, yellow Hellas on the bumper, and new General Grabber AT2's on the stock
14" steelies. Ride height is at 17.25" at all four corners. Stock (unknown?) springs and older KYB shocks. Ready for some simple Summer camping here on the Coast of Maine. Love the Tintop!
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 9:23 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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Welcome, nice looking rig.
how old are the fuel lines?
| singlecross wrote: |
I just bought this van and am starting to go through it. I have added the roof rack, yellow Hellas on the bumper, and new General Grabber AT2's on the stock
14" steelies. Ride height is at 17.25" at all four corners. Stock (unknown?) springs and older KYB shocks. Ready for some simple Summer camping here on the Coast of Maine. Love the Tintop!
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| Abscate wrote: |
| These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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singlecross
Samba Member
Joined: July 08, 2017
Posts: 5
Location: DownEast Maine
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| Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 3:42 am Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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[quote="danfromsyr"]Welcome, nice looking rig.
how old are the fuel lines?
[quote="danfromsyr"]
Thanks for the welcome. Fuel lines are unknown age, but I have use of a 2 post lift at a buddies shop and we had a pretty good look around when we had it on the lift to change tires. Things appear in order with fuel, brakes, and suspension. Sorting a coolant temp sensor leak, new coolant cap and overflow reservoir, and a cracked CV boot for starters. I had a '76 Westy years ago so am trained to always carry a fire extinguisher (it was the first thing I added to the van). |
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danfromsyr
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004
Posts: 15144
Location: Syracuse, NY
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| Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:34 am Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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they may look ok from the outside.
but well worth the $ and time.
might want to take a peek in this thread.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=370456
| raoul mitgong wrote: |
Just wanted to bump this thread back to the top.
Changed out the fuel lines on my parent's new Westy last weekend. Your fuel lines might look fine on the outside but that is not where they are failing.
-d |
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| Abscate wrote: |
| These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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JCTahoe
Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2009
Posts: 53
Location: North Lake Tahoe
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| Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:47 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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84 Westy - Jean Claude Damn Van
VW's from my past:
72 Bay
79 Campmobile
81 Vanagon |
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caseyl
Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2016
Posts: 57
Location: VT
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:23 am Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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Hi Samba,
This is my prerunner.
215/75R15 BFG AT2 on audi 5000 wheels
Built for class 6 / fire roads. 2WD with a winch works great. I have some other parts to help it make its way down the trail.
Van cruises at 4200 rpm which is about 75 on the highway. It can go faster without a cross breeze. Has great power with an 97 OBD2 EJ22. Stock trans that leaks a lot. I actually got good life out of EMPI CV's until the boots ripped and lost their grease. I am now running new Lobro 944 shafts. I have not broken a shaft that has left me stranded, they seem to just heat up and make a lot of noise and I am worried I will wear out the wheel bearing and transmission because of how hot they get. I am currently carrying a complete used EMPI $100 assembly, a single spare 944 CV rebuild kit, a spare splined shaft and 2 tubes of moly grease.
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16501
Location: Brookeville, MD
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SCM
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3115
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:18 am Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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Nice. I also went with the "high clearance license plate" mod. 
_________________
'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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Red Beard
Samba Member
Joined: May 09, 2006
Posts: 463
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:53 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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Fun pics!
Couple questions:
That 3 wheel pic looks like a situation I've been in a couple times, turning around on a little road in the middle of nowhere, in softer-than-I-thought sand. Even with the peloquin installed in my auto trans I've gotten stuck, and unable to even spin the wheels, a lot less buried than what's in your pic (just a few inches really). This is with a 2.1 WBX. Have you had the same problem with your 2.2 swap (not enough torque to even spin the wheels?)
Also, curious to see your winch and how you employ it. |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 1:04 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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My Van is lifted quite a bit and even though I haven't driven it since the lift, I'm pretty sure the shocks are all at max extension while at rest, which means there's no rebound left--no bueno.
Does anyone have pics/dimensions of their DIY shock extensions for the front and rear? I've seen the versions sold by vendors, but Homie don't play that--I roll my own without the stems and seeds.
Fronts:
I have a set of ostensibly new but craptacular KYBs that decided to fail whilst sitting like an elf on a shelf, so they're going to be my donor extension for the fronts. I noticed that the vendor versions are just threaded all the way down, so I assume they don't rest against the shoulder of the shaft, leaving a narrowed section below them. I was thinking about filling that gap with a solid section of the same diameter as the shaft. How dumb is that?
Rears:
I think I can get away with using the bottom bushing section from a pair of BMW rear struts and then welding a yoke on top for the bottom of the Vanagon shocks. The rears seem much more straight forward, but thoughts are always welcome.
Also, I'm wondering if there's a way to add spacers to the bottom of the front springs. The lip up at top will only allow about 3/8" spacers, so without welding a lip extension, I'm thinking there might be a way to add something down on the LCA cup--thoughts?
Older pic:
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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SCM
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011
Posts: 3115
Location: Bozeman MT
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| Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 1:25 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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These aren't the most exciting but they do show mine in action off road on the way to a camping spot on Gooseberry Mesa. My "pre-runner mods" are BFG tires with good tread, a shovel, an ARB compressor, and all the same stuff you would want for a van to be reliable on the road.
I now also have a Peloquin but not at the time of this trip. As a result, I had to take this mud puddle with more momentum than I would have liked.
Link
After our traditional "campsite finding beers" my wife was in a video making mood and shot this. Zion NP is off in the distance at the end of the clip.
Link
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 12:13 pm Post subject: Re: Prerunner vans |
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Sheesh, don't all chime in at once...
On to my next nutty scheme. Is there any reason why one couldn't modify a Syncro front shock and spring to work on a 2WD?
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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