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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 11:18 am Post subject: |
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I installed shocks ordered from the FLAPS for the rear of my '78 just a few weeks earlier than when this thread appeared.
I had to jack up the bearing housing to attach the shock because they were too short, and I too thought this seemed odd. I must not have broken them internally yet, because the spring plate does not contact the stop with the bus lifted.
I've decided to get the "Chevy" shocks mentioned in the thread, and indeed the inserts are too long to thread in the bolts.
Could I just cut the inserts a bit, or do I need to go buy new bolts?
Is one much more preferable than another? _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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Joey Samba Member
Joined: August 12, 2005 Posts: 5366 Location: Nova Scotia - Canada
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:42 am Post subject: |
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vwwestyman wrote: |
I installed shocks ordered from the FLAPS for the rear of my '78 just a few weeks earlier than when this thread appeared.
I had to jack up the bearing housing to attach the shock because they were too short, and I too thought this seemed odd. I must not have broken them internally yet, because the spring plate does not contact the stop with the bus lifted.
I've decided to get the "Chevy" shocks mentioned in the thread, and indeed the inserts are too long to thread in the bolts.
Could I just cut the inserts a bit, or do I need to go buy new bolts?
Is one much more preferable than another? |
I would shorten the inserts. _________________ Joey
‘60 Kombi - '74 Bus - '79 Panel - '65 Beetle |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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The inserts extend out of the rubber bushing about 10 mm on either side. So I just cut one of them off on each end flush with the bushing.
Here is something weird, though. On the passenger side, the shock, fully extended, reached just a couple mm past where the bolt would easily pass through on the lower mount. So I had to compress the shock slightly to get the bolt in.
On the driver side, the shock, fully extended, is roughly the same amount short! So I might have to jack the lower mount up a couple mm to bolt it up.
WTF is up with that? Is that enough to be worried about? _________________ Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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Tcash Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2011 Posts: 12844 Location: San Jose, California, USA
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:49 am Post subject: |
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vwwestyman wrote: |
The inserts extend out of the rubber bushing about 10 mm on either side. So I just cut one of them off on each end flush with the bushing.
Here is something weird, though. On the passenger side, the shock, fully extended, reached just a couple mm past where the bolt would easily pass through on the lower mount. So I had to compress the shock slightly to get the bolt in.
On the driver side, the shock, fully extended, is roughly the same amount short! So I might have to jack the lower mount up a couple mm to bolt it up.
WTF is up with that? Is that enough to be worried about? |
I would say 2mm is not an issue. If you don't feel good about it switch the shocks.
When you remove them measure them fully extended and fully compressed.
Good Luck
Tcash |
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stwesty Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2015 Posts: 128 Location: Vancouver, Canada
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2016 8:54 pm Post subject: Re: Rear KYB-KG5530 shocks too short |
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Just in case anyone else runs across this thread... I just installed the KYB 344082 rear shocks on my 1974 and they were both a couple of mm too short. Easy enough to get on by jacking up the car a tiny bit though.
The metal part of the bushings were also too wide. They stick out from the main rubber sleeve by about a centimetre on each side making them about 1cm too wide, so I hack-sawed off one half on the top as well as the bottom. I'll report back if this causes any obvious issues. _________________ 1974 Westfalia, automatic, dual-carb |
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GTV Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2004 Posts: 2084 Location: Si'ahl
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Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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Joey wrote: |
Here's my 1st attempt at making some extenders. They are made from 1/8" square tubing:
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I like what you've done here. Not surprisingly, I can't find anything online that will fit our application. Would you (or anyone else for that matter) be interested in making a pair for me? I need a 3" extension. _________________ EMPI Power Rules! |
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Terminatez Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2015 Posts: 340 Location: Sun Valley, CA
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:54 am Post subject: Re: Rear KYB-KG5530 shocks too short |
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stwesty wrote: |
Just in case anyone else runs across this thread... I just installed the KYB 344082 rear shocks on my 1974 and they were both a couple of mm too short. Easy enough to get on by jacking up the car a tiny bit though.
The metal part of the bushings were also too wide. They stick out from the main rubber sleeve by about a centimetre on each side making them about 1cm too wide, so I hack-sawed off one half on the top as well as the bottom. I'll report back if this causes any obvious issues. |
This is correct. The 344082 is a few mm too short, but not as bad as the 344045. I don't see how the 344045 is even recommended or sold as rear shocks for the type 2. Those are way too short for my '72.
I installed 344082 last night. The metal parts of the pushing are indeed bigger but that's easily fixed by either using his hack-saw method or simply changing the size of your bolts. I decided to change the bolt size. 120mm upper and 100mm lower. Perfect fit.
I'll report back with any issues.and upload pictures later today. _________________ 1972 Westfalia P30 hardtop Campmobile [On-going Restoration]
aeromech wrote: |
I don't think I've ever seen an engine in worse shape. |
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billo Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2012 Posts: 15 Location: Shelton, CT
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 5:31 am Post subject: Re: Rear KYB-KG5530 shocks too short |
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Wish I'd seen this thread before buying shocks for my '76 Transporter. Net: even though the last post here was years ago, KYB has apparently not corrected their catalog and still lists the 344045 shocks as a fit for my year/model. They are, as before, too short by 1/2-3/4". Also, the sleeves provided in the kit for the bushings are too short by about 1/4" and don't go all the way through, so when bolting the shocks on, the bolt torque is on the rubber bushing, not on the steel sleeve. Bought these from an on-line outfit (will not mention name here in case it's a violation of this forum's policies), but they are simply pointing to the KYB catalog and suggesting I'm doing something wrong. They're reluctantly willing to take back the shocks IF I can package as original and IF I pay the shipping costs. Still leaves me with two useless sleeve kits, as I got them from another source (first was out of stock). Oh for the day of real, local auto parts stores with old guys who are actually familiar with cars/parts. |
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Shonandb Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2019 Posts: 1204 Location: Vancouver, BC
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:42 am Post subject: Re: Rear KYB-KG5530 shocks too short |
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billo wrote: |
Wish I'd seen this thread before buying shocks for my '76 Transporter. Net: even though the last post here was years ago, KYB has apparently not corrected their catalog and still lists the 344045 shocks as a fit for my year/model. They are, as before, too short by 1/2-3/4". Also, the sleeves provided in the kit for the bushings are too short by about 1/4" and don't go all the way through, so when bolting the shocks on, the bolt torque is on the rubber bushing, not on the steel sleeve. Bought these from an on-line outfit (will not mention name here in case it's a violation of this forum's policies), but they are simply pointing to the KYB catalog and suggesting I'm doing something wrong. They're reluctantly willing to take back the shocks IF I can package as original and IF I pay the shipping costs. Still leaves me with two useless sleeve kits, as I got them from another source (first was out of stock). Oh for the day of real, local auto parts stores with old guys who are actually familiar with cars/parts. |
I recently bought a set of Bilsteins from the UK that were suposed to fit my 76 Westy but the rear shocks were about 1.25" short so like others in this thread, I made up shock extenders.
If the company won't allow you to return yours then you will need to make up/use spacers to take up the extra space to make it the same length as the rubber bushing width and make up or buy shock extenders.
_________________ *******************************
76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
Build & Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758760
Previous 1973 Panel Bus:
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billo Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2012 Posts: 15 Location: Shelton, CT
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Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:57 am Post subject: Re: Rear KYB-KG5530 shocks too short |
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Thanks. Yeah, really don't want to go through all that. Think I'll just get some Sachs brand replacements for the old ones that were on there, so I know they'll fit. Really bad that KYB doesn't just correct their catalog and stop showing their 344045 shocks as a fit. |
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billo Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2012 Posts: 15 Location: Shelton, CT
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Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2024 9:50 am Post subject: Re: Rear KYB-KG5530 shocks too short |
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Update on this: customer support at KYB turned out to be very helpful. They suggested their KYB Excel-G 344090 shocks would have the same load/dampening capabilities and, more importantly, would be the right length. The 344090 shocks indeed proved to be exactly the same fully-extended length as the old Sachs shocks that had been on the bus and fit correctly, albeit still requiring the KYB sleeve kit. On the issue of the sleeves not going all the way through the rubber bushings (short by about 3-4mm), the KYB people said that's ok. |
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