Wagon west 2.5” lift spindles and spring plate questions

[AustinA_43]

Is anyone on here running wagon west 2.5” lift spindles and plates? I’m wanting to buy a set to put onto my 68 bay window bus and I was wondering what’s needed to be done to make them work properly. I know I’ll need longer axles but will I be able to use stock length shocks too? The bus currently is raised with beam adjusters up front and reindexed torsion bars in the rear but I’d like to have a bit more clearance as I am going to be doing a lot of off-pavement driving when I’ll be going through South America on the pan American Highway. Plan on calling wagon west Monday to ask directly but was just wondering if anyone on here have used there stuff

[aeromech]

I have no idea because I neither raise or lower buses. I will suggest that this has been done before so what you need to do is learn from other people who have already made expensive mistakes. As Busdaddy said this past week somewhere, every time you make a change it affects other things as well.
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Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[richparker]

I don’t see why you wouldn’t use it with its stock height. My bus was sagging in the rear when I got it (it was sitting for 10+ years), I raised it up like 6* (I think) installed new bushings, KYB gas-a-just shocks and it sits nice and lever now.

I live in southwest Colorado and drive in the mountains everyday. Often we are on forest service and 4x4 roads and I never have a problem with clearance even with my deep sump hanging down. Now I’m not trying to go 4wheeling on the Amasa Back trail in Moab, but for everything else I find a well sorted stock suspension works nicely.

I’d be spending my money on a nicely built stroker with a rebuilt transaxle and a Kennedy clutch. But everyone is different.
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[aeromech]

This guy would be a good source

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=8901

_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[notchboy]

[honkadori]

i also just ordered the lift kit from wagenswest. raised spindles and plates.

@notchboy read your entire thread about how you met your bus. very nice read!

any chance you can send me a link to the cv joints and drive shafts you are using? also. before you switched to longer shocks you said you used shock extensions in the back. where did you get those from?

thanks!

[notchboy]

[honkadori]

thanks jason! ill ask nate from wagenswest if he can get the cv joints for me.

[VOLTWAGEN]

Will keep an eye on this thread as I'm looking to raise mine as well

Currently standard suspension with 215/75/15 BFG AT's but looking for a little more lift, the back end is sagging a little, even lifting that back to normal would help a little

I was just going to index the rear, but I'm guessing the plates would be better for it

[Shonandb]

With the raised spindles, did you have to buy longer brake lines or upgrade anything else? Or does everything just bolt on to the new spindles as is?

I'm running 225/75/16 Load E Goodyear Wranglers on the back and need more clearance to add them on the front too. The WW spindles are pricey but I like the raised look and with the belly rad set up on my swap, the extra clearance will be nice as we get a lot of wash out areas along the FSRs that we frequent.
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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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