Advice...... Spring/suspension/lifting options.

[max and caddy]

A civil partnership maybe?.

[torchy]

What's special about the 2WD front springs?

How are they different to a Syncro?

[jed the spread]

What's special about the 2WD front springs?

How are they different to a Syncro?

They are longer than the Syncro ones and give a nice lift by all accounts.

jed

[torchy]

Ok Thanks, Strange that.

4WD Syncro....off road... ???? ground clearance.

2WD...normal roads......higher ground clearance?

..der??

[jed the spread]

Ok Thanks, Strange that.

4WD Syncro....off road... ???? ground clearance.

2WD...normal roads......higher ground clearance?

..der??

Sounds weird doesnt it? the 2wd rears are shorter than the Syncro ones if you want to really twist your mellon

jed

[max and caddy]

Longer because they sit on the arm, not the shock, I feel it's possibly the best choice.....however....what 2 we'd spring do you go for? There not all the same rate, or even wire gauge I believe. If I woke up one day and thought "feck" my pickup is not high enuf....I would go with 2wd fronts and a chopping board spacer at the back...but, so far, no need!


My van fronts are a bit droopy tho.....maybe if I ....ahhhrgg top me!

[max and caddy]

To elaborate....if the 2wd front setup was used on a syncro..the driveshaft would pass through the spring, and that would be a bit rubbish.

[KarlT]

Thanks to everyone for their opinions.
Jed it would be good to see exactly what lift 2wd springs give you.
Interesting that there maybe different grades of VW springs. Which, What & Where, would you get them?

[syncropaddy]

To elaborate....if the 2wd front setup was used on a syncro..the driveshaft would pass through the spring, and that would be a bit rubbish.

Yes but Mercedes didn't think so with the W124 4matic.. totally bonkers but seem to work. Cost a fortune to replace I'm told but a chap that has just done it

[syncropaddy]

Thanks to everyone for their opinions.
Jed it would be good to see exactly what lift 2wd springs give you.
Interesting that there maybe different grades of VW springs. Which, What & Where, would you get them?

Here

2WD spring


and the ride height it gives


Very hard on a light van though and used to 3 wheel around sharp bends!

[max and caddy]

That merc bloke must of been smoking some funky stuff....good bit of lift with the 2wd spring but I can't see why it makes the ride harder than it would be on the 2wd van it was from...same position and loads, but a bit more weight on it, reduced travel as well so why does it lift a wheel? Maybe that's just a high load spring anyway?


I going to fit 2wd bottoms arms and merc springs, simples

[Aidan]

my understanding of the 2wd springs is that whilst they are effectively longer when fitted to a syncro because they run on the damper rather than on the lower arm they are softer, so some have found them a bit bouncy, but then there are several different versions including a heavy duty version and a lowered version which all have different spring rates (and coil wire diameters) and of course you can use different dampers with different damping characteristics to achieve a balance that works for your vehicle just as say Andreas springs plus VW 16" dampers being a mix that seems to be recommended or with trailmaster dampers or brickie coil overs etc.....back in the day Seikels and OMEs were the option as Jed says but there wasn't any other choice really, Bilstein dampers in SA but not in Europe, or Munroes which weren't very available and some Vanagon org /GoWesty springs that either sagged (allegedly ) or were so stupidly expensive they weren't an option for us, and there have been issues with the OME stuff and the coil bind issue with the Seikels is well documented

personally I like the standard VW ride (and I've driven a couple of other setups I didn't like so much, eg SA Bilsteins at the front) so I went with new genuine standard springs and dampers plus 20mm lift plates from SyncroServices, 6mm collar ontop of front damper rod and upper ball joint spacers and it rides fine, and all the tracking and steering adjustment is possible - only thing I might do is put in some rear lower damper location extensions but it doesn't top out much at all so it'll be when I get time, it's not a priority, I'll have to remove the rear arms too anyway to renew the bushes and bolts to get full adjustability at the rear as the outers are seized in place as usual

[syncropaddy]

^^^^ WHS

From recollection the Busschmiede set up uses lowered 2WD front springs but I dont know which ones. I also used Monroe front dampers with those springs and the whole thing was too bouncy up front for my liking. The 'on road' ride was simply awful on M/T tyres but it all worked fine off road. I wanted a better compromise so I swapped the set up out for 16" front shocks and standard springs with SyncroServices spacers and got the same lift. That was all four years ago when choice was limited and a lot more expensive.

I sold those springs to either lee or vlux so ask them how they are getting on ......

Interestingly I didnt alter any tracking or suspension settings and tyre wear is perfectly even and the van has been through 3 NCT tests (MOT) and is still within tolerance

[max and caddy]

Oddly...in the pic up there it looks like you have a bit of positive camber on the front...yet I thought the issue with raised vans was that the camber would end up negative without any adjustment being left..

[Syncrobaz]

Handbags at dawn guys