Club 80-90 Forums

My 1989 T25 van was converted from a commercial panel van by the previous owner. He didn't change the suspension at all and it's running on the original struts. I've just changed the springs using the JK 45mm kit, the van has decreased in height by about 40mm in the centre.

Now the ride is very hard. Every bump rattles through the van, even riding over catseyes. The suspension isn't riding on the bumpstops though.

The missus has a bad back and this is actually hurting her. What can I do? What shocks should I use for a softer ride?

I'm not an expert. but have you shortened the bump stops??

T

My 1989 T25 van was converted from a commercial panel van by the previous owner.

to what?
There should be lots of peeps with std. springs and dampers willing to swap with a cash addition?

tonytech wrote:I'm not an expert. but have you shortened the bump stops??

No, not yet. I will try this next week.

But the ride is hard and noticeably bumpy even over catseyes - not great big potholes!

Any recommendations for softer shocks?

HarryMann wrote:

My 1989 T25 van was converted from a commercial panel van by the previous owner.

to what?

Camper.

I need the lowering to fit into the car-park at work

Ah!

Well, without somebody a bit more knowledgable on lowering T25s than me (zero) I would tape a pencil to one part and a piece of card with a bit of whip in it, onto the other and drive it over some humps, then getting a good idea of where the suspension is actually riding

I'd also check the dampers aren't adjustable, with the bump setting far too high - she sounds quite dangerous to me, would understeer nastily on wet bends if the road is not dead smooth I should imagine.

But really, finding someone on here with the exact same setup and similar weight of camper would give you a good idea what to expect. And check that the springs and dampers really are what you think they are or were told they are... something sounds seriously amiss.

tyres aren't too hard are they?

look on the Brickyard site, loads of advice on lowering, http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/forum ... =4473&PN=1 something about the bump stops which may help you.

Thats's a good tip, they're the real low slung bums of the T25 world

generally you can get away with standard shox on a 45mm drop but you need to cut the bumpstops down because if your van is particularly heavy now cooker, cupboards etc it may well be sitting on the bumpstops and any small bump will feel harsh. I have -45mm on the front of mine with shorter shox and it really makes all the difference.

Pootle wrote:My 1989 T25 van was converted from a commercial panel van by the previous owner. He didn't change the suspension at all and it's running on the original struts. I've just changed the springs using the JK 45mm kit, the van has decreased in height by about 40mm in the centre.

Now the ride is very hard. Every bump rattles through the van, even riding over catseyes. The suspension isn't riding on the bumpstops though.

The missus has a bad back and this is actually hurting her. What can I do? What shocks should I use for a softer ride?

Hi

I am just about to get our van lowered and some new alloy wheels, i am not mechanically minded, so you'll have to patient with me!

If I get the kit from JC, can I still use my current wheels, or do I need to change them as well? Although, I'd like to change them anyway.

mcat

can I still use my current wheels

yes you can

Pootle?

getting anywhere with this?

It's going to the garage to have the bumpstops chopped this week. I'll keep you informed!

Good luck then