Club 80-90 Forums

Can anyone help please. I have just bought a 1982 VW transporter, Danbury conversion and I want to get it in the garage so the insurance is cheaper (it is on the street at the mo). It is too high to get under the up and over door and I am unable to change the doors for various reasons. So, I am considering haveing the van lowered. What are your comments on this please and how low can I go? Any ideas about cost - will it compromise the vehicle in any way?
Thank you for your help

I've not had it done and this is all dredged up from memory over the years. but firmer handling (read more bumpy) seems to be one of the trade offs depending how far you go and what product you use. There is a thought that you may be more exposed in the event of an accident as the bumper is lower (or was this just bays?) the van doesn't tend to dip at the front under heavy braking. Allegedly you will look cooler and have more friends as a result of this conversion, the jury is still out on that one

Hi Monica

Good to see another Danbury on-line. (Any photos)

How much height do you need to gain if it's more than 45mm it's not recommended read the info on the link below. I have had a friend that dropped his by 60mm and wished he hadn't bothered.

You got to think out of the box, any chance of cutting channels in the garage floor to gain some height.


http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/VehicleSpec ... wering.htm

Kev

For cm read mm. It's not easy to imagine a T25 lowered by 2 ft (60cm) .

Practically about 45mm (1.5 inches) is about all you can do but it does improve the handling and the general wandering about in the wind a bit.

Steve

Get it done, it vastly improves the handling and road holding. If you use a good kit, not the JK one, and have the bumpstops removed then the hard ride is not evident. My pop top Westy is lowered 45mm with an AVO kit and it rides smooth as a babys bum

Thanks stevel

Now fixed, That would be one low bus.

Kev

whats wrong with the JK lowering kit...

owlets wrote:Get it done, it vastly improves the handling and road holding. If you use a good kit, not the JK one, and have the bumpstops removed then the hard ride is not evident. My pop top Westy is lowered 45mm with an AVO kit and it rides smooth as a babys bum

I have to agree with Owlets, I've got the same 45mm drop with the AVO kit on my Westy pop top (courtesy of Mr Baxter's good work), and I don't think I'd go any lower!

tonytone wrote:whats wrong with the JK lowering kit...

I had it one on my first Westy, it did produce a hard ride. The AVO kit is more progressive and produces a near normal ride

I'd fit a front spoiler BEFORE I lower a T25 - and then decide if you need to lower it too!

I would then add wider alloys (215/60R16 profile or bigger) and have another test run for a few weeks and a long trip.

Finally lower if you want to but I am not convinced my caravelle needs it yet!

Just MHO ... what do others think?

Its been discussed at length do a search here and on the brickyard ,in my experance it a good move to lower your van 45mm drops the norm there are factory buses lowered 30 mm i have both 60mm and an 80mm lowerd buses and i have no issues with them at all overall a big improvement on handling and crosswind performance ,expect to pay around 300 quid for a new tuv approved and properly sorted kit (available from Baxter here or on brickyard ) they represent good vfm and have been carefully designed and tested for the t3/t25 beware of inferior kits that have not !

Spent 4+ hours today lowring mine by 50mm using avo springs, relatively straightforward but getting the springs ont was not that easy. Still the new ones went in a treat and it looks great.

Ill be doing the back in the next day or so.