How low is my bus (Pics and measurments on thread)

[mattp]

Hi,

I have an early baywindow bus and would like to know how low it is, if nothing else for the insurance company to have asked (and I don't know).

It is jacked up perhaps 1" in this picture; the 2 pics below are as it usually sits

The front is 340mm from the centre of the wheel to the bottom of the arch, the rear is 220mm from the centre of the wheel to the bottom of the arch.

What I would like to know is what the factory measurements are; I have delberately picked these measurements as tyre and wheel size will not affect the measurements I have taken. Don't suppose anyone has a early bay and can take those 2 measurements that I did to I can be sure what my drop it

Thanks in advance, Matt

 

[cunning plan]

Hi dude, I had exactly the sam problem..

Take a look on my thread http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10420" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nic B-C and Hilly_70 helped me out..

 

[faux]

This is an estimate!

I would say 4 inches at the front and 1 spline at the rear - 3 inches.

 

[mattp]

Thanks for the reply. I was really off the same measurements that I has drawn on the pictures as they are not affected by tyre sizes.

I need the measurment from the bottom of arch to centre of wheel (both front and rear) on a stock un-messed with early bay. If anyone has one and could do this for my I would be very very grateful.

Thanks, Matt

 

[uber cool]

mattp- I think you are making the calculation more complex than it needs to be for the insurance company, they simply want to know how much lower the body is to the ground. So even changing to low profie tyre will effectively lower the vehicle.

So really you need to just measure from the bottom of the sliding door to the ground, the haynes manual shows a drawing of a standard van with this dimension as 500 mm. Deduct the measurement taken from the haynes manual measurement and this is what to tell the insurance company. This is what I did.

Also if you have low profile tyres, which it looks like, ie not the commerical rated tyres you need to tell them this, this will get them in more of a flap than the lowering! As they might not be rated correctly for the load of your van- but that's another topic :shock:

Mine is 310mm floor to bottom of sliding door, so thats 190mm lower, think 2 splines, but can't remember and 14" steel rims with 60 profile tyres. Fits in the garage nicely

Nice van you have, great wheels

 

[mattp]

I am still after the stock measurement of an early bay and there is a little more to it than just the insurance....

My other reason for asking is that I fancy doing a K+L beam conversion on my van with flipped K+L spindles. The spindles are 3.5" of lowering for a start and I understand that the spacing between a split and bays front beam tubes means that I also get another inch (making it 4.5" without even thinking about welding in adjusters). Now if my bay is currently down 4.5" then I get the ride height I want (I quite like the current stance of my van) and the van should ride better as K+L ride better than balljoint (all be it for a little more maintanence).

Stock measurment please :mrgreen:

 

[uber cool]

sorry thought I was helping :shock:

 

[Araon]

I'll get home about 5 and if I remember I'll get you what you want fella

 

[mattp]

sorry thought I was helping :shock:

uber cool, thank you for your reply, it was helpful. I was after the measurement I showed in the pics as this will give the true amount lowered because the tyre profile does not affect this measurment. As far as the tyres are concerned I will double check but the set up was bought new and installed by a specialist VW garage so I *hope* the tyres are correctly load rated -will check at the weekend.

There is also the 'other' reason that I am after this information and that is because I am after carrying out a K+L conversion :wink:

Araon, if you were able to get me that info I would be very greatful.

Thanks guy for the input, it is very much appreciated.

 

[Araon]

Sorry its bloody dark out there but think this is right

front 450
rear 295

 

[mattp]

Araon, thank you very much.

I take it that my bay is down 75mm (3") at the rear and 110mm (4.4" at the front)

This is excellent news as this means that I can go K+L and not drop any lower :mrgreen:

Thanks, Matt

 

[uber cool]

No worries

like I said nice rate. Mines not on C rated tyres buts its a day van so never loaded up, just make sure the tyres are rated at more than a quarter of the vans gross weight.

 

[j.nathan]

I am still after the stock measurement of an early bay and there is a little more to it than just the insurance....
(I quite like the current stance of my van) and the van should ride better as K+L ride better than balljoint (all be it for a little more maintanence).

Stock measurment please :mrgreen:

What makes you think that a K+L will ride better than a balljoint at the height you are running?

 

[mattp]

What makes you think that a K+L will ride better than a balljoint at the height you are running?

I have always preferred K+L to BJ and after taking the bus to EBI I chatted to TD2 who put me onto this idea of improving the busses ride. All I am really after is a stock beam with flipped spindles -stock suspension set up but lowered and I cannot see any reason why this would not have the same effect as putting dropped spindles on a bug and thus improve the ride. If anyone knows better please let me know.

Also, I am only after a 3.5" - 4" drop as I don't want to slam the van and I certainly don't want a narrowed beam; stock VW beam with needle bearings and bumpstops FTW :mrgreen:

 

[j.nathan]

I'm not saying you are wrong to go K+L, its just that i thought ball joints were an improvement over K+L in both ride and less maintenance, hence the move by VW to balljoints and the early mod of converting late splits to BJ.

 

[mattp]

I'm not saying you are wrong to go K+L, its just that i thought ball joints were an improvement over K+L in both ride and less maintenance, hence the move by VW to balljoints and the early mod of converting late splits to BJ.

I'm not sure I totally agree with that statement. As far as I know ball joints are less maintenance and I am pretty sure a cheaper set up to manufacture so that would be why I think car makers use them. I don't think that the ride is better from K+L to BJ but at least you don't need to continually grease and adjust them, the best riding beetle I have driven was K+L and I have has a lot of BJ VW's over the years (although the Semi auto was also a fantastic car).

I understand the reason that baywindow owner might wish to convert to K+L but I think this is driven by the amount that you can lower the van, something which is otherwise limited by ball joint travel on really lowered busses. My reasons for this conversion are ride quality on a mildly lowered bus using the idea of lowered (flipped) spindles and not beam adjusters, T2D just made me aware of the way to do this on a bus as you cannot buy non modified (welded) spindles for a BJ beam as you casn for a beetle.

Saying this I have followed a number of theads on Wagenwests spindles and understand that they are excellent quality items, pretty sue someone on here has X-rayed a pair to check the welds and was happy with the results.

All I will add is that this thread makes me think a little harder about changing over the suspension on my bus (I already have sourced new genuine parts for the K+L conversion) and I am still in two minds. The K+L mod is essentially stock except that the reverse cut threads on the spindle lock nuts will now be the wrong way around and that presents the risk of the motion of the wheel willing the nuts to loosen or getting wagen west spindles and hoping the welds are good? It's a tough one, anyone with an opinion please feel free to comment on the K+L conversion / wagenwest idea -all feedback / ideas very much welcomed.

Thanks, Matt

 

[faux]

Araon, thank you very much.

I take it that my bay is down 75mm (3") at the rear and 110mm (4.4" at the front)

This is excellent news as this means that I can go K+L and not drop any lower :mrgreen:

Thanks, Matt

I wasn't far off then :lol:

i have gone down the KnL route and it drives great, very smooth. I can imagine on a stock beam with dropped spindles it would ride even better. I think that a stock split beam is about 12mm narrower each side than a BJ beam, so you may have to put up with a narrowed front end :mrgreen: :mrgreen: .

Tim's old Westy (Speedmaster Bus) had a standard split beam with spindles, it certainly had a slightly lowered look.

Good luck and keep us posted.