Lowering......

[buddysbuddy]

OK, so, being as I needed new front tyres I took the plunge and bought a lower profile.

This will now ensure that I get off my ass and lower the bad boy!

Now I need your advice on the best way to do this:

Which is the easiest? Most cost effective? If adjusters are the way, which are best and where from?

I'm looking about 4" max..... I don't really want to change the beam, as it's in great nick!

Cheers for the help....J

 

[slammedresto]

the option i chose isnt on your poll, narrowed adjustable bem with drop spindles

 

[K@rlos]

Slamming is my next job. I'm going for the 5 inch Red 9 kit. I've really looked into it and it's fully adjustable plus you get coil overs so a good ride and handling sweeten the deal :mrgreen:

 

[buddysbuddy]

the option i chose isnt on your poll, narrowed adjustable bem with drop spindles

I was initially hoping to keep it as simple as possible.

Can I just use drop spindles or must I have a narrowed adjustable beam as well?

To be honest I am leaning towards the Red 9 set up, I would like to do the work myself, so it seems the best DIY option, or am I missing something mahoosive?

 

[Joval]

Red9 is by far the easiest to diy.

 

[Loxy]

Slamming is my next job. I'm going for the 5 inch Red 9 kit. I've really looked into it and it's fully adjustable plus you get coil overs so a good ride and handling sweeten the deal :mrgreen:

What about the balljoints though? a 5 inch drop whether using adjusters or red9 is going to stress the balljoints in a big way.

 

[buddysbuddy]

Slamming is my next job. I'm going for the 5 inch Red 9 kit. I've really looked into it and it's fully adjustable plus you get coil overs so a good ride and handling sweeten the deal :mrgreen:

What about the balljoints though? a 5 inch drop whether using adjusters or red9 is going to stress the balljoints in a big way.

OK, can you explain how? what should we do to avoid this?

 

[faux]

My poll went for Red 9 - wishbone set up...reasonably priced with the rack included.

 

[froggy]

Really all depends on your budget and ability with the spanners.
If i had the money, then as said, the red9 wishbone kit at £1500 would be the ultimate, failing that the red9 lowering kit is a good (easier) option, but all the options above are viable, as i said though it depends on your budget and ability (are you looking to do it yourself or pay someone?)

 

[Gman86]

I recently fitted a red9 4 inch coilover kit, 3 inch sping plates and rear dampers on my bus, did it on the drive over a weekend. Very nice ride still and not to low as that it stops my bus from being a daily.

 

[Loxy]

Slamming is my next job. I'm going for the 5 inch Red 9 kit. I've really looked into it and it's fully adjustable plus you get coil overs so a good ride and handling sweeten the deal :mrgreen:

What about the balljoints though? a 5 inch drop whether using adjusters or red9 is going to stress the balljoints in a big way.

OK, can you explain how? what should we do to avoid this?

By changing the angle of the torsion arms (by either fitting adjusters or a red9 kit) you reduce the amount of movement that the balljoints have - the lower you go the less movement they have - when you run out of movement you start to damage the balljoints. I believe that creative engineering used to suggest 3-4 inches as a max drop when using adjusters.
By using drop spindles (on their own) you dont reduce the balljoint travel - its the spindle itself that is moved up by cutting & rewelding it higher up -your suspension travel remains the same - if you use a combo of drop spindles & a subtle lowering of the beam then you end up with a decent drop & still a reasonable amount of suspension movement left e.g. 2.5" drop spindles & a 2.5 inch beam drop gives you 5 inches total drop.

Of course as faux says if you go for the red9 wishbone setup then you can go really low (and have good steering)

 

[Cali_bay]

I went the cut and turned root, but should have gone for drop spindles. I get a lot of jolts from pot-holes and then a nag from the wife :roll: . If money no object, having seen the setup of the Red9 at stoner I would go for that.

 

[VWAIRCOOLED]

I think Loxy has it spot on,but it all depends how much you want to spend.
You could fit a narrowed and adjustable beam first,drop it 3 inches,save a bit more money then fit dropped spindles to take it the rest of the way.

You could save even more money if you can cut and weld your own beam to narrow and lower it.Or at least strip it down and do the cutting and get someone to weld it?
I'm not a big fan of the red 9 coil over kit,but the wishbone kit looks good.

 

[steve92]

my vote would have be red9, as i have one. and 3" lowered plates on the back. rides nice, and height and dampings easily adjustable.

 

[chippi]

Has to be Red 9 for me i tried the 4"-5" kit which tbh was too low for me and changed for the 2"-4" kit and the ride is spot on, a million times better than my old cut and turn beam.

 

[71bay]

I,ve got the 4-5" red 9 and 165/50s on the front and 2 splines on the rear. The kit is set to its highest and i still smack the ball joints every now and then on bad bumps. If i could buy it again i would go for the 2"-4" kit, if i went any lower as i still have 1" of drop, i think i would be on dangerous grounds without doing mods. I must say though the ride is really good, i have Gaz adjusters on the back so with the spax adjusters on the front i can set it up to my liking.
Picture of it being used in our 70s village day! Was ace. Sits nice and low and still very good ride so red 9 worth doing and not hard to do. Took me 1/2 a day on my drive.

 

[easy]

I chose adjusters as i am not a fan of the Red 9 kit, not knocking it its just not my cup of tea for a few reasons. I would go for a weedeater beam personally with creative adjustable shocks. Best ride and looks the sickest! 8)

 

[Pete B]

and i still smack the ball joints every now and then on bad bumps.

Sorry fella, don't mean to sound awkward or like a smart arse, but what do you mean by the above quote? I don't see how it is physically possible! Please expand on your comment, the more info available the better.
With a ball joint beam, whether Red 9, adjusters or cut & turned, 3 1/2 to 4" is the MAX before the balljoints run out of travel, lousy ride and getting dangerous. (T2D dropped spindles the exception, more later)
For the record, to get low I have fitted a late splitty beam with adjusters from Creative Engineering and dropped spindles from Alex at Transporterhaus. The king and link pin beam drops it an inch to start with (and about the same narrower too) plus 3 1/2" from the spindles plus whatever you want from the adjusters. That cost me a grand sourcing the parts and doing all the work myself. I have yet to examine the T2D dropped spindles for BJ beams, but am not enthusiastic at the idea of them both being upside down. Wagens West I believe (may be wrong) are welded. Don't like that idea either. Hence my choice (it is a proven method) but also the Red Nine 'subframe' was not available at that time, if it were, for 1500 quid, I may have gone that way bearing in mind you also get a steering rack which has to improve drivability. It's down to how low do you want to go,how much can you do yourself, how deep are your pockets and perhaps making a compromise. Also how much do you want to keep to the VW system? Decisions, decisions!
Also I have cheapo Brazilian shocks, and the ride and handling with this whole set up is really good.

 

[71bay]

and i still smack the ball joints every now and then on bad bumps.

Sorry fella, don't mean to sound awkward or like a smart arse, but what do you mean by the above quote? I don't see how it is physically possible! Please expand on your comment, the more info available the better.

By that i mean that they run out of movement, i get a loud knock on bad bumps/pot holes but that is the track rods hitting the cassis rails!! I can't go any higher as i am on full hight, thats what i ment about i can't go any lower without mods/notching the cassis rails :shock: . I have got it set pritty stiff now so its not as bad, just have to keep one eye out for bad holes in the roads. If i had the money i would go your route or the red 9 wishbone but for me this is the best for now.

 

[Pete B]

Ah ha, I'm with you now! Perhaps if I'd read your post properly I would have understood to start with . I keep forgetting about the need to notch the chassis rails. Wasn't neccessary on mine, being a '68 model year the chassis rails have a different profile and the track control arms don't foul. I would like to drop the rear a little more than the 2 splines it is at now, but can only do that by cutting the chassis for clearance of the driveshafts! I don't fancy that really so it will have to stay as it is.