Why do you lower?

[lobie]

mine standard ride height drives lovely on the motorway and corners well it is vw intended they were set up like this for a reason so stock wheels and tyres i would never lower mine, i had intended to lower it when i first bought it but im glad i didn t i think it sits just right

Hi Lobie, please tell me more about your wheels, I guess their stock 112 PCD but chromed? the baby moon is an early type is it not? - and those whitewalls - painted? I'm looking to go for a more stockish look on my wheels much like your own, I also like 356 style Porsche rims but that would mean changing the hubs or fitting adapters....

In order to appear that I have not blatantly hi-jacked this thread, here's mine mildly lowered and useable. I like low, the lower you go a better a bus looks - then I am from Essex so I would say that :msn4:

ok the wheels are shotblasted and painted pastel white the hubs are genuine vw domed from a type 3 the white walls and chrome beauty rings are from germany here is the link here http://www.ravus.de/Produkte_cat_66.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you can translate the site to english with google chrome and oder them that way or you can ring them up as thier english is very good

the white walls are held on by the rings they are very very good german quality and everyone hows seen the wheel close up thinks there painted until i show them

hope this helps

 

[lard]

Hey Andyo is the bucket under the engine to catch the oil? :lol:

:lol: i park mine on one of them plastic cement mixing spots....

that's a good idea :idea: - I park mine over a flattened cardboard box, as it starts to disintegrate I put some more on...I've now got a big pile of oil soaked wood pulp sitting in my garage

 

[AndyO]

Hey Andyo is the bucket under the engine to catch the oil? :lol:

It's a good look for the Volksworld show, don't ya think?

It was some wahing up in fact, bacon sarnie on the go whilst random members of the public kept popping their heads into the van to have a butchers...nice :roll:

 

[CHILDSEY]

Hi Andyo , my van is in the picture just behind yours!
Did i have a chat with you, sorry ca`nt remember
Cheers Paul.

 

[AndyO]

Nice bus i seem to remember, not sure if we had a chat or not either. I'm up for Volksworld again next year (the pic was 2011) so we'll put that to rights then!

 

[AndyO]

@lobie: Many thanks indeed, just the info I was looking for. Karma +1

 

[lobie]

@lobie: Many thanks indeed, just the info I was looking for. Karma +1

no worries dude glad to be of help

 

[dave]

had ours lowered mainly for looks, had saggy arse end, now sits level, it also makes it less susceptable to being blown about by side winds!!

 

[Flippergary]

Hi guys..

They do look cool lowered.. I am a new earlybay '71 owner and was considering lowering. I hadn't thought of the practical application of fitting into the garage.......

How many cm/inches may I gain with a practical lowering?? :shock:

 

[ozziedog]

Mornin FlipperGary, That`s part of the beauty of it. You can lower as much as you want. Quite often you`ll see a piccy of a lowered bus next to a `stocker' to illustrate the difference. The only limiting factors are your wallet and the comfort levels that you`ll accept when lowered. Some ride low but are capable of self raising for the odd skirmish with the speedy bumpsters but all this is limited only by the depth of your pocket :shock: You could start with an inch or so or end up with twelve or more :?

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,, SOooooooooo,,,,,,,,, How Low Will You Go 8) :lol: :mrgreen: :lol: 8)

P.S. How do you spell addictive ????????? :mrgreen:

 

[john the horse]

i cant see any reason to go any lower!

jth

 

[baz1875]

I was considering raising my bus for camping then after a few trips I realised that would be stupid

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

Mine is supposed to be stock, turns out its sagged a fair amount.

I haven't lowered it because I want it to ride properly, I wanted proper 8 ply commercial tyres (because speed rating is irrelevant) and I wanted to use it for what it's designed for.

"Lowering kit" fitted...

 

[dubscum]

I was considering raising my bus for camping then after a few trips I realised that would be stupid

:msn4:

 

[Trikky2]

Yes Ricky I think your right. I think the difference may be because a higher proportion of lates are still being used more as originally intended, where as a higher proportion of earlies have become toys.

As has been posted by clem, you can still camp in a lightly lowered bus as long as its not heavily loaded and your careful where and how you go. Exploring tracks/unmade roads along the coast of Portugal for instance is not possible in a lowered bus, not to mention some of the giant speed bumps they have! So its all down to what the individual wants.

I think a one rear spline drop plus drop spindles bus looks really nice but I wont do it to my own because of the places I like to go and visit. So in my case its function over form.

The heavily lowered road scrapers just make me smile - a couple of miles in one was enough and I wont go in one again. :lol:

What is interesting is Alex's post about high speed stability. A set of gas adjust shocks made a big difference to my stock height bus but, despite this, I find that anything over 80 is tiring to keep up for any length of time because of the high level of concentration needed to cope with buffeting and cross winds. I tend to stick to 70 and use the extra power simply to maintain that speed on inclines.

I did try the bus out a few years back, after running in the new engine, on a deserted stretch of Spanish motorway, just to see what it would do but have to admit that I bottled out when at satnav 95 it was still gaining momentum but I had had enough since it felt about ready to take off. Scary. (that was with the old stock shocks too :lol: )

 

[RICH-I-AM]

Theres a few reasons i have lowerd mine.
1st of all, i havnt quite finnished growing up yet.
Also after 40+ years the arse end has sagged and some (inc mine) front ends seem to point at the sky, not a look im a fan of.
So i lowerd the rear by 1 spline for a little extra lowering then fitted adjusters up front to bring that down.
I set it so the sill was dead level.
The olds at work told me to leave well alone as it looked good as it was, but even they agree it looks better now.

 

[Trikky2]

Theres a few reasons i have lowerd mine.
1st of all, i havnt quite finnished growing up yet.
Also after 40+ years the arse end has sagged and some (inc mine) front ends seem to point at the sky, not a look im a fan of.
So i lowerd the rear by 1 spline for a little extra lowering then fitted adjusters up front to bring that down.
I set it so the sill was dead level.
The olds at work told me to leave well alone as it looked good as it was, but even they agree it looks better now.

Wow thats amazing - its made the paintwork shiny too :lol:

 

[RICH-I-AM]

They sent me a free pot of polish with the adjusters :mrgreen:

 

[weeboll]

i've often wondered if the earlys are higher up/point higher at the front than the lates anyway - mine is stock and points well up at the front (my previous late bay was low enough to rip the anti roll bar off getting into glastonbury a few years back)

but then as hoosier that could be becuase they've had longer to sag at the rear!!

 

[Clem]

As has been posted by clem, you can still camp in a lightly lowered bus as long as its not heavily loaded and your careful where and how you go.

I didnt say that :mrgreen: Mine isnt lightly lowered, it gets loaded to the gunnels and camped in far and wide. It scrapes a bit sometimes but has never stopped me getting where I need to or want to. 8)