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Written by Collie @ German Supply in November 2003
The
following may not be the views of Germansupply.com and all questions
should be directed to collie.
The following information is to be used for reference only and I
(Collie) or Germansupply.com will NOT be held responsible for any
modifications made to your vehicle. This is for information only
and not a step-by-step guide. Please do your research and consult
a professional before performing any custom modifications to your
bus.
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I have
a 1977 Volkswagen Bus that I lowered back in 1994. It is a very
different ride than stock and I HIGHLY recommend you take a long
drive in a lowered bus before sinking the money and time into the
project.
There
are 3 ways to lower a bay window bus: the right way, the wrong way
and the EXPENSIVE way.
The
bus to the right is my '77 Sunroof Bus called "Manana".
It's lowered 3.5" and rolls on 15" rims.
How did I lower it? Let me tell you...
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The
RIGHT Way :: FRONT
The
proper way to lower the front of a bay window bus is to install
a front beam that has adjusters welded to the torsion tubes. Essentially
what the adjusters do is alter the position of the torsion leaves
inside the torsion tubes to increase or decrease the height of the
vehicle. There are two adjusters, one on the upper and one on the
lower torsion tubes. They should be adjusted the same.
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Loosening
the nut, separating the adjuster from the beam and raising or lowering
the physical vehicle will allow you to set the ride height you are
looking for. In the weeds or a tad above normal is possible with
these adjusters.
Don't
forget to tighten the adjuster back down on the top and bottom or
you may regret it.
Now
would be a good time to inform you that while the bus may handle
better in the turns (dont laugh) the ride is a bit harsher.
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I personally
dont mind the ride, but perhaps I am used to it. Most people that
drive Manana dont have a lot of nice things to say about the ride,
but they always comment on the seats and how easy it is to get in
and out.
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The
RIGHT Way :: REAR
Put
the bus on jackstands, remove the rear wheels and remove the shocks.
You will see the spring plate and the rest of the assembly. Now
is a good time to remind you that the suspension is under pressure
and to be careful. The whole goal here is to simply remove the spring
plate and reposition it up a notch or two to achieve the desired
look. I did two notches, I think. Consult the Bentley Manual for
a step-by-step process of removing the spring plate. I don't want
to be responsible for ANY injury here.
Re-install
the spring plate, the cover, the shocks, etc and then drop that
rubber back on the ground.
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Total
Cost is ~$900 CDN (Adjustable beam and core and tax)
The
adjustable beam is available from German Supply by special order.
Please contact us for more information.
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------------------------
The
WRONG way :: FRONT
Just
remove the torsion bars and reassemble. It will ride like c**p and
its dangerous. Don't do it.
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The
EXPENSIVE Way :: FRONT & REAR
The
coolest way to go by far is AIR - RIDE. This will be the way I go
when the time is right. The following pictures are of a '67 21-window
being built by Steve Butosi of Whitby, Ontario. He envisions it
ready for the 2004 show season, but we will see.
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In
the weeds look is achieved by removing the stock torsion leaves
and allowing the bus to now ride on 4 air bellows controlled by
a compressor.
Valves
and such allow for air to be pumped into the bellows individually
to raise and lower the bus.
I
plan on having 4 separate circuits that will allow me to set all
4 corners at a uniform PSI or set them individually, depending on
need.
I will
update this page with Bay Window pictures once construction begins
on my '77.
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