CRS koni shocks/ springs.

D

Doodles77

New Member
Do any of you guys have CRS’s koni shock with there own spring set up.
Ill really interested in booking in for a set. Yet would like to know of the end users thoughts prior to doing the do!
Im not looking to go coilover/ as the conversation with Steve a few weeks back, this type was the suggested route he talked about. Due to only going40-50 mm max.
Would appreciate any advise

thanks
 
www.t6forum.com

CRS Performance

After many months of debate on the best low suspension for the Transporter buses, we have eventually taken our development to another level. Over the last 6 months we have shown that probably the best all round kit with sensible drops is the KONI shocks and H&R spring kits (correctly spec'd). We...
www.t6forum.com www.t6forum.com
 
They’re popular here with lots of very happy owners. I’d suggest giving Steve from @CRS Performance a call, he’ll answer everything you might be wondering about with such great depth and detail. I’m overseas and he even answers all my questions - such a legend
 
He's already spoken to Steve and it sounds like, is at the point of nearly pulling the trigger.

I've made my mind up that it's the way I'm going (if I ever get a month when people pay me when they say they're going to and there are no unexpected bills) purely by recommendations on here.
 
I was going to do a thread on our new spring scenario as soon as the art designs and boxes were ready , but seeing as they were mentioned above ill give you an insight .
Over the last 2 years we have had close to a thousand vans through our facility and we have learned a lot . We have also seen the best and the worst the industry has to offer .
The biggest issue by far is the one spring fits all scenario and most manufactures of After market springs just don't have the experience hands on with the amount of vans we are fortunate enough to have worked on . So the Cobra , Eibach , Raceline etc really don't have a big enough range to suit all the varying weights of the vans and this is aggravated by the mods we are doing to them . ( Camper ) The result is vans sitting too low or too low at the rear , when the rake angle of the van isn't right steering gets light of course , and should be avoided for safety reasons .

I know many coil over sellers will jump down my throat and say well that's the benefit of a coil over . BUT the problem is worse in this market because the one spring fits all doesn't cut it either , We have removed 3 x B14 s this week !!!! where the vans couldn't get to the designed height of 40 to 70 mm , Heavy vans and campers all sitting at 80 to 90 mm and fully adjusted to the top ??? . NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE good people . the installers should know this if they were indeed specialists and not fit the kits in heavy vans/ campers . I guess if you only have one bullet in the gun that is the one you will shoot. There are a few quality coil overs that do the job really well and i would always encourage dialog with a specialist to determine the best way to move forward if a coil over is wanted . As i have always said ask lots of questions to see if the seller knows what he is selling and if its fit for your purpose . Do not think your questions might be deemed silly , ask them anyway .

We digress . One spring fits all doesn't work when we fit sport springs to standard or performance shocks either . We have seen 30 mm Kits down 70 mm the shocks are too long to cope with this and the ride is bad . There fore we need a comprehensive solution .

So the answer is our new range of spring kits . "Evo Techniq " , Highest quality European made and a choice of 8 spring rates which will cope with the heaviest and lightest vans we have . We spec the kits to the clients van and after getting lots of info on the van we will provide a spring kit that does the job properly .

As you all know we love to couple our springs to KONI shocks and we have 4 different KONI shock now in our arsenal .
Something for everyone so to speak ,

I will officially launch the brand soon enough but the first kits we have fitted have given great results , and solved problems we have experiences all to often.
We will be looking to wholesale to Convertors and we will train them on how to spec the kits for proper results and get rid of these saggy back sides once and for all .
CRS
 
I had Konis fitted to my LWB Kombi - thought about new springs but TBH wasn't that bothered about lowering the van.

Initially I was a little underwhelmed - driving back Fromm CRS to South Wales I was wondering why I'd done it but that was on a busy motorway, crap weather and perhaps me expecting the van to now drive like a luxury car.

Within a couple of days I was sold - on A and B roads the van is more stable, rolls a lot less on roundabouts and feels a lot more "together" - its never going to handle like my Boxster but a couple of recent camping trips to mid and north Wales has showed how much of a difference the Konis have made. I've recommended the spring upgrade to a few mates with T5s and T6s - it really does improve the way the van drives
 
I can also vouch for CRS, I'm possibly one of the first customers with the T32 T6 Koni shocks.
Originally I just replaced the standard shocks and left the -40mm Cobra springs, I have the ABT front bumper and mine is a daily drive work van, I've scraped it too many times going in and out of customers driveways so I installed the standard springs.................wow what a difference, speed bumps, speed tables, pot holes and all the other obstacles where our roads used to be have been ironed out to such an extent I now don't detour around a link road I use because of the traffic calming.
 
I was actually going to write something about this new CRS set up which I had installed last month. It’s brilliant and I highly recommend it to anyone who prioritises comfort over slamming their van on its arse!

I’m running 20” alloy wheels yet the van is more comfortable than it was on standard suspension and 16” wheels with tyres having huge sidewalls. It’s much more compliant, instead of bouncing all over the place it absorbs the bumps in the road like a damper is supposed to do.

I drove from Bournemouth to north Wales and back two weeks ago, the return journey involved stopping off to collect something from Wimbledon, traffic was bad so I was in the van for over 13 hours! The comfort level seriously impressed me during these long drives.

I took a mate out in the van yesterday, he has standard dampers with -40mm springs and 18” (I think) alloys, he couldn’t believe the difference in ride quality between the two vans and now has these Koni’s high on his shopping list.

Steve - thanks a lot. I couldn’t be happier with the ride :)
 
CRS Performance said:
I was going to do a thread on our new spring scenario as soon as the art designs and boxes were ready , but seeing as they were mentioned above ill give you an insight .
Over the last 2 years we have had close to a thousand vans through our facility and we have learned a lot . We have also seen the best and the worst the industry has to offer .
The biggest issue by far is the one spring fits all scenario and most manufactures of After market springs just don't have the experience hands on with the amount of vans we are fortunate enough to have worked on . So the Cobra , Eibach , Raceline etc really don't have a big enough range to suit all the varying weights of the vans and this is aggravated by the mods we are doing to them . ( Camper ) The result is vans sitting too low or too low at the rear , when the rake angle of the van isn't right steering gets light of course , and should be avoided for safety reasons .

I know many coil over sellers will jump down my throat and say well that's the benefit of a coil over . BUT the problem is worse in this market because the one spring fits all doesn't cut it either , We have removed 3 x B14 s this week !!!! where the vans couldn't get to the designed height of 40 to 70 mm , Heavy vans and campers all sitting at 80 to 90 mm and fully adjusted to the top ??? . NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE good people . the installers should know this if they were indeed specialists and not fit the kits in heavy vans/ campers . I guess if you only have one bullet in the gun that is the one you will shoot. There are a few quality coil overs that do the job really well and i would always encourage dialog with a specialist to determine the best way to move forward if a coil over is wanted . As i have always said ask lots of questions to see if the seller knows what he is selling and if its fit for your purpose . Do not think your questions might be deemed silly , ask them anyway .

We digress . One spring fits all doesn't work when we fit sport springs to standard or performance shocks either . We have seen 30 mm Kits down 70 mm the shocks are too long to cope with this and the ride is bad . There fore we need a comprehensive solution .

So the answer is our new range of spring kits . "Evo Techniq " , Highest quality European made and a choice of 8 spring rates which will cope with the heaviest and lightest vans we have . We spec the kits to the clients van and after getting lots of info on the van we will provide a spring kit that does the job properly .

As you all know we love to couple our springs to KONI shocks and we have 4 different KONI shock now in our arsenal .
Something for everyone so to speak ,

I will officially launch the brand soon enough but the first kits we have fitted have given great results , and solved problems we have experiences all to often.
We will be looking to wholesale to Convertors and we will train them on how to spec the kits for proper results and get rid of these saggy back sides once and for all .
CRS
Click to expand...
Well, you sorted my van but I still have a saggy backside! I know I could trade Mrs JOG in for a younger model, but I can’t afford that!
 
Have to say I'm still happy with the B14s on my T28 camper.
Possibly because I've not tried to use them to make the van look aired out but have them set mid range with modest 18" wheels on 255 45 tyres plus fatter ARBs. With this combination the van feels very flat on bends and predictably responsive to steering input rather than the reactive seesawing input caused when using the crashy stock suspension.
Like a good many T6 owners I want a comfortable ride but am happy to trade that off against a sportier ride and carry any hard won speed through the Twisties.
 
alcarmichael said:
I was actually going to write something about this new CRS set up which I had installed last month. It’s brilliant and I highly recommend it to anyone who prioritises comfort over slamming their van on its arse!

I’m running 20” alloy wheels yet the van is more comfortable than it was on standard suspension and 16” wheels with tyres having huge sidewalls. It’s much more compliant, instead of bouncing all over the place it absorbs the bumps in the road like a damper is supposed to do.

I drove from Bournemouth to north Wales and back two weeks ago, the return journey involved stopping off to collect something from Wimbledon, traffic was bad so I was in the van for over 13 hours! The comfort level seriously impressed me during these long drives.

I took a mate out in the van yesterday, he has standard dampers with -40mm springs and 18” (I think) alloys, he couldn’t believe the difference in ride quality between the two vans and now has these Koni’s high on his shopping list.

Steve - thanks a lot. I couldn’t be happier with the ride :)
Click to expand...
Nice one . !!
 
Stay Frosty said:
Have to say I'm still happy with the B14s on my T28 camper.
Possibly because I've not tried to use them to make the van look aired out but have them set mid range with modest 18" wheels on 255 45 tyres plus fatter ARBs. With this combination the van feels very flat on bends and predictably responsive to steering input rather than the reactive seesawing input caused when using the crashy stock suspension.
Like a good many T6 owners I want a comfortable ride but am happy to trade that off against a sportier ride and carry any hard won speed through the Twisties.
Click to expand...
There is no doubt the B14 enjoyed a lot of popularity from about 6 or 7 years ago until recently , in my opinion if the people selling that kit understood the market and the kits capabilities better they wouldn't have had so many problems. ., Generally the heavier vans struggle and that is where they have seen a lot of springs breaking. and shocks failing. The market has matured now thanks to lots of alternative products that give better results , more reliability and similar money . Many of the big hitters selling this kit are selling other equipment along side now . Hopefully they know where and when to apply the products and avoid problems ?? The introduction of the Comfort kit solved some issues but not all from what i have seen on this forum ? ,
 
I can only relate my experience with Bilstein B14s installed on my T28 camper conversion and that has been entirely positive.
It's true that there are undoubtedly a lot more alternative coilover kits available for the T6 at various price points and undoubtedly it would be an unhealthy market place if the only alternative to VWs truck suspension was the B14 but with most kits trading on either catering for those wanting a 100mm drop or those wanting a plush ride the B14 comes across as the Adidas Samba of the trainers world with a compromise between comfort and agility.
I have no affiliation with Bilstein but see them as a company still involved in the sportier side of the automotive world and am happy with their version of what VW couldn't provide.
 
Stay Frosty said:
I can only relate my experience with Bilstein B14s installed on my T28 camper conversion and that has been entirely positive.
It's true that there are undoubtedly a lot more alternative coilover kits available for the T6 at various price points and undoubtedly it would be an unhealthy market place if the only alternative to VWs truck suspension was the B14 but with most kits trading on either catering for those wanting a 100mm drop or those wanting a plush ride the B14 comes across as the Adidas Samba of the trainers world with a compromise between comfort and agility.
I have no affiliation with Bilstein but see them as a company still involved in the sportier side of the automotive world and am happy with their version of what VW couldn't provide.
Click to expand...
VW do offer a coil over kit in the showrooms and have done for some time
Pros and cons

Pros ;- based on the KW V1 kit with Eibach springs.
adjusts 35 to 65 mm.
Has rear springs that cope very well in campers .
It is a proper coil over strut in Stainless Steel , not a cheaper sleeve over conversion .
Handling and comfort are first class .
It has Camber adjustment on the T 32
It proves that VW are happy with sensible drops on coil-overs ( 65 mm )

Cons :- it sells for £1700.00 and we do the same kit for £1195.00

There has never been a TUV approved kit that can do 100 mm it will never pass the strict tests they do in Germany . UK doesn't recognize TUV so there are companies In UK who build kits that do 100 mm plus but they can t legally sell them in Europe . You will find some van owners who have been refused entry into some countries because their vans were too low .
If the B 14 kit was actually engineered and produced by Bilstein it would be a much better offering in my technical opinion.
 
Last edited:
I'll be honest I bought my B14s through a third party reseller/ installer so didn't even think to look on Bilsteins main site, however maybe the B14 has been dropped from production as far as the Transporter is concerned?
Either way maybe I'm that elusive customer, still happy with the now two year old B14s under his van.
 
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