I did do a quick write up on the “where have you been today” thread. But here goes.
Van is a 2017 LWB 4Motion T32 on standard 17” Devonports.
It has a pop top roof and full camper conversion, but no rib style bed, just a light ply u-shaped seating arrangement in addition to the usual kitchen units.
I’ve had it since July and mainly driven round town. I do occasionally use it on my commute and 10miles each way of that is country roads.
The van is bouncy at the rear and very vague on the front. Steering inputs need to be made early as it feels like there is a delay.
The suspension is crashy, even bits of road where the surface tarmac is broken up bangs and feels pretty poor, but hey it’s a van and I’ve not had a van before and I can’t really compare it to my B6 S4 that I’ve had for 11years so I have no benchmark.
Anyway, over Xmas we went to visit the daughter in Newcastle and did a rather cheeky circuitous route. All country roads through Yorkshire, Northumberland and the East Coast.
I actually felt that the van was dangerous to drive. It wasn’t, but there was so little feedback through the wheel that going round a roundabout felt like you were floating and I couldn’t even tell if there was understeer or what. Similarly I had no confidence in driving at anywhere near the speed limit on the nationals.
Came home and decided that I immediately wanted new suspension.
I’ve been lurking so pretty much knew what I wanted. 50mm lower, not coil overs, and had already previously fancied the Koni set up from CRS.
Discussed over the phone, booked in, went down as soon as.
The level of service is great. Plenty of measuring and working out what I wanted. Fronts adjusted and then fitted, all put back together, back on the ground and it looked too low (sorry Steve). New measurements reveal my heavy beast has dropped 60mm in total.
The solution-remove it all and start again. Not a problem, no face pulling or sucking through teeth from Steve; just off, adjust, refit.
Rears fitted to make it sit correctly and job done.
I drove 90 miles down there purely using A and B roads to benchmark the suspension. And I was generally driving about 45mph as that’s how confident I feel putting it into bends, it’s so vague.
Anyway, the journey back. Wow (exact same route btw). Steering weight and feel is very nice, good feedback and it just feels planted.
There isn’t much body roll, there’s no crashing and bouncing-it just deals with bumps and potholes instantly and then they are gone.
Yes it’s a firmer ride, but it is much quieter and it’s so much more comfortable.
Was driving back in a national speed limit stretch where before I had been doing 45ish and as I came to a posted 50 I just had a quick look at the speedo to make sure I wasn’t too far above and I was doing 75. Crazy. It was so sure footed I’d just been enjoying the drive-oops.
Anyway got home and fast-forward to yesterday. Had to go and collect the Octavia from where it had been abandoned because of snow. I convinced Her Indoors to drive the van back over the moors (she normally refuses to drive the van).
Anyway I was putting my foot down round the bends and she was a permanent feature in my mirror, so much so that I slowed down because her speed in the van was worrying me.
Got home and she jumped out with a big smile “I love it, it drives and handles so well now” she then admitted that she avoided driving it previously because it’s vague handing scared her and she didn’t feel safe.
So I’m very pleased with the end result.
Thanks Steve.
Just as an additional bit of info, my van has done 99k and still on its original suspension and the front arb bushes were toast so I had them replaced with powerflex at the same time. That may have some bearing on how crap it was previously.
Before
After
And of course vandog went too
Van is a 2017 LWB 4Motion T32 on standard 17” Devonports.
It has a pop top roof and full camper conversion, but no rib style bed, just a light ply u-shaped seating arrangement in addition to the usual kitchen units.
I’ve had it since July and mainly driven round town. I do occasionally use it on my commute and 10miles each way of that is country roads.
The van is bouncy at the rear and very vague on the front. Steering inputs need to be made early as it feels like there is a delay.
The suspension is crashy, even bits of road where the surface tarmac is broken up bangs and feels pretty poor, but hey it’s a van and I’ve not had a van before and I can’t really compare it to my B6 S4 that I’ve had for 11years so I have no benchmark.
Anyway, over Xmas we went to visit the daughter in Newcastle and did a rather cheeky circuitous route. All country roads through Yorkshire, Northumberland and the East Coast.
I actually felt that the van was dangerous to drive. It wasn’t, but there was so little feedback through the wheel that going round a roundabout felt like you were floating and I couldn’t even tell if there was understeer or what. Similarly I had no confidence in driving at anywhere near the speed limit on the nationals.
Came home and decided that I immediately wanted new suspension.
I’ve been lurking so pretty much knew what I wanted. 50mm lower, not coil overs, and had already previously fancied the Koni set up from CRS.
Discussed over the phone, booked in, went down as soon as.
The level of service is great. Plenty of measuring and working out what I wanted. Fronts adjusted and then fitted, all put back together, back on the ground and it looked too low (sorry Steve). New measurements reveal my heavy beast has dropped 60mm in total.
The solution-remove it all and start again. Not a problem, no face pulling or sucking through teeth from Steve; just off, adjust, refit.
Rears fitted to make it sit correctly and job done.
I drove 90 miles down there purely using A and B roads to benchmark the suspension. And I was generally driving about 45mph as that’s how confident I feel putting it into bends, it’s so vague.
Anyway, the journey back. Wow (exact same route btw). Steering weight and feel is very nice, good feedback and it just feels planted.
There isn’t much body roll, there’s no crashing and bouncing-it just deals with bumps and potholes instantly and then they are gone.
Yes it’s a firmer ride, but it is much quieter and it’s so much more comfortable.
Was driving back in a national speed limit stretch where before I had been doing 45ish and as I came to a posted 50 I just had a quick look at the speedo to make sure I wasn’t too far above and I was doing 75. Crazy. It was so sure footed I’d just been enjoying the drive-oops.
Anyway got home and fast-forward to yesterday. Had to go and collect the Octavia from where it had been abandoned because of snow. I convinced Her Indoors to drive the van back over the moors (she normally refuses to drive the van).
Anyway I was putting my foot down round the bends and she was a permanent feature in my mirror, so much so that I slowed down because her speed in the van was worrying me.
Got home and she jumped out with a big smile “I love it, it drives and handles so well now” she then admitted that she avoided driving it previously because it’s vague handing scared her and she didn’t feel safe.
So I’m very pleased with the end result.
Thanks Steve.
Just as an additional bit of info, my van has done 99k and still on its original suspension and the front arb bushes were toast so I had them replaced with powerflex at the same time. That may have some bearing on how crap it was previously.
Before
After
And of course vandog went too
