Raise Ride Height, or not?

[ginkster]

I’m considering raising the ride height of my camper while it is in having its service tomorrow, but wondered what the views/experience of the Collective would be first?

Current setup is Koni/H&R coilovers and ARBs (fitted by CRS a couple of years ago) with wheel centre to arch measurement of approx 380mm all round running on 18” wheels. I’m trying to get a slightly more compliant ride, a bit more ground clearance and to even up the gap around the wheel. Raising by 25-30mm (to approximately 410mm centre-centre) would sort clearance and even the gap but what about the ride? Should I be aiming for equal measurements front and back or slightly larger centre-centre at the rear?

Also, any thoughts on adjusting the damping to account for the slightly higher ride height?

Pic of current setup:



Ta.

 

[Kind of Blue]

I have used KONI Adjustable dampers an quite few vehicles over even more years. I always adjusted the damping to find what best suited the vehicle the way it was driven over all sort of road conditions an off road for those vehicles that where Off Road Types. I never settles on the very softest setting and usually accepted a 360Deg turn or two half turns. The front McPherson Struts are always the easiest to adjust and on one car I had McPherson's front and rear, perfect for experimentation. The rears as in the T6 require detachment. i have not fitted them to our T6 as yet but usually with a bit of practice one can just release one end collapse the damper to locate the internal adjustment screw and turn 180Deg ata time for testing. A bit of a pain but one gets quite fast at it. I am getting a little too long in the tooth these days to be squawking around in the mud but it is worth it to find the most satisfactory setting. I never reached the extremely hard maxim partially because it need quite some pushing and pulling to even collapse or extend the at near max damping rate. The other reason is that one soon learns hat is best because too hard and the suspension becomes skittish on damp slippery roads when driving quickly so one half turn less usually restores maximum grip and handling. I believe that all of my vehicles require two half turns , or 360 deg for best results for all weathers and road conditions.

Longer correctly weighted springs are bound to offer benefits as also would smaller rims with deeper fatter tyres.

 

[Sasquatch]

Raise it up! Swamper that baby!

 

[ginkster]

I have used KONI Adjustable dampers an quite few vehicles over even more years. I always adjusted the damping to find what best suited the vehicle the way it was driven over all sort of road conditions an off road for those vehicles that where Off Road Types. I never settles on the very softest setting and usually accepted a 360Deg turn or two half turns. The front McPherson Struts are always the easiest to adjust and on one car I had McPherson's front and rear, perfect for experimentation. The rears as in the T6 require detachment. i have not fitted them to our T6 as yet but usually with a bit of practice one can just release one end collapse the damper to locate the internal adjustment screw and turn 180Deg ata time for testing. A bit of a pain but one gets quite fast at it. I am getting a little too long in the tooth these days to be squawking around in the mud but it is worth it to find the most satisfactory setting. I never reached the extremely hard maxim partially because it need quite some pushing and pulling to even collapse or extend the at near max damping rate. The other reason is that one soon learns hat is best because too hard and the suspension becomes skittish on damp slippery roads when driving quickly so one half turn less usually restores maximum grip and handling. I believe that all of my vehicles require two half turns , or 360 deg for best results for all weathers and road conditions.

Longer correctly weighted springs are bound to offer benefits as also would smaller rims with deeper fatter tyres.

Thanks. Pretty certain that the damping is one turn from soft at the moment and will probably keep it that way given the rear is awkward to change. I’m certainly not going to attempt it on the drive!

 

[ginkster]

Raise it up! Swamper that baby!

Tempting! Not happening in the near term though as not forking out for new wheels, tyres and suspension again!! Next van maybe.

 

[Richard T6.1]

Here's my T30 on 255/45-18 with Twin Monotube Project coilovers based around adjustable Koni's. Wheel centre > arch it measures 400 - 410mm F&R. Standard ARBs. It took a few steps to dial in the correct spring preload and matching damping but the comfort, steering etc. is amazing now. A different universe from stock.


(yes, it has black wheel bolts now... )

While I personally don't 'get' the whole Swamper thing, I think it's worth keeping in mind that - everything being equal - lifting the van will not help its steering & roadholding on tarmac. Simple laws of physics, no way to get around it. Imo it depends on where your priorities are. The eyes(...), daily driving on paved roads, an occasional dirt road/camping ground or more serious off road stuff. There's no setup that does it all equally well.

 

[Kind of Blue]

gingster only yo can decide to raise the suspension or not. It appears that you have a number of reasons for doing so. The most important in my book is clearance and avoidance from damage through bumps and scraps from underneath contact. That is an issue that I have also due from where I live and the use that I intend or do put the vehicle through. My preferred choice would to have easily adjusted height clearance most commonly provided by air. There are a number of providers. In the past only one provider or installer that used KONI a German company that specialises in Off Road enhancement

SEIKEL ProAir – The first air suspension system from our company - Seikel

The SEIKEL ProAir pneumatic suspension provides your Volkswagen Transporter with up to 28 cm of ground clearance (with correspondingly large tires).

www.seikel.de

Not sure if they still do air or even use KONI. The Seikel package was extremely neat having most of the paraphernalia housed in an aluminium box that resides in the underneath spare wheel well. Seikel do some very good stuf that us unfortunately a little expensive but very well engineered and always has TUV approval which is why it is probably a little expensive but this means quality and assured safety. I have spoke in the past to the main guy but his English very poor and my German even non existent. At least my Daughter has a god O level in German and Wife speaks it quite well despite her protestations I have heard her rabbit on with German friends but then she is or was fluent in French so perhaps here standards are exceptionally high. I should have asked the Mrs but the majority of Germans I have met speak better English than I do.

I do not know if any air supension guys use KONI. CRS Performance has suggested a KW set up which does not use air at all but Hydraulic actuaters that can lift at any time even at speed. From what I have seen KW use a verierty of well made dampers with a verierty of adjustements. Rebound, Reboud and Bump adjustments and so on. Not sure one would have to ask CRS or look at the KW Web site. I do not know if the lift system could be used with your own KONI Dampsers. The lift is not huge on its own but it might be all that is required for your needs. Perhaps you only require one height or lift and then it may be just be longer springs only, again talk with CRS Performance. I only mentioned the KW Hydralic lift in case you where happy as it is except for the occasional situation and theen that might work for you. If you need lift then just go ahead with Steve.



I am interested in adjustable lift but do not see current air suppliers as suitable for my needs. I do not like Bilsteine, full stop and that appears to be the damper of choice by air supplier fitters. So the KW way with hydralic lift could be something that tempts me away from KONI as KW provide damping adjustments. I do not see however from the KW supension site anything that taks about lift bt mainly drop by touch of aswitch I am wondering if the other way around is possible and for greater lift.