sam in franceHi this is my first post, great site
I have 2 vehicles the first being a Mk4 Golf 4 motion, year 2000, 1.9tdi, I want to raise the height of the vehicle she strugles a bit in the snow, if not i do need some new shocks front and rear and i am looking for a package, but i cant lower the height
My other vehicle is a VW T4 2.5 syncro, year 2002, We use this van for taking care of all our customers at our ski chalet in the French Alps
I also want to raise the height of this vehicle
I would appreciate any advice
Thanks
Sam
ld50Diamond Hell, over to you..
Chris SYou took the words right out of my mouth! [^]
no such userThe simple solution is probably to pick up the phone and speak to the guys at http://www.seikel.de/de/index.php .
The T4 kit is excellent – I have it on my bus and it gives a welcome increase in height. You could also look into fitting 4×4-type tyres (AT closed pattern tread would suit your requirements). These would give you a lift just from the tyre height, but might blunt the performance a little. Is it a TDI or 2.5 petroL? The front of the T4 is on torsion bars, so they simply wind up on nuts underneath. The Seikel T4 kit also includes re-valved Seikel-specific Bilstein dampers – they improved the ride on my ’98 bus quite a lot. Although it sits higher the ride is no ‘mushier’ and there’s no noticeable degradation in handling – VW vans have a nice low centre of gravity anyway.
The Golf might be a bit tougher, as it may be a novel request. Speak with Seikel though – it may not be the first time they’ve had the request and they may have a solution on the shelf!
sam in franceHi Diamond Hell
Thanks for the reply, i have seen the seikel site, its a shame they dont do it in English
They seem to be a bit pricey, at the moment i am looking for a different set of springs for the back and will get onto the shocks later
Are there different standard springs for the T4, is there a heavy duty set, are the long wheel base one the same as short, anybody out there got the answers
I was aware of the torsion bars on the front
I have also bought a set of 16″ wheels which should help
Mine is the 102 bhp diesel
Regards
Sam
no such userWell you shouldn’t have any problem pushing the bigger tyres about with the big TDI motor, but be aware that they’ll put your speedo out a bit. The Seikel kit seems pricey but it’s very well thought out and includes stuff like the spacers you need to put on the diff at the back to drop it slightly. If you don’t do this then your van will lift the inside wheel on corners as the CV joints will run out of travel and restrict the wheel travel. Running them like this would also make them wear faster as they’re at the end of their travel more.
The Seikel springs are progressive and also reduce in diameter at the end. There are King Springs available to lift your van, but as I understand it they give quite a harsh ride. You would also have to make up the diff-mount spacers on your own. Although the T4 kit seems pricey it’s a proper complete solution, not just a pair of springs. I was a bit hesitant about buying it, but I’m glad I did. I know that the knowledge about the diff has improved the handling of at least one person on King springs, too.
There are different springs for the T4 – heavy duty ones up to 1200kg load (vs 800kg standard), but I don’t think they’ll lift your ride height significantly. The Seikel kit also includes 15mm spacers, too.
To get an idea about the Seikel site run it through Babel Fish at Altavista.com or your favourite translation engine.
Chris S