Hi all,

Just posting on the offchance that someone with 2.5 inch dropped spindles (that is the max drop I can go to) wants to return to stock.

I have stock spindles on my bus and was wondering if anyone wants to swap their 2.5 inch dropped spindles for my stock ones (with some cash on top from my end I would suspect), or does anyone have any they would like to sell.

Thanks

Dropped spindles are just the one size bud, 3.5" - so you`re not going to be in luck with your search I`m afraid. If you want to drop 2.5 inches then you have two choices :

1) lower the bus using axle beam adjusters
2) lower the bus using dropped spindles and then raise the bus back up 1" using beam adjusters.

3) lower on dropped spindles and raise on coilover shocks.

I have CB Performance beam (I think!) - it's on adjusters - I had the ride height just nice - about 1.5 inches of tyre clearance with 186/65/15 tyres on, but the ride is a bit hard.

I have wound the adjusters as far down (i.e. bus up!) as they will go & the ride is nicer, but I have only managed to get the bus up about 2 inches.

I do not want to go slam tyres as the ride was too hard on my last bus, so was thinking of 165/65x15's to still give me some 'suspension' in the tyres - this will give me another half inch, so I've only got about 2.5 inches to spare.

Putting 3.5inch drop spindles on will mean that I have less than 1 inch tyre clearance even with the smaller tyres on.

I assume coilover shocks will make the ride harder as the suspension movement will have to overcome the resistance of both the coilovers & the torsion leaves.

I have coilovers (gaz shocks) and the ride is awesome

i have the damper on the softest setting and fitted some 130lbs springs…VERY comfy
if you fit coil overs, your wasting your money on drop spindles…totally pointless, just lower it all the way on the adjusters, then use the coil over to lift it back up

its an inaccurate assumption that a coil over in a leaved beam will fight against the leaves…have you seen how much the wheel drops when you jack the front end, thats the leaves un tensioning…unless you raising it 4 inches plus on the coil overs, your NEVER going to be fighting the leaves the opposite way

I can only go on my experience, but my Gaz shock coil over front end (with leaves still fitted) is WAY better drive than stock, drop spindles or airshocks…just fit a nice soft spring on the front…130-150lbs

so…yeah, to summarise…drop it 3-3.5' on the adjusters, then lift an inch on the coilers

Thanks - didn't mean to suggest that the coilovers are fighting AGAINST the torsion leaves, but surely the coilovers will be working WITH the torsion leaves, adding further suspension, so surely making the ride harder?

So, imagine going over a raised bump - with just torsion leaves, the weight of the bus will be pushing down on the front of the bus, trying to twist the torsion leaves, hence the OEM suspension effect - with coilovers as well, surely the weight of the bus will still be doing the same thing to the torsion leaves, but also trying to compress the coil as well, hence two forces acting against the weight of the bus, the upward force exerted by the coil & also the twisting force exerted by the torsion leaves?

Feels like I am getting a bit carried away here with Newton's Laws of Motion! But am I missing something?

Thanks

Yes, having the coilovers increases the total spring strength within the suspension, so a firmer ride, BUT the more the bus is raised, the closer the arms get to being back at factory angles, so the ride quality improves.

So the end result will be governed by how low you are.

And a 3.5" drop on adjusters then raised with coilovers will always be firmer than dropped spindles and coilovers, given the same final ride height and same shocks .

I didn`t want to give the coilovers as an option as I`ve never been convinced that using the stock dampner mounting points to mount a sprung loaded/resisted shock absorber was a particularly good idea.To be honest I`m not really a fan and question the desirability of fitting a beam adjuster and having just one set of leaf springs take nearly all the load either...

So best advice is (after 20 years of messing about with these things... ) - Just go stock, you`ll get the coolest look, smoothest ride and save yourself a load of aggro. It`s a win,win,win