Hi Andy
Yes a great idea and something I have been considering for a while .
Lets start with the things you can do and what to expect as a result
First step Fitting lowering springs . Pro's. a cheap and cheerful way to get a van to look better .
Cons , Ride isn't very good as the standard shocks struggle to cope with reduced travel .
Next step Fitting a comprehensive sport kit, Pro's A very complete kit offering great handling , comfort and sensible lowering levels.
Cons The lowering range is limited from standard height to 50 mm maximum
Then Fitting of a Height adjustable kit Pros Height adjustable kit allowing drops up to 70 - 80 mm Ride and handling good
Cons At the lower limits of the drop range the suspension naturally bottoms out sooner, can be harsh
Then Fitting of a Height and damping adjust kit , Pros . The ultimate kit allows height adjustment to get the desired look as well as damping adjustability to get the ride and control of bigger ( heavier ) wheels correct .
Cons Usually quite expensive
Then Fitting of Anti Roll bars Pros Big improvement in cornering stability . particularly in Camper conversions where the C O G has lifted
considerably
Cons Don't recommend as a first thing to do but very affective with any of the sport / Coil over shock kits
CRS offers the following products in the categories above.
1.H&R springs approx. £245.00 we often mix up the kits to offer the correct front and rear spring to suit customer needs ( mods and conversions , spec of the van all affect which spring we offer )
2.H&R springs as above but coupled with KONI damping adjustable shocks , this is simply the best kit you can buy if sensible drops are required , Maximum comfort , damping force adjust ability to tune the suspension for the vehicle and wheels fitted . £ 850.00 to £950.00 for these kits
3. We only offer a cheap height adjustable kit that is made in Germany . the range is 40 to 70 mm drops performance is what you would expect from a kit costing less than £500.00 fitted , but it has to be said much better result than fitting springs alone !!
4 We have our top of the range Coil over kit H&R / KONI that has height and damping adjust ability , we can adjust everything to get great results with this kit , and it has to be the market leader in this category . £1195 to £1295.00 incl vat
I think its also important to hi light many important points about suspension systems that many Van owners don't know ,
1 the lower you want to go the more money you need to spend to maintain comfort / handling Balance
2 Mono tube shocks were invented for racing they are by nature more harsh than Dual tube .
3 You don't have to compromise comfort for sporty good handling
4 Excessive drops can cause issues with wheel alignment, tyre wear , CV drive shafts . and general comfort .
5 Sensible drops of 30 , 40 , 50 mm will not give any issues other than comfort if standard shocks are used ,
6 Anti roll bars assist with Body roll only , there is no comfort gain from ARB 's
7 Quality sport shocks offer improved stability in corners as well as less pitch under braking which maximises brake efficiency
8 A sport kit is a set of sport lowering springs coupled to a sport shock absorber
8 A Coil over kit is a fully height adjustable suspension kit that can help set up the Rake angle of the car to maximise handling
9 A sleeve Over kit is a hybrid item that uses a sport shock but is converted to be able to height adjust.
10 Damping adjust ability , this is a feature usually included in a Quality shock absorber and it allows changes to be made to the stiffness of the shock , this means we can stiffen the chassis for better handling and we can also adjust the stiffness to control the additional weight of bigger wheels .
11 Height adjustable kits were invented to adjust height NOT to overcome additional weight by pre tensioning the spring ( this limits travel )
12 The rake of the car is the attitude that the vehicle attacks the road . a standard van rakes forward 40 mm approx ( measured on the sill between the wheels) , if conversions or incorrect lowering springs are fitted and this figure reduces and can affect the handling, steering feel , and induce under steer.
Part 2 to follow shortly