Aren't Koni involved with the Seikel 30mm lift kit? I was reading about the FSD technology and quite impressed. Seems to work like a cheaper and mechanical version of a pressure air system.
 
View attachment 50285 I had B14s fitted a month after driving with stock suspension.
I would argue the ride is far better than standard, plus handles way better, however I’m not wound all the way down as the van is used for fishing mostly, so navigating rutted tracks would be a nightmare with the van to slammed.
Done nearly 20k in the first year and love em.
Arbs next for me.
That does look pretty good! So how far off the bottom are your b14s?
 
I guess I’ve got approximately 35 mm on the back and 25 on the front.
@CRS Performance ...you used the term “fender” on a previous post, are you South African or American?
 
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this before on this thread, but have B6 or B8 or the new Bilstien green shocks been considered?
 
Aren't Koni involved with the Seikel 30mm lift kit? I was reading about the FSD technology and quite impressed. Seems to work like a cheaper and mechanical version of a pressure air system.
Siekel do source a lot of their dampers from KONI for their lift kits . The Amarok has a Raid damper from KONI which is a very serious piece of kit .
I looked under the Seikel vehicles at Bus fest and didn't see much , unless they have the koni painted Black and de badged
Not sure on the T 5 T 6 what Seikel offer to be honest . but can confirm they use KONI
 
I have been lowering cars for 30 years and a vehicle that low simply cant be as comfy as standard , there simply isnt any shock travel left for the suspension to work. Also if you go lower than the pic ( you said its not all the way down ) how can the front wheels steer with out hitting the fenders ?
I wont dispute that everyone has different opinions on comfort but being in the industry for 30 years and listening to thousands of car owners complain about 30 and 40 mm drops i want potential buyers to be aware of the results of excessive lowering. Poor tyre wear , broken drive shafts , excessive suspension component failure .
Those kind of drops simply arent for everyone

The van looks fab however and i fully understand why people do it ,.
Hi, I've had the Bilstein SoLow kit from Transporter HQ installed for this very reason. Although the kit is intended for 'slamming', I've had it set at its highest setting to give plenty of spring/shock for comfort. Drives fantastic (compared to stock), looks great and not a hard drive at all (i.e. its comfy!!).


Still need to fine adjust once the van interior is fitted and there's more weight in the back.

Very happy so far
 
I guess I’ve got approximately 35 mm on the back and 25 on the front.
@CRS Performance ...you used the term “fender” on a previous post, are you South African or American?
Well spotted I lived in South Africa for 34 years and own one of the biggest sport suspension companies in the region , VW Motor sport is one of my clients there and talking to the tech guys at the factory in Uitenhage has helped me understand their vehicles and get the right solutions for my customers .
 
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this before on this thread, but have B6 or B8 or the new Bilstien green shocks been considered?
I was always under the impression that the Green Bilstein shocks were for classic applications , the B6 and B8 shocks are YELLOW I think they are both MONO tube hi pressure gas dampers but the B 8 is slightly shorter . Owners with springs only and standard shocks would benefit greatly from the fitting of these shocks to improve ride and handling . Due to the hi pressure Gas however the KONI equivalent would still be more comfortable .
 
Aren't Koni involved with the Seikel 30mm lift kit? I was reading about the FSD technology and quite impressed. Seems to work like a cheaper and mechanical version of a pressure air system.
The FSD technology is more expensive than conventional Performance shocks and vehicles like McLaren, Lamborghini , Aston Martin to name a few manufacturers, benefit from it . Gas pressure isn't important but the shock senses hi speed shaft movements ( bumpy roads ) and diverts the flow of oil through softer valves within the piston Valve to optimise comfort .
 
I always believe that if you buy quality , you buy it once but if you buy crap, you will buy it forever!
I have seen a few of these cheap kits break at the top of the shaft where it bolts into the top mount , If this happens at speed you don't need to worry about buying another Kit as the van will be on the scrap yard , with a broken top pin the steering becomes an unused accessory . Just a gentle word of warning .
 
Well spotted I lived in South Africa for 34 years and own one of the biggest sport suspension companies in the region , VW Motor sport is one of my clients there and talking to the tech guys at the factory in Uitenhage has helped me understand their vehicles and get the right solutions for my customers .

That makes total sense, I was married to a Saffa for 10 years.
She was a self opinionated effin know it all as well :sneaky::whistle:
 
When lowering, is it the norm to slacken trailing arm / wishbone bolts so the metalastic bushes settle to their new ‘normal’ position? Or are they just left with a bit of permanent twist as the suspension settles to its new lower position?

The latter is not ideal and goes against what I’ve done previously setting up cars. I’ve not seen it mentioned in any posts.

Ian
 
i have a T32 4motion Kombi that’s coming up to 3 years old. From new I had the dealer fit OEM 30mm lowering springs and aftermarket 18” alloys. It looks OK but it pretty crashy of poor surfaces, and it’s higher at the back because I never have much weight in it

There have been lots of mentions about Bilstein B14 conversions making a big difference so I’m interested in doing the conversion but I want to understand why they work. Surely they are still springs of a certain length, I guess with more sophisticated damping, so do they really make a big difference and if so, how do they do it?
they include spring and damper, and work well together. So much more comfortable ride/handling than just lowering springs.
 
Hi guys, just had B14s fitted. Was getting a load banging noise from rear near side spring at low speed. Rubber inserts in swing arm are fine and was advised it is the coating on the spring causing noise. After reading a past thread, I've sprayed lithium grease on to spring where rubber coating is. Noise now gone, would you get spring changed under warranty ? Or do you think it will bed in ? Cheers
 
If you have a heavy Transporter the B 14 springs almost go coil bound on the rear , they aren't strong enough to cope with the heavier vans 4 x4 or LWB and converted vans . keep greasing it as changing the spring wont make a difference in my opinion .
 
Hi guys, just had B14s fitted. Was getting a load banging noise from rear near side spring at low speed. Rubber inserts in swing arm are fine and was advised it is the coating on the spring causing noise. After reading a past thread, I've sprayed lithium grease on to spring where rubber coating is. Noise now gone, would you get spring changed under warranty ? Or do you think it will bed in ? Cheers

Hi, I had this issue when I fitted my b14’s. I used my existing bottom rubbers on the springs and even though they still looked in good condition ( the van had only done 10k ) they were the cause of my squeaking. Once I replaced them, no more issues.

Also check that the height adjuster is mounted on top of the spring and not at the bottom.

Third thing to check is that the spring and bottom rubber are seated together and then seated in the recess in the swinging arm.

Your best bet is to go to Vw and buy and two bottom rubbers at about £4.50 a side, replace them and check that all is seated correctly as I doubt very much it is the spring.
 
It's a T32 SWB kombi kid carrier, no load as such. Been to VW & they say the rubbers are fine, they said it's the coating on the spring causing the noise. But from your experience I will fit some new rubbers any way. Adjusters are in correct position. Thanks for your help.
 
Back
Top