VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.
General Information => General => Topic started by: ORCoaster on May 25, 2012, 02:35:38 pm
-
Was there not a topic here about raising the VW Rabbit rear with the use of some pipe couplers and some C Clamps. All my searches come back with no meaningful results. Maybe it was a VW Caddy but the deal was that it was easy, quick, cheap and worked.
That is what I want. Have 13 gallons of Veg oil hanging back over the axle now and she looks like a dog taking care of business. Not the look I or anyone would like. Well, maybe the dog would.
Let me know if this jars anyones memory. Thanks. DAS
-
IIRC there was a thread on the "other" forum. There are many options: flip the pertch is how I raised mine, Get a pipe coupler that will fit over the shock and add another pertch. Cut the pipe coupler and add exhaust clamps to hold it together.
-
Not sure if it's any help, but I searched and found this thread: http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=2946.0
-
cargo coils made by moog... just do it right.. i had a set on my bunny i ran thru high school.. could fill the trunk with crap, back seat with people and head to the beach all weekend.. man i miss $0.82/gal diesel..
-
Thanks guys. Theman, I think it was on that other place that I saw it now that I read your hint. Coming from the source I think. That is what was confusing me.
I will look into a few of these solutions but not this weekend. Wife is asking when the remodel work starts up again. Company is coming and we need the spare room up and running she tells me.
Dang and the car needs an oil change too. Always something.
Again all super good suggestions. DAS
-
http://www.vwdieselparts.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=10837&hilit=lift+rabbit
-
Libby that be the one man. Thanks a bunch. Going out tomorrow for a couple clamps and pipe couplers.
Odd how the brain works/doesn't work on this sort of thing.
-
How low is the front? You could just drop the front more to balance it out no?
-
No lowering on this car please. I have enough trouble with the raised center of the highways i drive. Stupid Idea those studded tires. And the rail road crossings are nothing short of raised rails in some places. I sneak across on a diagonal for fear of ripping the front spoiler off. Several places along my route the state highway drops several inches. My front shocks hammer tight on those places. Yes Oregon has nice clean uncrowded beaches, come see. Just be sure to bring some extra money for a front end alignment.
Which is badly needed on my car now thanks to the recent pophole in the neighborhood catching me off guard in the middle of the turn.
Bought the couplers and muffler clamps today. Should be sawing them up now but have a speedometer on the bench with the drill set up on it. Needed to wrap it back 60,000 to match the one in my car. Finally going to have a working speedometer.
-
how come nobody has touched on using mk2, or passat springs?
-
Maybe because we don't know about their use. How much lift might they add? 1 or 3 inches? Or none and they just handle the load better and don't sag like the Rabbit does under moderate load. Say 150 lbs.
-
pretty sure you can use mk2 springs (think someone installed B3 passat wagon springs in a rabbit one time)
to lift the back of your rabbit, and thats without ghetto-fabbing stuff..
you use all OEM parts..
-
Well, I was able to get the shock and spring combo out of the car without hassles. But I came across a problem with inserting the extra 2 inches of metal below the spring keeper. How do you compress the spring enough to get the sleeve and nut back on the top of the shock without a spring compressor? I tried a couple of my largest Vice Grips but that was not enough to do the job.
Any other way? I have to work, and drink alone most times so getting the nut on while pushing down on the top of the spring seemed to much to handle. I only need a couple threads to get things started and the wrench will take care of the rest. Just seems a compressor will make this all that much easier. Might not need to remove from car if I can squeeze the springs tight enough to free up the lower plate and slip the two halves along side the shock.
What do you think?
DAS
-
I have no clue as I never did this mod, but could you put them back on the car and lower it slowly???
-
Do parts stores around you have a tool lending program? Basically, you buy the tool and when you return it you're given a full refund.
-Todd
-
had the coupler c clamp thing on my mk2 jetta for over 8 months is works great. idk about rabbit springz but I had to use a spring compresser to get it back together. I think I'm gonna take them off and shorten the couplers about an inch or so because the only way my car rides good is when I have weight in the back other wise it rides like it has a straight pipe in place of the shock and spring.
-
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b75/bendover817/2011-11-02175006.jpg)
-
ToddA1, Yes I do have access to some O'Rielly's here on the coast and up in Portland. I just was hoping to slide under the car last night, Yank the spring/shock combo, and do this in like 30 minutes. Well, it was getting dark out.
SO it was more of a crap I can't do this moment.
I will continue to get the right tools or springs for the job, I have a spare weekend coming in the Portland area and they might just have some other options at the pick and pull.
Thanks for the shots. DAS
-
If you are doing this on a mk2 or mk3 all you need is 2 hockey pucks. Drill out the center so it fits around the shock and put it on the shock on top of the perch and then put the spring on top of that.
It won't work on a mk1 because the spring diameter at the bottom is too large.
The car I did this on has been running for at least 2 years now as a delivery vehicle so it gets a lot of miles.
-
I absolutely agree with springs not spacers! any type of spacer that is not riding in the stoke area of the shock is going to have a bad affect on ride, you are going to be hitting your bumpstops if you are carrying more weight, while a stiffer spring would put your shocks back in the appropriate area of their stroke, so you will still feel the same ammount of travel before hitting your bump stops, assuming yours are still on there!
-
If you are doing this on a mk2 or mk3 all you need is 2 hockey pucks. Drill out the center so it fits around the shock and put it on the shock on top of the perch and then put the spring on top of that.
It won't work on a mk1 because the spring diameter at the bottom is too large.
The car I did this on has been running for at least 2 years now as a delivery vehicle so it gets a lot of miles.
I just might have to try this out. how is the ride of it? how much weight have you loaded it with?
-
http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=3698.0 (http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=3698.0)
-
Unloaded the ride was pretty harsh but I was using mk3 VR6 springs and shocks in a mostly stripped mk2 Golf. I think I had mk3 2.0 springs in the front. When I had a load it was much better. I regularly towed a trailer or hauled an engine in the car. Usually the engine rode shotgun with the seat removed but that wasn't always the case. I think it would be a lot better with the stock springs. Now that the springs are a lot older, and the guts of the car are put back in it, it's not bad, still stiff though.
-
Got it up and will test the ride back to Portland this afternoon. Seems to have picked it up more than I thought but so far it is still unloaded. We will have to see when all the "necessary stuff" gets inside.
-
Unloaded the ride was pretty harsh but I was using mk3 VR6 springs and shocks in a mostly stripped mk2 Golf. I think I had mk3 2.0 springs in the front. When I had a load it was much better. I regularly towed a trailer or hauled an engine in the car. Usually the engine rode shotgun with the seat removed but that wasn't always the case. I think it would be a lot better with the stock springs. Now that the springs are a lot older, and the guts of the car are put back in it, it's not bad, still stiff though.
would you suggest mk3 springs for the back of a mk2 that often tows?
ive got ~150#s of stereo/tools in the back of my GTI at all times, and i often tow a trailer with it as well.. i have stock GTI springs in the rear, and cut stocks in the front. i use my car as a truck..
ive been wondering if mk3 2.0/VR springs would be better than whats there now? ive got a full interior, haul passengers, and often times as big of a load as the car is..
the guy at the scrap yard was pretty shocked when i rolled up on the scales @ 4700#s... 8v power baby!
(car is 2400#s with me, full of gas, empty trailer)
-
R.O.R. That is nearly a ton of crap you were hauling. 8V or not I would seriously be more concerned with stopping than going.
Car did well on the ride. Once full load it still had pretty much 3 inches of air between the top of the tire and the bottom edge of the fender. I could pass 3 fingers between them. This is with the 155 80 13's so I think it will be different when I go to the winter tires and jump it up to the 165 70R 14s they were the ones rubbing last winter fully loaded with 1200 lbs of stuff in the car.
Yeah I use mine like a truck too. Get that back seat the heck out of there.
What good is it anyway? Can't drive from back there.
Now to fix the air leak on the WVO side. Kind of low powered on the long hills sucking all that air into the pump.
-
would you suggest mk3 springs for the back of a mk2 that often tows?
With that much weight you might even want to look at Passat wagon springs. :o
I never compared new springs to new springs. Everything I owned had billions of miles on them already so an accurate comparison is not something I've done.
-
i dont roll that heavy often.. just that i HAVE done it, and it stopped fine. you just had to anticipate stops..
-
Yeah, out in the boon toolies you can plan for that. I wouldn't try it here in Portlandia.
-
Decided to down load the phone tonight and remembered about finishing this off.
A bit more lift than expected
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/WVO%20Build/LiftingRearEnd4.jpg)
Oh, Jackstands and such need to come out of there.
So on the level it was still kind of high. But this was to be able to load heavy and not have to worry on it. Plus I run taller 14 inch tires in place of these 13's come winter.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/WVO%20Build/LiftingRearEnd2.jpg)
Could not really show the daylight in the shadow of the wheel well.
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/WVO%20Build/LiftingRearEnd1.jpg)
And the actual lift mechanism?
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j475/Orcoaster/WVO%20Build/LiftingRearEnd9.jpg)
OK All Done for now. DAS