Jean Clyde Dam Van/ 92 Safari challenge starter kit

It's beginning to look the part. Nice

Indy-Barely Functional-Guy said:

It's beginning to look the part. Nice

That's the good side.  Rear fender arch,  slider, and after portion of front fender have damage from PO sliding into guard rail. All in due time however. 

Those look like the exact same spacers I used on my 5x5 Roadmaster to adapt those exact same wheels. It's gonna look damn good low.

Another ode to spring update. Before I put JCDV up for the winter I swapped in a used 700r4. Unfortunately it was not perfect. Before I kill myself pulling it I'm trying a bit of mechanic in a bottle trans fix. Fingers crossed.

Sawblade all the rims!

Still need to do the axle flip and front lowering springs.

In for the Sawblades! Yes!

Rear axle is out, all bearings being replaced by a friend who has done it before. Ready to add the flip kit. Got new KYBs for lowered van. Need to replace a brake line on passenger side. Had to cut lower shock bolts to get them off. Here's hoping the rear shackle comes off easily enough to install the kit shackles. Pics to come. Then I'll have to install the front drop springs and get it aligned. BTW, have I mentioned how much I love starting this van? Get in, one pump, turn the key, fwaroom. Sounds so nice. Will sound better once the side exhaust is done to my liking. Current set-up is just for getting up and running. I'm thinking Lake pipes.

For comparison:

Im in lust 

I drove my first Astro/Safari back in 86; my dad bought it new. Loved 'em ever since, and have had several. Love the blue lowered on the sawblades!

03Panther said:

I drove my first Astro/Safari back in 86; my dad bought it new. Loved 'em ever since, and have had several. Love the blue lowered on the sawblades!

I'm happy with the Sawblades' fit. 9.5 inches wide in back. 8.5 up front. Concerned about the intended drop in front and clearance.

Since the last post:

had to move axle back because the driveshaft was hitting/ bottoming out. The driver side still needs another half inch of movement to the rear as the wheelbase is off side to side.

Installed the rebuilt 700r4. Much nicer shifting. After a bit of run in I'll drop the pan and replace the break-in trans fluid and filter.

To get the speedometer working for inspection I pulled the tail shaft housing and removed the drive gear from the tailshaft. Unfortunately I could have done this with both trans on the ground but planning did not work out that well. I pulled the reluctor ring off the original tailshaft. After heating it up with MAP gas torch I tapped it into place with a homemade tool. One of the joints from a metal tent pole! Yippee, I now have a working speedometer and the van passed inspection.

Next up is a good cleaning.

Then front lowering springs.

Grant steering wheel install.

Organize the inside for track day living.

Here it is waiting to get inspected next to a distant relative. Who wore it better?

So since I lowered it via a flip kit and I want to tow my scirocco with it should I put air shocks in the rear?

In reply to vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) :

I would. Or load bags.

Did you shorten the bumpstops or c notch it?

Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) :

I would. Or load bags.

Did you shorten the bumpstops or c notch it?

No bump stops. No C notch. Currently does not hit unloaded. Assume that will change under load.

I've used air shocks, or load bags along the way.  I never had any problems from air shocks, but I know folks that have. Load bags are the better setup, I feel. 

03Panther said:

I've used air shocks, or load bags along the way.  I never had any problems from air shocks, but I know folks that have. Load bags are the better setup, I feel. 

 

Can you link to what they'd look like or do I just Google load bags? Any issues with load bags you can think I might have since I lowered it?

https://www.suspensionconnection.com/59111-slam-air.html

With my flip kit truck i just mounted to spring directly in front of axle pad instead of top of axle as reccomended. 

I also wouldn't but a kit again,  instead rolling my own.

In reply to vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) :

Air Lift Load Control

That's the kit I went with on my wife's truck. I picked the 2000 lb. over the 5000, since no drill install; the 5000 would have been no harder on hers!

As db13 mentioned, get generic instructions to look at, and roll your own! The smaller diameter 2000 lb bags would probably be all you need, but no negative to the 5000, that I could see. 
e trailer (I've ordered a lot from them- great service) does not even list bags for the older Astro s now! Just the chunks of rubber. Probably ok for helper springs, but I like the adjustability of air

I know people that have damaged shock mounts with air shocks, but they did me good with my 92 Astro, (stock otherwise) towing a bunch of different stuff. 
A bit rough aired up empty, and sucky dampening, and worse dampening with low pressure - but I didn't care... not a sports car! And it was the easy button

i think you would like air bag helper springs better, but the easy button is cheap, too!

https://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=70617
I looked at other link... nice kit for lowered. But be aware that 92 still had the fiberglass mono leaf springs ( I think they rode better, btw, and was happy with them) and the mounting plate/u-bolts were different, when the went to multi pack steel springs for the Gen 2's. (96 and up. Some 95's)

As he said, make your own kit up. 

I don't think I can put bags on the mono leafs safely. When you guys talk of rollin my own you mean just mix and match what's needed?

Pretty much. 

And forgot about the fiberglass monoleafs. Id mount the bottom of the  bag to the top of the axle in your case, not the leaf itself like i did. 

Most kits ive seen are setup that way anyway, but....

Been driving and working the van a bit to find weak points. The monoleafs have to go. I can't reliably get the axle to stay in place. There's a rubber pad around the spring that should have a bump in it that matches the hole in the spring plate, but one is completely gone and the other is starting to shear. So I'm biting the bullet and getting a steel spring replacement kit that allows me to use the forward spring mount from the mono leafs. The metal springs should allow me to more reliably keep the axle in place on the spring plate. I should then be able to put bag helpers on those springs as some have suggested. No pics right now.