Please help my friend with his possible future vw purchase :)

[Graeme]

Relevant trivia...

Our very own TJM Products, the aftermarket offroad etc accessory manufacturer and supplier, sells the Seikel kits in Switzerland.

I suggested to their head office that this was an opportunity for their Australian operations. Their reply, from Michael Peters - not interested as not enough VW's are sold in Australia to make it worthwhile.

A bit disappointing as it wouldn't be overly hard for them to virtually duplicate the German offering with King Springs or whatever.

We can blame the Hiace, Vito etc buyers for their poor vehicle choice.

[Mischa]

i know you're a new car man but if you really just want the car for camping and touring then a diesel t4 van could be an option. sell it when you're done and it wont have depreciated through the roof?

[Graeme]

Seems like a good idea...

(1) if you have mechanical expertise to assess these. The UK Honest John website could be read as being a bit scary...

"What's Bad:

Built at van plant at Hanover to van standards, which is basically to run reliably to a high mileage in a short time. Paint and rustproofing not to car standards, though improved hugely after 1996 facelift.

VR6 is a heavy drinker.

Earlier non-TDI models were awful to drive.

TDI's timing belt drives water pump and, if water pump fails, so does belt. Injection distribution pump timing difficult and expensive to re-set when renewing timing belt.

What to Watch Out For:

When buying used, look for rust and paint defects. Best engine is the 5 cylinder 2.5 TDI, but remember it needs frequent expensive timing belt and tensioner replacements, and a new timing belt driven waterpump every 80,000 miles."

(2) if you sensibly want to avoid the truly apalling depreciation. Up spec Multivans are especially shocking.

(3) If you are not keen on maximising safety with lots of airbags, stability control etc etc.

[Seano]

I can only support the latter portion of your post.........TDi T4's are not a good 2nd hand option, especially high mileage versions.

Mainly for the simple reason that service costs are massive......in 100,000km you'll cough up the best part of five grand for servicing!! Add the depreciation to that and the prospect of mechanical failure anyway and you really don't get great value for money.

[Gary]

I'm new to this web site but could do with a bit more info on raising my 2005 T5 4 motion. Mid 2007 we shipped our van, it is a camper with the Frontline conversion, to India where we travelled around then drove overland to France to watch the rugby. Last year we went back and drove it through Africa then shipped it home from Durban.
The van went well with the only major fault was the ground clearance exacerbated by Frontline having their water tank protruding 50mm below the rest of the vehicle.
The advice given on this thread has been very informative especially the detailed info from Seano. I have already emailed Kings Springs who have been very helpful.
However I am not mechanically minded and the knowledge I may have trouble with the cv joints, using the correct packers etc scares me, I would hate to stuff things up and end up with a repair bill that would make my eyes water.
I agree knowing what your vehicle is capable of and driving to those capabilities is important but there are often times where you come upon an unexpected situation that that extra few millimetres would be very handy.
I guess what I need is a mechanic who knows a bit more about doing such a job than myself.
Thanks for any help posted

[4wheels]

Hi Gary,

I'm glad you bumped this thread. I missed it the first time around, probably because it was when I was heading off to Cape Yorke.
I had the King springs fitted, by Pedders, to the rear of my T5 (LWB 4Motion Trakkadu) for this trip because it was a relatively cheap lift (~$350). There was no requirement for rear diff spacers and they reckoned the CV's would be OK as it is really only returning it to the 'empty' ride height. Nearly 30,000Km later I've had no dramas relating to the rear end.
I'd still like to lift the front an equivalent amount, but being struts that is much more complicated and expensive (~$2k). I think it is necessary though if I'm doing any more off road trips, as I have done some damage underneath (front engine tray, fuel cooler, fuel tank straps) by bottoming out.
I'm currently looking for some sort of guard for the fuel tank/fuel cooler area if anyone knows of one.

Brian

[fr73]

Hi,

I have been looking at lifting and adding some protection to my 4motion.

These guys sell the Seikel bits individually and post worldwide. Still very expensive though.

http://www.4x4styling.com/Cars/VW/VW_T5_E.htm
http://www.seikel.de/de/index.php?id...aram=20&lang=2

Brian, how much lift did the King spring give you at the back?

fergus

[4wheels]

Hi Fergus,

I never actually measured it, but it was noticable. I suspect at least 30mm.
I did it because the back overhang looked pretty low especially with the towbar, but now I've mainly had trouble grounding at the front or middle, so I'll have to think about lifting the front if I plan any more big trips.

Brian

[David Morris]

My T4 2003 ex ambo LWB came with pedders yellow HD coil springs & bilstine shocks all round after gutting it for my use I reset the toursion bars on the front lower as they were topping out & stuffing the shocks now the van weighs 2080KG empty left the rear alone apart from replacing the top shock bolts with a beter quality HT bolt as I tow a caravan & other gadgets
Got a lazer wheel align as ambos get a hard life it was only out a fraction of a mm any way .
droping the front & leveling it up mad it ride heaps beter
Not a great fan of Bilstine when its replacement time I will go with Tokoyo a Jap gas shock that transformed my old subaru into a limo & half the price at the time .
I will drive off road with care not just blast through so far got in & out of places that leaves the wife white knuckled traction control with the ABS works well when used with respect & understanding & low gear in the auto just take your time & it works well .
TC

[Seano]

Just a word about the Seikel gear.........it is well made and beautifully designed but as we all know expensive to source in Oz. The follow-up to this is the fact that it isn't that special.

The shocks (both the T4 and T5) are simply revalved Bilsteins (which explains the cost) - they are not longer travel shocks!! The new valving is suppose to help vehicle control given the extra ride height but they are not any longer, fatter, bigger or better quality than plain old Bilsteins. The springs are however specially made. The advantage of the Seikel springs is that they likely have far more progression whereas the King Springs are made for extra load...so they are stiffer which means you won't get the same sort of wheel travel. If you use the Seikel springs then you'll need the Seikel shocks but if you use King Spings then the off the shelf Billys/Koni/etc are probably fine...

As for additional underbody protection......I've never had any nor have a felt the pressing need for any. But some parts of T5 underbody do seem more vulnerable that what is under my T4.

Even so, I'm of the feeling that many underbody plates are often more trouble than they are worth.....I have occasionally had the vehicle become caught on obstructions by the underbody bash plates/guards themselves.