Westfalia Lifted

Pnwsquid

Active member
It looks like other people have viewed the photos. I'm having a hell of a time using the forum upload feature, as no matter how I resize photos it tells me they need to be 900x0. I'm at a bit of a loss there.
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
1. Photos

Couldn't see photos either. There are some photos on this site. Notice the new bigger tires in one photo which stick out quite a bit in front wheelwells.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJb_3LIgKmx/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJOISzwA_TJ/
https://www.instagram.com/wkndvanlife/

2. Another Westy Lifted

In the photo gallery of the vancompass.com site, there are photos of another Westy which looks lifted. This Westy has the fiberglass decals still in place and a bottom dark gray paint below headlights (and possibly a bumper mounted spare tire).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN0Px8pgN-v/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN-eTkLADdz/

3. Fox Shox

Still need more info on the Fox Shox. Various versions apparently offered by VanCompass and Agile OffRoad.
 
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OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
http://iglhaut-allrad.de/en/vehicle-construction/

On the link above, Iglhaut not only does 4x4 but vehicle lifts (unfortunately, no details as to what they specifically do):

Vehicle Raising


The best solution, not only for off-road fans.

Raising of serial vehicles with 4x2.

Raising offers several benefits, not only for off-road use.
More ground clearance, e.g. for caravans driving onto ferries
 
T

tneuer

Guest
I bought 2 sets of 3500 rear fender flares. Made for dual wheels, they are about 2 1/2" wider than a 2500.
The rear are bolt on, the fronts are slightly modified by heating them up with a heat gun and forming to fit.
 

Attachments

Riptide

Active member
I just had a Van Compass lift kit installed locally, along with one of their suspension kits with Sumo springs. Just got the Westy back 2 days ago...

Mark at VC also built me a rear bumper with dual swingouts; one for a spare tire (which I've never had before, and always freaked me out), and the other for an Aluminess box. The bumper arrives tomorrow, and the box on Tuesday. I gotta coat it, and mount it, along with the Sterling front bar I had built about 5 years ago and maybe get some new shoes. We are putting some miles on her this summer!!
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
Riptide:

1. Please post your assessment of handling, especially in crosswinds, with the greater height, SumoSprings, and ??? Did you get Fox Shox?

And what wheels/tire size and other mods.

2. If you can figure out how to post photos, that'd be great. Be interesting to see bumper.

Thanks.
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
For bigger tires, one issue is the width of the wheels.

The OEM steel wheel is 16x6.0 and the alloy is 16x6.5. While there are aftermarket 16" wheels (Vision Warrior 375 and Valor), they don't seem to be any wider. The G-Wagen Atik and Ashtaroth 16" wheels may be wider but may not have the higher load rating of the Sprinter (most G-Wagen load rating specified at 1100 kg which is lower than the Sprinter's).

In the 17" wheel size, the MotoMetal MO970 is 17x8, 2800 lb load rating, and the recently released UltraWheels Toil is 17x8, 3500 lb load rating. Need to check the offsets and clearances. A couple of tires in different sizes have the right load ratings.

Note: PNWSquid had custom 17x8 wheels made, with minimal offset (wider track), and 265/70/17 tires (larger diameter). May want to inquire as to the pluses and minuses of his first 235 width tires and switch to 265 wide tires (offroaders in mud/snow? like narrower tires to bite through into hard soil while in sandy beach conditions, wider tires spread out the load?). How about handling in crosswinds?

In the 18" wheel size, it is more difficult to find a load rated wheel. While the G-Wagen wheels are popular, the load rating may not be as high as Sprinter. Also, proper load rated tires in 18" sizes will be the larger tires.

Note: On the original 16" wheels, folks have switched from original 225/75/16 to 245/75/16, so the tire diameter changes from about 29.5" or so to 30.5". The latter 30.5" diameter makes the speedometer read more accurately while odometer would read less. Reports are positive re larger size tires improving handling, possibly from greater load rating, wider tire tread, ???

Larger diameters also may mean less oomph from standstill but probably not noticeable unless even more than 1" in diameter.
 
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israndy

2007 LTV Serenity
My Jeep handles either the 225 or the 245s. Since I already had the 225s on the RV I decided to match them, share a set of chains.

Are you saying the Sprinter can use the 245s as well, or only when jacked higher?

-Randy
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
Our Westies are on a 2004 single rear wheel platform.

The larger 245/75/16 fit in the rear with no issue. On the front, some have no issue while others needed to trim the mudflaps (or remove) and trim the front bumper arch. Maybe trim a bit of the metal behind mudflap.

Differences may be a result of steel (6" width) versus alloy wheels (6.5" width) with different widths and offsets, slight diameter differences among tire brands, different mods (SumoSprings), different weights, etc.

Some tire brands recommend/require a 6.5" wheel width for 245/75/16 sizes.

With the lift, less likelihood of needing to trim. Vancompass says a 33" diameter tire can fit with the 2" lift, although some trimming may be needed.
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
https://4x4westfaliajamescook.wordpress.com/oberaigner-running-gear/

In the last photograph of the James Cook with Oberaigner 4x4 running gear, one can see for the rear: the lift block under the U-Bolts and the extension bracket for the shock absorbers. The lift block looks.bigger than the VanCompass 2" lift. Also, there looks like a side extension of the liftblock to absorb the rubber bumpstops.

Although not visible in the photo, presumably, there is also an extension for the mountings for antisway bar.

Summary of Rear Vehicle Lifts:

So for the T1N Westfalia James Cook, Oberaigner uses a similar setup to VanCompass to raise the rear of vehicle. As this was a 4x4 conversion, we do not know how Oberaigner does a front end lift only.

On the NCV3, we now know that Mercedes offers an optional liftblock for RVs (see earlier post referencing Sprinter-Source forum thread).

Other posters have commented that a better method of rear vehicle body lift is through heavier springs (which Daimler Chrysler did for the North American T1Ns to raise rear for 16" wheels).

There is apparently a concern with liftblocks that there is additional leverage axle roll???

Note that road clearance remains the same (unless.bigger wheels and tires are used) but the departure angle is greater (rear bumper is higher and doesn't drag).
 

Cheyenne

UK 2004 T1N 313CDi
Ahhhh one and the same!

Mountain Taxi.jpg

And nose to nose with our Sprinter!

Sprinters IS.jpg

Photographed Summer 2015 when we took our Sprinter to Iceland :thumbup:

Keith.
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
From the AgileOffroad Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRZih7oAvo0/

From the photograph and caption: The newer NCV3 4x4 uses a liftblock spacer on the rear leaf suspension for added height. AgileOffRoad offers a multiple leaf suspension with no liftblock spacer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLydozRDCt_/

In this photograph and caption, AgileOffroad's package on a newer NCV3 2x4 (rear wheel drive) gets a 2" lift. The lift apparently results from different rear springs and shocks (struts?). Not clear whether there are additional modifications like extensions for antisway bar, bumperstops, etc.
 
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