Looking to order a beach, advice on lowering

Mango · Mar 24, 2016

Hi all, looking to order a Cali beach for the wife for an everyday vehicle and family trips away. I've a 1960 splitscreen and after 8yrs of Euro trips she wants some refinement! Before you ask no I'm not selling the split its future is still destined for trips away but not as a family.

Anyway I'm looking to place an order and have the dealer add lowering springs but I'm told the springs limit is 1600kg and the beach front is 1610kg. Anyone had a similar issue on a T6?

Hotel California · Mar 24, 2016

Welcome @Mango ,
No advice on lowering , are you planning to use it on track?
I like it the way it comes original as we use it as a recreation verhicle and also want to park on other grounds than conctrete and tarmac .
Lowering does makes it easyer to get in and out the verhicle...

Anyway , all the treads you will find on lowering and suspention regarding T5 and T6 by using the "search forums" function on top of this page wil give some info.
Oh , do not wait to long ordering or you may end up not having a Cali yet in 2016!

Mango · Mar 24, 2016

Thanks and haha no track use but don't want body roll or my daughter throwing up as she gets travel sick and I prefer the look!

Will check out other threads.

Cheers

Hotel California · Mar 24, 2016

Don't you think lowering makes it less comfortable and even more risk of getting carsick in the back.
Never sat in the back while driving by someone else...
But in the frontseat of my standard SE it sure feels good...

There are many here who lowerd they will tell you the benefits as soon they read this tread :thumb

WelshGas · Mar 24, 2016

You will have no option but to go by the Dealers Recommendation IF you wish to retain the Warranty on a new van. Air Suspension can be fitted and certain makes are Approved by VW.
If you are not concerned about any warranty then there are plenty of Quality Kits available.

Tommy Gun · Mar 24, 2016

Mango said:
Thanks and haha no track use but don't want body roll or my daughter throwing up as she gets travel sick and I prefer the look!

Will check out other threads.

Cheers

There is an option called Heavy Duty Anti-Roll Bars (2MF)
Forum member 'Sidepod' wrote some interesting comments about them.
Should help reduce any 'roll' & they are off the shelf - so VW approved :thumb

Cheers
Tom

owen_h · Mar 24, 2016

In the engine bay there should/will be a plate giving the max axel weights front and rear. 1600 sounds higher than I remember for my beach (a 2012 T5), think it was 1500 or 1550 front and rear. I had mine lowered using H&R springs and it made a noticeable improvement to body roll. Ride is harder than original, especially on sharp edge speedhumps but overall it was well worth doing. With the H&Rs there were various weight ratings available, dont know if this is also the case with the dealer fit ones (to retain warranty).
When the T6 first came out there was an option listed to have adaptive damping, not heard of anyone going for this or even if its still on the options list?

Mango · Mar 25, 2016

Thanks guys, I want to keep the warranty, in fact was going for the extended 5yr warranty. Looking at payload only the 102bhp base Beach can have the dealer fit lowering springs.

Dan · Mar 28, 2016

I've got the uprated anti roll bars option on my T6 and it rolls very little through the corners. I was considering going for the lowering springs offered as a dealer fit but I think I would miss the ground clearance.

CannellWalker · Mar 28, 2016

We went with the standard 30mm drop springs from VW for our SE. Make sure you get the correct weight of spring for your van. The dealer originally fitted the wrong ones and the ride quality was awful. It was only because I had the part number from the box the springs came in that I could check with another dealer. They confirmed that we did indeed have lighter weight springs fitted. The dealer did sort it out and the ride is now much improved.

MattBW · Mar 29, 2016

Mango said:
Thanks and haha no track use but don't want body roll or my daughter throwing up as she gets travel sick and I prefer the look!

Will check out other threads.

Cheers

The beach ride in the back is definitely harder than the front, and quite juddery on a badly finished road, if possible I would take a ride in the back to experience it. I was quite surprised in the back driving around Berwick (terrible roads), I can imagine with lower springs it would be even harder a ride.

Well worth a ride in someones if you can find one.