Anybody Lowered a Transit?

[ud-uk]

This could be a ridiculous idea but is it possible to lower an old Transit van?

The particular van in question is a 1991 Dormobile bodied twin wheel lwb version.

I know very little about about mechanical stuff so I am looking for someone with some knowledge about this sort of thing who might want to take it on or to tell me to stop being so stupid.

Here's a photo of it as it is now, but I think it would look so much cooler if it was 4in lower, and would be easier for people to get in and out.

Any thoughts

[Deleted]

yeah vosa will be eternaly on your case for appearing to be overloaded .......

independant suspension on teh front so will be spring chop time.. therefor no ferrying Nuns or they will die...

rear is leaf.. paybe move axle to top of leaf or blocks?

[Autofive]

airbags?

[joe90]

That's a mk3 base so the front consists of a beam axle so it will be hard to drop, the rear can have the axle relocated above the leaf springs which would probably give you about 3" but you will have to check the distance between the axle and chassis and think about suspension travel.

Bryan

[Brian Damaged]

Ta-daaaaa.

;D

[ud-uk]

Jul 4, 2010 20:33:20 GMT Brian Damaged said:

Ta-daaaaa.

;D

love the stance, not sure about the change of trade tho

[Mr. AJ]

You forgot to add wire wheels with dollar sign spinnerz.

[hairymel]

my advice is to follow this tutorial :

1. fit out bus using 18mm laminated mdf and box section

2. get your significant other to fill up any remaining space with enough stuff to spend a year away from home.


viola one lowered mk3

[billybunter]

SWMBO is giving me the look as I sit here giggling in front of the PC.

Thank you hairymel ;D

[popuptoaster]

you could have a dropped beam made for the front in the same way the hot rod boys do, or decambered leaf springs although as you can see on mine the springs run quite flat anyway on the front,



Relocating the beam on top of the spring is probably easiest although you can't really adjust the amount of drop you get to much, shorter bump stops and stiff gas shocks may be needed to avoid clumping the chassis or the gearbox with the beam.

The rear is easier as theres more room to play with, however, lowering it to much is gonna drastically effect how much weight you can put in it, even a camper interior is suprisingly heavy by the time you add a tank of water and gas bottles into it.

Air bags would be best for practicality, you'd need to change the springs so they didnt support all the vans weight though, just located the axles.

[rtlkyuubi]

Would the more modern mk3 transit van be easily droppable? As I'm having bad thoughts that involve; a diff and a welder ;D

[trigger]

I saw this Transit last week on Colchester High Street, I'm guessing it's bagged?.

Sorry for the curse word mobile phone photos.

[popuptoaster]

Jul 4, 2010 22:12:58 GMT rtlkyuubi said:

Would the more modern mk3 transit van be easily droppable? As I'm having bad thoughts that involve; a diff and a welder ;D

SWB mk3's had coil sprung IFS then mid 90's the LWB ones got it as well and lost the beam axle at the front.

Things get mildly complicated with lowered vans that look otherwise standard though, you'll find you keep getting pulled over and checked for overloading, VOSA are pretty hot these days, i have even been thinking of downplating mine to a lower max weight so i can run car wheels and tyres with no worries about getting a ticket.

[Deleted]

i would think looking at those wheels its a beam at the front... don't remember ever seeing them dished wheels on IFS. think the IFS ones had the heavy duty flat wheels

[maskedavenger]

lol that looks like a peddo bus

[rob0r]

I'd be interested in hearing more! I have this on the farm just sitting here, only last week was I thinking exactly the same as the OP.



Or there's even this MK2 instead!

[fredtransit]

Jul 4, 2010 19:36:45 GMT ud-uk said:

This could be a ridiculous idea but is it possible to lower an old Transit van?

The particular van in question is a 1991 Dormobile bodied twin wheel lwb version.

I know very little about about mechanical stuff so I am looking for someone with some knowledge about this sort of thing who might want to take it on or to tell me to stop being so stupid.

Here's a photo of it as it is now, but I think it would look so much cooler if it was 4in lower, and would be easier for people to get in and out.

Any thoughts

any thoughts? Don't do it. You are running a sign written Mk3 transit ex minibus. Lowering it will make it look overloaded, and VOSA will be all over you. Regularly. Even if you are not running overweight, do you really need that kind of attention in your life? I am not trying to be a killjoy mate, just telling it like it is. Dormobile bodies are pretty heavy as it is, you may well be near your weight anyway, and once weighed they will keep an eye out for you. Not like there are a lot like yours out on the road is it?

[popuptoaster]

Jul 7, 2010 8:13:22 GMT rob0r said:

Or there's even this MK2 instead!

If that mk2 get broken i'm after cheap pre facelift front panel, that one looks repairable.

[coop]

Jul 5, 2010 0:18:52 GMT trigger said:

I saw this Transit last week on Colchester High Street, I'm guessing it's bagged?.

Sorry for the curse word mobile phone photos.

I saw this the other day and nearly crashed it looked so good. the guy in the paintshop next to mine painted it but was standard then, really looked good

[rmad]

We were discussing it last week.