By "factory lowered" I assume that you are referring to the springs that
were standard (not an option) in the GL and Carat models during their last
few years.  These were lowered by an inch or so from previous models but
they all came that way.  I think that you confused your contact at
eshocks.com when you indicated that your suspension is "lowered".

I have used the bilsteins on our '88 GL for several years.  First with the
stock "factory lowered" springs, and now with custom lowered springs.  With
the stock springs, the bilsteins were great. With the actual lowered, higher
rate springs, I had to install brackets to drop the lower shock mounts.  I
did this to regain lost suspension travel, not because the bilsteins weren't
working.  Bilsteins have internal "bump stops".  They will not be damaged by
reasonable lowering.

I say go for it.

Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: Ari Ollikainen <Ari@OLTECO.com>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2000 7:41 PM
Subject: Shock options?

> >X-From_: sales@eshocks.com  Wed Aug  9 15:27:41 2000
> >From: "eshocks.com" <sales@eshocks.com>
> >To: "Ari Ollikainen" <Ari@OLTECO.com>
> >Subject: RE: Vanagon (Standard suspension only) Bilstein Shocks
> >Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 18:24:48 -0400
> >X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
> >Importance: Normal
> >X-Apparently-From: LindaLLF@aol.com
> >
> >That is correct; they will not work on a Vanagon with factory lowered
> >suspension.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >Don Fulton
> >www.eshocks.com
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Ari Ollikainen [mailto:Ari@OLTECO.com]
> >Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2000 1:59 PM
> >To: question@eshocks.com
> >Subject: Vanagon (Standard suspension only) Bilstein Shocks
> >
> >
> >
> >       Does "Standard suspension only" mean that the Bilsteins specified
> >       on your web site will NOT work on a 1991 Vanagon Carat with
> >       the factory lowered suspension?
>
>
>         What are my options? OEM Boge/Sachs, KYB, Gabriel GasRyder, Koni?
>
>         Anyone know if the Gabriels are like the KYBs?
>
>         And how is it that Gabriel and KYB don't differentiate between
>         "factory lowered" and "standard" suspension vehicles for the
>         shock part number specification?
>
>         Could the eshocks.com folks be WRONG?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>   _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>   You can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of
focus.
>                                                           -- Mark Twain.
>   _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>
>         OLTECO                    Ari Ollikainen
>         P.O. BOX 3688             Networking Architecture and Technology
>         Stanford, CA              Ari@OLTECO.com
>         94309-3688                415.517.3519
>