Ben, you sound mostly right -

but, at the risk of being comic for discussing this clearly unorthodox
practice, on the safety side I have observed:

1) the cheap clamps, after breaking, can be found hanging on the springs -
they don't appear to project. The ping sound is really more like a "boing"
sound and is sourced in the spring.

If  a heavy duty clamp breaks, I am abandoning the project.

2) preloading the front (with this compression technique) brings down the
overall ride height, which is a second goal  that seems to concern the '85
ish users. I can get in my garage! Other vans may want to preserve ride
height, thus spacers are the way to go.

3) From the springs perspective, I don't think the spring can tell if it is
being compressed by me, with 400 more lbs, siting in the front, or a
tenacious steel band, holding a couple of coils together.

4) I am saving for new springs - but I have so much more buy for this Van!

thanks!

----- Original Message -----
From: <BenTbtstr8@aol.com>
To: <mcnock@easystreet.com>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 5:40 AM
Subject: Re: leveling van ride height /cheap way to do it

> In a message dated 1/2/03 1:03:57 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> mcnock@EASYSTREET.COM writes:
>
> << Problem: I have an 85 westy with a sagging rear end.
>
>  My fix:
>
>  1) bought "high torque" SS hose clamps McMasterCarr 1" - 2 1/4 inch
>  extended range - 5/8 wide, extra thick band. (5 for $8).  >>
>
> Andrew,
>
> I would be less worried about how long they would last as I would be
worried
> about my wheel wells withstanding the impact of those clamps once they
"ping"
> off. Since your front seats are on top of those front wheel wells, isn't
your
> solution akin to sitting on the barrel of a ballistic weapon? How about
> passersby? Couldn't one of your breaking hose clamps "...shoot (their) eye
> out..." as they said in that Christmas BB gun story?
>
> Spring (pardon the pun) for newer springs or slip a piece of shaped nylon
> cutting board under the sagging culprit instead. The latter has been
> discussed in this forum many times. In that solution, your vehicle's
springs
> are working with you instead of against you.
>
> BenT
>  <A
HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/bentbtstr8/myhomepage/index.html">Vanagon
> Cafe</A>
>