>  > Your Bilsteins may be set to the softest rebound setting.
>
>That may be true, I had my trusty VW mechanic install them, & he had warned
>me earlier that the Bilsteins in his opinion were to stiff for the westy.
>So that is why I ordered the cheaper ones-are they adjustable like the HD
>models? If they are adjustable, does softest rebound mean they rebound more
>or rebound less?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Tom

I'm not sure whether the cheaper Bilsteins are adjustable... but if
they are, the softest setting means that the rebound damping is low
and the vehicle will rebound (bounce) upward after a bump... worst
case is that the van will bob up & down several times after a bump,
as happens when  dampers are completely stuffed. Harder settings will
reduce the amount of rebound, giving better handling. Too hard a
rebound can make the ride rough and even cause the tires to skip
(leave the road surface) after a bump (reducing traction).

These units are called "shock-absorbers" completely incorrectly. What
they are in fact is dampers... they damp spring oscillations during &
after road irregularities. The only things that absorbs shocks are
the tires and springs.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut

HUMANITY: THE ULTIMATE VON NEUMANN MACHINE

DEMOCRACY: RULE BY THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR