Schwenk Syncro Springs for Lifted Syncro

Product #:  BMS-SWK02

Known as the best in the business, we offer Schwenk Syncro springs to you at the best price in the business. 

•  For full Westys and other heavy Syncros
•  Increased ride height & suspension travel
•  Modestly stiffer than stock springs
•  Work well with all major shock brands
•  Designed for dual-purpose on- / off-road use

VW only made one spring for all U.S. Syncros, whether they were for light passenger vans or heavy Syncro Westfalia camper vans. The spring for the lifted Syncro is designed for dual-purpose use primarily on the heavier Syncros. By narrowing the focus of this spring to a smaller range of vehicle weights and characteristics, Schwenk provided a spring that performs better on those vehicles than stock springs, or any spring sold by competitors.

The springs for the lifted Syncro is a coil spring and made for dual-purpose, on- and off-road use, on Syncro Westfalias, and other heavier Syncros. The springs are true to the Syncro’s heritage and provide real off-road performance and capability while still providing very good on-road performance.

The springs provide increased ride height and suspension travel, which are modestly stiffer than the stock springs. These particular springs are designed to maximize the potential and performance of the stock Syncro suspension.

These springs were designed by Schwenk with the following goals in mind:

(1) increasing ride height and suspension travel while remaining within VW specs,

(2) increasing stiffness modestly in order to improve handling and stability, and

(3) providing a high-quality spring that performs well on and off the road.

Ride Height
With the use of thin shims for fine-tuning, these springs allow a range of possible ride heights from roughly 19″ to 19.5″ on an empty Syncro Westfalia. This range of possible ride heights permits optimal suspension performance. The vehicle has enough “sag” under static weight to move up and down over terrain utilizing the maximum range of travel the suspension provides. The increased height also provides additional suspension travel.

Schwenk does not advise a ride height above 19.5″ for a number of reasons.

Heights above 19.5″:

(1) result in a loss of range of suspension travel and performance;

(2) result in greater stress to CV joints and higher rates of failure;

(3) do not permit the vehicle to be aligned to VW spec., and

(4) result in more “lean” and increased risk of roll-over on paved roads at freeway speeds (as is true with any taller spring on any vehicle).

Without shims, these springs will provide an empty Syncro Westy with a ride height of roughly 19,” measuring from the center of the wheel/axle to the lower lip of the fender. A 1/8″ shim upfront and a 3/16″ shim in the rear will provide ride-height of roughly 19.25″ on an empty Syncro Westfalia. For ride height of roughly 19.5,” a 1/4″ shim upfront and a 3/8″ shim in the rear are utilized.

This ideal range of ride height – from 19.0″ to 19.5″ – allows for adaptability to a wide range of Syncros, tires, height and handling preferences, and uses, all within stock specs.

Burley Motorsports and Schwenk both advise all Vanagon drivers who drive almost entirely on pavement, and who do not have extra-large tires, to use the springs without shims (except to level a westy, as needed – see below.) This setting and ride height will provide the best and safest on-pavement performance while still maintaining very good off-road performance with a decent increase in ride height.

Those with larger tires, or who desire maximum height, can obtain the desired ride height easily and simply through the use of fine-tuning shims, as discussed above, without any complications or loss of performance.

Spring Rate
The spring rate for the Lifted Syncro springs is the result of over a year of testing five different sets of springs with different rates, including three different sets of prototypes Schwenk had made, on a variety of Syncros under a variety of conditions. His company worked closely with a veteran spring engineer to translate their testing into a design that would achieve everyone’s ultimate goals.

The result is a spring rate that strikes an ideal balance between on and off-road performance, and a rate that works very well within the damping specs of off-the-shelf shocks for the Syncro.

The springs are straight wound coils. Variable-rate coils are not used because they result in a performance compromise and often do not work as intended. Variable wound coils entail a loss of travel. In addition, the weight range under which the softer coils are actually effective is quite narrow – with the result that they are often fully, or nearly-fully compressed (and hence non-functional) under the static weight of a moderately loaded heavier Syncro.

Straight wound coils provide a more consistent and progressive feel throughout a greater range of travel, resulting in superior overall suspension performance.

Chrome Silicon Steel
The springs are made of Chrome Silicon pre-tensioned steel. Chrome Silicon is the best material available for automotive springs primarily because it does not sag as other spring steel does, but also because it can be wound to closer tolerances as well, meaning more accurate and consistent spring rates across the manufacturing process.

Kit Contains:

2 front springs

2 rear springs

Upgrade:  Add 2 isolator pads (see gallery image) for an additional $25.  This is $5 off the original isolator pad price.  

*No warranty, no returns, no refunds.  All sales of this product are final.