They make air bladders that fit inside that spring and will obviously do a far better job. Quite cheap and easy to install, ~$70. Also from your other pic is looked like your fenders have been chopped on the back edge (The first place where large wheels rub on the van), so it will be hard to say what will and won't clear for you. This is the type of bladder kit I mean, get's great reports on most of the Eseries van places. It's probably not the actual kit # that fit's the van. http://www.amazon.com/80531-Series-Front-Air-Spring/dp/B000CFS06O/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t
Good news is that putting smaller tires on will get you better MPG, probably. and the junkyards are full of white vans so you can get fenders that haven't been sawzalled. FWIW, I use 265/75/16 on my E350, and I have the maxx lift 2" spacers under my springs from the mid nineties F350. Same as those listed for the E350, but were cheaper. Tossed out the bolt extender. I used the 1.5 inch lift blocks for the rear from AutoZone, but any kit will do back there. It's tall enough I don't scrape the bumper getting around in urban Utah. Laugh if you want, but I used to drag arse going into a lot of parking lots. It's enough that I drag less off road too, for what it's worth. It also required taking it down to a place that was willing to get creative with the alignment. It still wears the tires a bit more on the inside, but it's to be expected. It's minor now, compared to when I tried to figure it out on my own. Not worth it. Let the shop handle the ball joint adjustments, IMO. You will also either need longer shocks (hard to find for this application for me) or use the shock extenders for the post on the top. I would go that route next time, as I used some early nineties Bronco shocks which were long enough, but are not stiff enough. Unless you just want to return it to stock size, which IIRC would have been 245/75/16, or somewhere around there. If you don't need the clearance for occasional off road use, or crazy steep driveways like we have, stock is fine I think. It's a lot easier, no doubt.
Also, what's going on with the bumper? It looks like it's been lowered, or pushed out, or something? Another thing, if you are thinking of updating the headlights to the other style, most of the Ebay units are kind of junky. I am using a set now, and they look okay, and the light output is barely better and they don't adjust worth a darn. I wouldn't buy them again. And if your seats are tired, the OEM seat rails on the ford seats are pretty easy to adapt to most other seats. I used seats from an Uplander, which had a good feel, were a bit taller, and have armrests. They look like they could have been stock, and are hundreds of times better than the vinyl seats it used to have. The seat belt receivers swapped right over too, very minimal modifications required. All fit under the GM plastics, and they have little cargo nets on the side.
Last year of short wheelbase(and Ram vans), only short one I could find with the 318 and 4-spd. Gutted it inside and built a custom bed inside, new paint, removed running boards, tint and drapes, rear batteries, and rims. Before: After:
Holy moly! That's a short van! Out here, it's all loooong vans. For soccer teams, er, right. It looks real clean in there, reminds me of a boat interior, for some reason. Well sorted and uncluttered. Ah, right. A horrible van pic.
Hey Hayduke, what make/model is your rear carrier? I've been kicking one of those around to haul a 500lb streetbike on roadtrips. Not sure if my 1/2 ton can handle it, will be checking with a suspension shop.
Note to self, if you are camping in your van, make sure the kiddie locks are shut off..... At NHMS for track days. 52 degrees and drizzle, have an extension cord to the pit garage, a quartz heater, coffee maker, and some bagels. I can stay here for days.....
Lots of good info! The van has definitely been used and used hard, but also carelessly. The previous owner has done all the "modifications" you see which includes; -Spring spacers -325/65r18 on 18x9 wheels -gold and black pool ladder sheet metal screwed to the rear door. -Ladder racks bolted through the roof on one side, and welded to the other -black erm racing? hood stripe -spaced out front bumper using longer bolts and probably 200 washers -bent and hacked fenders -Straight through exhaust exiting under the double doors He used to store stuff on the roof and climb up the ladder and walk on the roof to get it so the roof is all caved in. I think I can pop most of it back up, but between that and the holes, creases, and rust that the ladder racks caused, I've toyed with just chopping the roof off and welding a new one on. It is a work van though, and I need to keep reminding myself that it will never be perfect. The seats are trashed and that will be my next expenditure after all of the routine maintenance that the PO skipped. It looks like the 235/85 was an option stock on the trucks and maybe vans, but is a little taller and narrower than what was commonly found on them. With that size I might be able to get away without a lift. Until then I'll be cleaning out the mess of an interior. There was all sorts of junk in there including children's Barbie books, ~30 razor blades, and an ipod with all sorts of music in a language I don't understand. Thinking some fake astro turf will really set things off. -alex
It's a custom made rack that Neduro made for his 950 when he had the van. It's way over-built and super heavy, so kind of a PITA to put on there, but I don't haul the 950 like that very often.
