inherited a set of JVAB suspenders...

So I bought a golf-in-progress rally car from Nat Stow and it came with a set of JVAB's. What should an end user know as far as care and feeding of these guys?

What's the maintenance like?

I've been pretty careless with the DMS that I currently have and they took it like champs... just pulled the lower housing off every 3-4 events and cleaned out the nasty grease and put in fresh stuff. Had the bushings changed once in their 4 years of life on my car.

Unfortunately when I need new inserts for the DMS it's going to be less expensive to just completely replace them. Now that the car I'll be using came with the JVAB's I don't have to worry now, but I'd like to know what I should do to care for them.

Thanks!

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http://www.ckrally.com

cblakely Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So I bought a golf-in-progress rally car from Nat
> Stow and it came with a set of JVAB's. What should
> an end user know as far as care and feeding of
> these guys?
>
> What's the maintenance like?
>
> I've been pretty careless with the DMS that I
> currently have and they took it like champs...
> just pulled the lower housing off every 3-4 events
> and cleaned out the nasty grease and put in fresh
> stuff. Had the bushings changed once in their 4
> years of life on my car.
>
> Unfortunately when I need new inserts for the DMS
> it's going to be less expensive to just completely
> replace them. Now that the car I'll be using came
> with the JVAB's I don't have to worry now, but I'd
> like to know what I should do to care for them.

First thing is to bring them over and swap out the inserts for some brand new ones that are a little shorter so you can actually install the things with no drama.
Call it a recall.
They want the same service you'd so on a DMS, they're built essentially identically.

But really Nat said they were a bitch to install, and that's cause they were about 200-210mm travel, and thats maybe 15-20 longer than they should be for ease of installation.
Brand new.....
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
>

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

john vanlandingham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>>
> First thing is to bring them over and swap out the
> inserts for some brand new ones that are a little
> shorter so you can actually install the things
> with no drama.
> Call it a recall.
> They want the same service you'd so on a DMS,
> they're built essentially identically.
>
> But really Nat said they were a bitch to install,
> and that's cause they were about 200-210mm travel,
> and thats maybe 15-20 longer than they should be
> for ease of installation.
> Brand new.....
> >
> > Thanks!
>

Gee, Jamie Drummond would never give this kind of service. He'd just blame the customer...

Doivi Clarkinen Wrote:
> Gee, Jamie Drummond would never give this kind of
> service. He'd just blame the customer...

Because DMS has never had a shock fail, they have only been installed wrong. I think that is the party line.

Andrew_Frick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Doivi Clarkinen Wrote:
> > Gee, Jamie Drummond would never give this
> kind of
> > service. He'd just blame the customer...
>
> Because DMS has never had a shock fail, they have
> only been installed wrong. I think that is the
> party line.
>


So true it hurts !!!!

---

Cheers
M.Samli
Phoenix AZ
Gaylant VR4
EVO III GSR (Stolen)


Rallies are no place for traitors

GREAT...I JUST bought a set of used DMS 50mm's.

LOL.....youuuuuu bastards!!

not to thread-jack, but anyone have the templates for the gussets recommended to strengthen the mounting ears? (or is anyone selling the actual gussets that I can buy?)


although, i have heard all the reviews on dms's, these were just a really good deal used.

---

Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2008 05:11PM by Jon Burke.

DMS North America is done apparently.

---

Grant Hughes

When DMS started to cost more then ProFlex ... well come on now.

---

In the long run reality always wins.

Jon Burke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GREAT...I JUST bought a set of used DMS 50mm's.
>
> LOL.....youuuuuu bastards!!
>
> not to thread-jack, but anyone have the templates
> for the gussets recommended to strengthen the
> mounting ears? (or is anyone selling the actual
> gussets that I can buy?)

What gussetts? piccies!!! dammit!
>
>
> although, i have heard all the reviews on dms's,
> these were just a really good deal used.

Don't worry, they can be rebuilt using Bilstein parts internally, already helped a kid do that.
>
> Jon Burke - KI6LSW
> RallyX Team Up TwoMountains
> Team Blog:
>
>
>
>
> Edited 1 times. Last edit at Jun 3, 2008 by Jon
> Burke.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

"What gussetts? piccies!!! dammit! "



well shit, I thought you guys would have some pics!?

when I bought them the guy I bought them from mentioned it....and Jamie Thomas is selling a set and she mentioned it too....I'll get her pics and post them up.

Quote

Gravel Spec DMS - 50mm - used
complete set of 4 struts and springs

* Completely & Professional Rebuilt 1 rally ago (Dave Clark Motorsports)
* New bushes/seals/paint
* Regreased 1 rally ago
* Inserts inspected and are straight
* Reinforcement Gussets added on (welded into place)
* GD setup with GC Strut top adapter - will fit GD/GG/GC/GF AWD
* Currently fit with new Group N front and 3-rally old Group N rear Mounts
* IIRC springs are 215 Front and 180 Rear ( I will check)


$1900 shipped to the lower 48 states

---

Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

SOMEthing like this....pic is too big to post, here's the link to RS&SP's gussets:

http://rallispec.com/rssp_gallery_4.htm

http://rallispec.com/rssp_gallery_5.htm


fuck these are pretty:
http://rallispec.com/rssp_gallery_1.htm

---

Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2008 10:09PM by Jon Burke.

NoCoast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DMS North America is done apparently.
>
>

They were done before they started...

Jon Burke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SOMEthing like this....pic is too big to post,
> here's the link to RS&SP's gussets:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> fuck these are pretty:
>

Yep they are beautiful.
The top plate boxes the ears pretty good, could be one of my tops could be added to the DMS you have because, yes, those ear designs they do are a chronic weak spot, simply too thin.
I'll check and get back to youse.
>
>
> Jon Burke - KI6LSW
> RallyX Team Up TwoMountains
> Team Blog:
>
>
>
>
> Edited 2 times. Last edit at Jun 3, 2008 by Jon
> Burke.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Jon Burke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GREAT...I JUST bought a set of used DMS 50mm's.
>
> LOL.....youuuuuu bastards!!
>
> not to thread-jack, but anyone have the templates
> for the gussets recommended to strengthen the
> mounting ears? (or is anyone selling the actual
> gussets that I can buy?)
>

I have a template. I might be able to come up with pictures but basically it's along the lines of the RS&SP struts you pictured. Pretty simple. Plate a gusset on top of the brackets an maybe on bottom. And weld up the cracks that are forming on the ears. That's what happens, cracks eventually start at the top of the ears. Also, the rears will start to twist the mounting ears because of the geometry of the knuckles even if you don't clobber anything and the gussets will help prevent that.
It's been a few years so a lot of you don't know that I was the original DMS importer in North America for four years. Boy was that a mistake. Anyway, I once asked Jamie Drummond why they didn't just gusset the mounting ears to begin with and his reply was that the DMS mounting ears were already 200% stronger than stock and if they made them any stronger then the Subaru knuckles would just break. I never did believe him because I've gusseted plenty of DMS struts and never have I seen a knuckle break.

Andrew_Frick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Doivi Clarkinen Wrote:
> > Gee, Jamie Drummond would never give this
> kind of
> > service. He'd just blame the customer...
>
> Because DMS has never had a shock fail, they have
> only been installed wrong. I think that is the
> party line.
>


>So true it hurts !!!!

More true than you know. I could tell you all kinds of warranty horror stories. Basically, for all intents and purposes if you buy a new set of DMS shocks you should just consider that there really is no warranty whatsoever, no matter what happens. The only reason there was any kind of warranty support when I was selling them was because of me. When I first talked to Jamie Drummond he told me "DMS has never had a shock bend or fail in competition." I thought that was a dubious claim, in fact really it was probably an outright lie because you can bend or break anything in rallying. In fact, I've seen plenty of bent, broken and failed DMS. Having said that, it's a good product that's pretty tough and works well but that's a silly thing to claim.
When the 40mm struts first came out there were all kinds of problems with "stiction", etc and I was selling a lot of them here. I did a lot of warranty work on those. Jamie Drummond claimed they weren't having any problems with them anywhere else in the world, just the USA. So I had to ask him, "So, what are you just sending the junk ones here and saving all the good ones for the rest of the world or what?"

Ahh, good times, good times. So many unhappy memories...

ugh, Dave, that story sucks...


I definitley got a good deal on these, AND I know check-point racing has a bunch of spare parts for sale on their site, and it seems a lot of rally folks are selling theirs to upgrade, so for a 'beginner' set up, they're still pretty good and there seems to be enough used ones around that I can bend one or two and still have extra parts available w/o too much effort.


John....thanks for looking into it, looking forward to whatever you come up with (and a fair price, I'm not looking for handouts). Kind of a big 'first welding' project, but this is why I was asking about stitch welding/what welder to get, I'd like to do little stuff like this myself and save a few more bucks.

/threadjack!

---

Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/