Responses to some list members seem to keep getting blocked.

Eric,

Some thoughts for your springs. Installing shims or replacing the springs requires the same labor effort. At a minimum you should plan for some help. The fronts are not easy like the rears. Without the right spring compressor getting the springs back in place can be a challenge.

That said, you also need to do some diagnoses. As you pay real attention to your vans status, it appears that something has changed. Change usually indicates wear, fatigue, or failure. Especially since this change was over a short time period.

While shock absorbers do not function to lift or support the vehicle, your Bilstein HD Gas shocks when new did provide some upward lift. It is possible that one or both have lost their charge and that lift is gone. Also, shocks can fail in various ways including the piston binding or them even pumping up or down due to a bad valve. Unfortunately the way the Vanagon front end is set up the only real way to inspect or test is to remove them.

Removing the shocks is fairly easy. It is important to note that the extension of the shock is the lower suspension stop. When removing the lower control arm needs to be supported. Allowing the suspension to drop without the shock limiting the travel will put a side load on the upper ball joints likely damaging them. What may work is putting the front up on ramps, favor the outside for clearance and then you can simply drop the shock out the bottom. After the shock condition is confirmed than you can go next step.

Dennis