Truth in Advertising

This is what is being said by the seller of the new syncro springs recently for sale on a web site and  e-bay:

" These springs are unlike anything now on the market .... "

Yet in an e-mail to a private mailing list, they told a very different story.  They admitted then that the springs are much like the syncro.org springs, just a bit stiffer in the rear (which is not a good thing for most applications):

--- In subaruvanagon@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Steel" <Brian@Smallcar.com> wrote:

Warren,

The springs are similar but ours are stronger in the rear for bigger
engines and other loads.

Brian

--- In subaruvanagon@yahoogroups.com, "Warren Chapman"
<vwsyncroguy@y...> wrote:
>
> Brian,
>
> What's the difference in your springs and the "Syncro.org" springs
> Steve [....] sells?
>
>
> Warren C.


They also claim they that the springs they are selling were "developed in 2 1/2 years of testing on the roads of the Northwest." 

Yet they clearly do not know the most basic info about "their" own springs.  They do not know whether the springs are progressive wound. 

Had they developed their own design they would have had to specify to the manufacturer whether they wanted progressive or straight wound springs.  The fact that they do not know whether "their" own springs are progressive wound demonstrates clearly that they did not design the springs, they copied them.

--- In subaruvanagon@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Steel" <Brian@S...> wrote:
>
> Clive,
>
> I didn't know the answer to your question so I looked over a stock
> set of Syncro springs and it looks to me like the rears are variable
> rate but the fronts are not. I believe our rear springs are not
> variable, the fronts look very much like stock. About the ride, my
> driving impressions are of course subjective but I haven't noticed
> any rougher ride but I do feel the the stock Syncro Westy wallows
> enough to be unnerving, so I think I may just feel more comfortable
> and confidant with a firmer ride. The last installation we did I was
> able to drive about 300 miles with qite a bit of freeway, some of it
> not real smooth. This 87 Syncro Westy did have a lot of tire which
> helps the ride but it was very pleasant really.
>
> Brian
>
>> --- In subaruvanagon@yahoogroups.com, "Clive" <clive.harman-smith@n...> wrote:
> > Brian,
> >
> > Are these variable rate springs like the originals, to give a more comfortable ride or single-rate springs? 
>>
>>Some of those single rate springs seem to destroy that lovely loping ride it's known for, and turn it into more of a truck ride.
>>Have put them up on club80-90.co.uk as there could well be interest over here...
> >
> > Clive


The truth about their alleged 2 1/2 years of "testing" and "developing" emerges in the e-mail above.  It appears there was little or none! 

Their testing as reported consisted of 300 miles of mostly freeway driving.  Not one mile of off-road testing.  We tested our springs for over 2000 miles and through two rounds of prototyping before we started selling them, and we tested them over all types of terrain, including over a hundred of miles of rough dirt road and lots of off roading (Hollister Hills and Death Valley area).

Item number: 7932934059   [First Ad]

Make your Syncro Westfalia ride like a car instead of a Motorhome

The stock Vanagon springs on a Syncro Westy are the same as those VW installed on the passenger Syncro. They are not really adequate for a camper's additional weight and driving a heavily loaded Syncro Westy can be a harrowing experience in an emergency. We have designed these springs for the Syncro Westfalia and other Syncro campers to make them handle more like the passenger Vanagon. We have also designed into them more strength in the rear to work nicely with Subaru and other engines as well as added heaters, racks, trailers and other added  loads. These  springs typically raise the ride height from 1/2-1" depending on the age of your Vanagon and it's original springs.


Note that the claims in their ads have changed significantly over time, even contradicting themselves. 

In the second ad, they state that custom made or rare rear shocks with stiffer damping may be needed because of increased stiffness in the rear springs.

But now in their current ads, they no longer tell folks that.

Item number: 7933593726   [Second Ad]

Make your Syncro Westfalia ride like a car instead of a Motorhome

The stock Vanagon springs on a Syncro Westy are the same as those VW installed on the passenger Syncro. They are not really adequate for the additional weight of the heavier Subaru engine. Driving a heavily loaded, modified Syncro Westy can be a harrowing experience in an emergency. We have designed these springs for the Syncro Westfalia and other Syncro campers to make them handle more like the passenger Vanagon, with more strength in the rear to work nicely with Subaru (and other heavy) engines as well as added heaters, racks, trailers and other added  loads. These  springs typically raise the ride height from 1/2-1" depending on the age of your Vanagon and it's original springs. While we recommend these shocks primarily for use with heavy engine conversions, they will fit all Syncro Westfalias, but may require shocks with stiffer damping.

However, if you are looking to increase your ground clearance and have more usable suspension travel while still maintaining stock Syncro specifications for allowable ride height, we recommend the innovative coil spring products found at Syncro.org, an indispensable resource for Vanagon enthusiasts, which has helped keep the passion for Vanagons alive, and motivated many to take their Vanagons to the limit and beyond. Their designs have been inspirational in our quest, to improve the spring design for our specific "Subagon" (Subaru/Vanagon) conversions. After researching the coil spring designs of 5 different spring manufacturers, we have combined the best attributes of each design to accomodate our application.


They state above that the springs they are selling are based on research of the "designs of 5 different spring manufacturers."  Apparently because there are not five companies in the world making syncro springs, they changed that claim in their ad, below. 



Item number: 7934458220  [Third Ad]

Vanagon Syncro Camper Spring Set
Make your Syncro Westfalia ride like a car instead of a Motorhome

The stock Vanagon springs on a Syncro Westy are the same as those VW installed on the passenger Syncro. They are not really adequate for a camper's additional weight and driving a heavily loaded Syncro Westy can be a harrowing experience in an emergency. We have designed these springs for the Syncro Westfalia and other Syncro campers to make them handle more like the passenger Vanagon. We have also designed into them more strength in the rear to work nicely with Subaru and other engines as well as added heaters, racks, trailers and other added  loads. These  springs typically raise the ride height from 1/2-1" depending on the age of your Vanagon and it's original springs. These springs are unlike anything now on the market and were developed in 2 1/2 years of testing on the roads of the Northwest. After studying the pros and cons of the designs of several other manufacturers, we have created this unique design to accomodate the next generation of advancement in spring technology for the Syncro Vanagon. Special thanks to the Vodusek Volkswagen Custom Engineering group in Kaiserslautern, Germany for their contributions in this venture!

[....]

NOTICE: No aftermarket coil spring design for the Vanagon Syncro is restricted by copyright or patent. Beware of sellers that claim exclusive rights to the design or engineering of Syncro coil springs. It is not possible to exactly duplicate any manufacturer's design without the detailed knowledge of their design, the metalurgy (exact metal content and mixture) and their manufacturing process. Our coil springs are manufactured differently than any other design, contain a unique metalurgy and are placed for sale on the open market as a legitimate product for use with the Volkwagen Syncro Vanagon.  [....]


Finally, they tacitly argue above that it is OK that they copied our springs by reasoning that we have no patent on them.  Why else mention it?  Their springs are knock offs of ours and they admit as much in black and white right here.  And Brian Steel told us on the phone directly that they had taken our springs to a spring manufacturer to see about having them copied.