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Saggy Rear End - CV Joints/Driveshaft HELP

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TorxKiwi Officially Full-On Dubber

231 posts · joined Jun 2011 ·

#914637
My car, like me, is a bit saggy in the rear end. it sits abou1/2-1 inch lower on the drivers side. Replace shocks or adjust torsion bars? Or something else completely.

'75 L Bug, stock.
"Ownership of a Beetle is not a destination it is a journey."

bajachris88 The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 6

6,661 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#914643
adjust torsion bars. 👍 Saggy = springs (in this case, the torsional springs)
(ô_!_/ô) (ô_!_/ô)
69' baja: kombi box, thing spindles, irs, disc front, type 3 rear drums, 2 inch lift kit, 31x10 rears. 👍
New engine in process: 94mm p&bs, 74mm C/w chomol Crank, 35.5x39 SP heads, turbo. Wierd combo, hopeful torque monsta!

TorxKiwi Officially Full-On Dubber

231 posts · joined Jun 2011 ·

#914646
Thanks, I'll go that route first.
"Ownership of a Beetle is not a destination it is a journey."

TorxKiwi Officially Full-On Dubber

231 posts · joined Jun 2011 ·

#914648
Any other bushings or bits I should be looking to replace while there?
"Ownership of a Beetle is not a destination it is a journey."

waveman1500 Also rides a Honda

1,346 posts · joined Dec 2009 ·

#914663
The only important bushes in the rear end are the torsion bar bushes. Be careful that you get the right ones, because there are a couple of different types for different years of bug. Go for the original rubber ones, not polyurethane. They work by twisting and the poly bushes don't twist enough, so they slip instead.

While you're there you could also check the rubbers in the body mounts I suppose. They usually crush down. If you're doing suspension bushes then the front swaybar bushes are the most important on strut bugs, so you may as well check them.
1972 VW S-Bug - For Sale!
1968-onwards Beetle panels and glass for sale

TorxKiwi Officially Full-On Dubber

231 posts · joined Jun 2011 ·

#914668
Cheers. Recently replaced sway bar bushings, so all good.
"Ownership of a Beetle is not a destination it is a journey."

psimitar Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,506 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#914793
Poly bushes are fine so long as you use the supplied grease on the moving surfaces.

Spline position table for lowering/raising Beetle

Above link to see how many splines are needed to adjust the sag out.
madness is in the eye of the beholder 👍

waveman1500 Also rides a Honda

1,346 posts · joined Dec 2009 ·

#914796
psimitar wrote:Poly bushes are fine so long as you use the supplied grease on the moving surfaces.
The torsion bar bushes are not supposed to slide. They are designed to grip to the housing and the bar. The twisting motion is supposed to be allowed by the shear in the rubber. Poly bushes are too stiff, so they can't do this, which means that they slip around and wear out.
1972 VW S-Bug - For Sale!
1968-onwards Beetle panels and glass for sale

psimitar Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,506 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#914802
waveman1500 wrote:
psimitar wrote:Poly bushes are fine so long as you use the supplied grease on the moving surfaces.
The torsion bar bushes are not supposed to slide. They are designed to grip to the housing and the bar. The twisting motion is supposed to be allowed by the shear in the rubber. Poly bushes are too stiff, so they can't do this, which means that they slip around and wear out.
Maybe if you have smooth doughnuts but not an issue with knobbly ones. Plus the grip of the back of the bush compared to the greased areas should stop the bush from spinning but maybe not. I got knobbly ones so they work just fine 🙂
madness is in the eye of the beholder 👍

TorxKiwi Officially Full-On Dubber

231 posts · joined Jun 2011 ·

#914856
Thanks for posting the link to the table psimitar. I knew it existed but was about t try and find it again. Saved me the hassle.
"Ownership of a Beetle is not a destination it is a journey."

psimitar Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,506 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#914996
TorxKiwi wrote:Thanks for posting the link to the table psimitar. I knew it existed but was about t try and find it again. Saved me the hassle.

no worries man 🙂
madness is in the eye of the beholder 👍

TorxKiwi Officially Full-On Dubber

231 posts · joined Jun 2011 ·

#916943
I fitted lowering struts on the front last week. Really happy with the outcome so decided to deal with the lopsided back end today.

All was travelling well so I thought I'd tidy up a split CV boot while I was at it ..... First mistake. Cleaning and re-greasing CV joints would be up there with the dirtiest of jobs I have ever done. Anyway all sorted and went to reinstall the drive shaft. Attached first end to transmission and here I hit a stumbling block. This thing is rock solid, almost no flex, so there is no way in hell I'll get it attached to the wheel.

I'm 99.9% sure that I've put them back together as they should be. Is it possible to pack to much grease into them? I've hit a road block.
"Ownership of a Beetle is not a destination it is a journey."

OZ Towdster Keen to finish some projects

1,921 posts · joined Dec 2003 ·

#916982
I'dd hazard a guess that you have reassembled the cv wrong , ie you have the narrow spaces linning up with the narrow spacers from the inner to the outer cv housings
Don't let body work get in the way of real suspension travel

TorxKiwi Officially Full-On Dubber

231 posts · joined Jun 2011 ·

#917172
and that would probably be correct ... a new day, a clear head and the sun was shining. Dismantle, clean, reassemble without grease and all was working fine. Grease and reassemble, install, life is good.
"Ownership of a Beetle is not a destination it is a journey."

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#917177
Hi

New bushes in trailing arm front pivot point is a good idea as well.

I've never worn out a set of urethane bushes even on high mileage cars

Steve