As per usual, I've been pondering cheap (or not so cheap) improvements to factory parts. I came up with this idea a while back...
Converting King/link pin arms and spindle over to Heim joints.
Seems to me that an upright shaft replacing the kingpin and a few threaded inserts in the arms would make for an easy conversion. I know the joints need regular greasing, but so do the K/L pins so no great dramas there. The geometry would also remain pretty well identical and you could easily dial in a degree or two of negative camber.
Now, I know you're gonna say, "just convert to ball joint" but I don't want to for a few reasons. First up, that would mean swapping pans and my car is a great original car. Then there is the expense. However, the oval is up for a front end rebuild before too long so I'm trying to find a way to make it more adjustable as well as restoring it.
I am working on two projects that have rose joint front suspension arms. They are twin A arm type front ends. There is no problem with the rose joints in these applications as the front suspension member itself is rubber mounted to the chassis. The engineer has stated that suspension must have an absorbing mount somewhere to the chassis. So Strut front ends have this with the bushes on the lower arms. I am not familiar with front beams, but I assume there is some absorbing mounts originally from the stub axle to the pan. Even if it is in the tube bearings.
These are a great idea, but those joints will not last long for daily road use.
The other factor is the cost of quality rod ends, those big suckers are likely ove $100 a pop.
The factory trailing arm uses a needle bearing outboard and
a weired and shitty fiberous bush inboard(bakelite like a wireless greg?).
Pre 1960 had the shitty bushes in and out.
HappyDaze wrote:I would never consider the Rose joints for road use.
Why? Surely you can lube them regularly same as a kingpin front end.
Re the price, I payed over $1k to have my last king/link pin front end refurbed between the kit, machining and labor. So $400 for heims sounds pretty good.
Like Crag, I am wondering why you you need lots of neg. camber on a road car, slow or fast.
The reason my [track only] Beetle has 4 deg. neg., and lots of caster, and toe-out....is to get the bloody thing to 'turn in', with the locked diff, and A70 tyres. The rod-end link pins was a simple, economical way of providing camber adjustment. Just my opinion, but a road car [with good road tyres] shouldn't need that much neg. camber, and may even become a bit ordinary [dangerous?] under brakes.
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
So you think neutral camber is ok? It's just that I'd like to do some khanas in the car and like you say, understeer is always an issue with turn in. A little neg camber always helps this.
Please refer to the lap times at the last Wakefield Park event. I was running 135's with a 2" narrowed beam and stock camber/toe, and Bluey out performed many modern cars with way better set ups on paper. !!!! I only ran a hand full of laps.
Another example, John Alder's F Vee is set-up using K/L specifically to rub the ball joint noses into poo.
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pete wood wrote:So you think neutral camber is ok? It's just that I'd like to do some khanas in the car and like you say, understeer is always an issue with turn in. A little neg camber always helps this.
Caster wedges, and 1mm toe OUT will help turn-in, then [providing there is enough power on tap] you can control the back end with the right foot.
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
