As the title states, what's the go with Drop plates vs adjusting std spring plates??
Is there an advantage to buying drop plates ?
If I just adjust the splines on the rear spring plates to lower my 59 beetle, will it bottom out easier and handle rough?
Thanx in advance
The only advantage drop plates offer is you don't have to notch them like stock ones when you go stupidly low, other than that they don't do anything stock ones can't.
The people trying to flog them market them as being like drop spindles for the back which is a wank, you are still putting the axles and/or CV joints on an extreme angle when you lower a lot, the drop plates arent going to change that which is what drop spindles do - lower without changing geometry.
And its correct to assume they dont effect camber either? Thats one of the claims from them, but I can't see how they make any difference?
71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE
You cant run 17inch wheels with adjustable plates...!🙅
"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you." - Anonymous 🥷
Ok, where would they have to be notched. I've never lowered a beetle so have no idea.
I have adjusted the springplate in relation to the torsion bar 2 splines. This has significantly moved the springplate of the stop with the car on stands, Approx 1/8 inch
So when the car is lowered back on the ground it will move up in the torsion/springplate housing, reducing travel more.
Does this sound correct?
cheers chris
yea, you're correct. Also, with the weight back on the wheels you may find the jacking points or pan are close to the 100mm allowable ADR road clearance.
2 splines gives around 4 inches of drop.
madness is in the eye of the beholder 👍
If you use drop plates, you will lower the rear BUT retain stock suspension travel, and stock shock range.
I lowered mine by 1 inner spline which dropped it approx 2 inches, but it bottom's out far easier and is almost on the bumpstops when parked...with this method you may also need shorter shocks.
If I was doing it again I would opt for drop plates.
kylandpl wrote:If I was doing it again I would opt for drop plates.
Fitting drop plates is not going to stop your shocks from bottoming out.
That is the mistake many people make because of the sellers saying they are like drop spindles which they aren't.
All they do is stop the spring plates hitting on the upper stoppers if you go really low which notching the stock ones also does.
If yours is doing that with one spline drop it must have been sagging bad to start with or your torsion bars are getting very tired.
Joel, maybe my torsion bars are getting tired, as I was surprised a 1 inner-spline drop would remove so much travel and have it almost sitting on the stops!
I have drop plates and just replaced my lowered shocks with standard height ones. They allow more suspension travel than standard straight ones when turned down on the splines. The ones I bought are also longer,eliminating the toe in associated with lowering standard springplates. My old adjustable ones used to bang when you hit a pothole or bump that took the weight off the suspension.
Lohoon and I both got our 3" drop spring plates off jerfab, I all have standard shocks and my torsion bars set to stock tension, old adjustable spring plates sucked with banging over pot holes. rides nice now 🙂
As Joel says, the drop plates change nothing other that fix the toe in issue and hitting the shock tower, it does not stop the gearbox destroying itself from to much negative camber unless you have raised the gearbox, 3" lower and you are sitting on the bump stops. when you install drop plates your shock mounts have moved 3" closer to each other when the torsion bars are set up at the standard height so the stock shocks will bottom out, fit shorter shocks and then they will become the lower rebound stop end eventually destroy themselves from topping out.
^^ yep, x2.
Drop plates will only affect the excessive toe in, as they are longer than stock. They will not change the shock length required and will definately not fix the fulcrum plate issues in the diff.
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