Setting up adjustable front narrowed beam

oldturtle22 Officially Full-On Dubber

267 posts · joined Nov 2011 · 5 May 2015, 7:32 pm

#1012616

I have a 59 beetle with a 4in narrowed beam and drop spindles.

Ive heard theres a way of setting up the position of the adjusters.

Whats your experiences/opinions on this?

Cheers.

oldturtle22 Officially Full-On Dubber

267 posts · joined Nov 2011 · 7 Oct 2015, 8:17 pm

#1019683

So no one here has done this???

adlbeetle66 Under the car.........again!

1,476 posts · joined Aug 2014 · 7 Oct 2015, 8:56 pm

#1019686

So your beam already has adjusters in it?

empi Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,131 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 8 Oct 2015, 1:36 pm

#1019695

Each beam will be different there really isnt a setting to go on you will just need to get under there and experiment

"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you." - Anonymous 🥷

petemart Seriously Crusin Dubber

105 posts · joined Oct 2010 · 8 Oct 2015, 9:21 pm

#1019703

I have a 4.5 beam but I run CB Performance Wide 5 disks so its the same as a 4"

I use my bug as a daily and I drive it as hard as the current 1200 will let me.

I have 2 sets of caster shims stacked under the bottom beam (you'll need longer bolts) and I have the two adjusters in tension against each other: i.e work out how low you want it, make the bottom one one notch higher, lock it in then set the top one one notch lower by putting blocks under the wheels and setting it when its under load by letting the jack back down and you'll see the adjuster move.

Every component must be new and be the best quality you can find and buy if you are going to drive it more than 3 times a year (Parts from importers like Tooley Imports, HM Ferman NOT CIP1 and all the other online Chinese rubbish)

I have also always run Koni adjustable shocks which are the one thing that turn a lowered bug from a miss-handling dog to drivable. They are expensive but it is like day and night.

oldturtle22 Officially Full-On Dubber

267 posts · joined Nov 2011 · 11 Oct 2015, 9:50 am

#1019764

Thanks for the replies,

Denver it has got adjusters in the top and bottom tubes but not the ratchet type. The car will track slightly sideways when you hit a bump, and in the wet its shocking.

It also has dropped adjustable Jerfab springplates in the rear.

Petemart, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I don't have castor shims and I'm sure its a chinese beam and the front wheels display positive camber. I may have to replace the beam I think.

I have considered in the past narrowing my own beam as I have a couple spare, or is it more economical to just buy one.

Do skinned knuckles still build beams? I've heard these are pretty good. I'll check the other suppliers.

Cheers

karmann141 Wolfsburg Wizard

485 posts · joined Aug 2009 · 11 Oct 2015, 12:32 pm

#1019768

oldturtle22 wrote:I have a 59 beetle with a 4in narrowed beam and drop spindles.

Ive heard theres a way of setting up the position of the adjusters.

Whats your experiences/opinions on this?

Cheers.

Without opening up the whole "narrowed beam" debate again, you do ask for experiences and opinions and I do believe in answering the question/s asked.

In my experience a narrowed beam car is always going to be a sub-standard drive when compared to a standard beam. The narrower the beam, the more of a pig it will be. You'll always compromise ride and handling with a narrowed beam - it's the trade off for aesthetics (if that's the look you like).
That's my experience and opinion.

1961 K Ghia - Porsche 5 sp, EJ20T, Brembo's, Dble A arm susp
1974 L Bug - Porsche 944 brakes, Boxster 16's
1974 Bay Camper - EJ20, twin radiators, Boxster 16x7's
Half Beetle trailer with Boxster 16x7's
2011 Tiguan TDI 4Motion
2010 LR Discovery 4 TDV

petemart Seriously Crusin Dubber

105 posts · joined Oct 2010 · 11 Oct 2015, 5:22 pm

#1019775

oldturtle22 wrote:Thanks for the replies,

Denver it has got adjusters in the top and bottom tubes but not the ratchet type. The car will track slightly sideways when you hit a bump, and in the wet its shocking.

It also has dropped adjustable Jerfab springplates in the rear.

Petemart, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I don't have castor shims and I'm sure its a chinese beam and the front wheels display positive camber. I may have to replace the beam I think.

I have considered in the past narrowing my own beam as I have a couple spare, or is it more economical to just buy one.

Do skinned knuckles still build beams? I've heard these are pretty good. I'll check the other suppliers.

Cheers

I have a DUB Beam with the Avis style but the beam brand and adjuster type shouldn't make any difference.

When I first got mine it did the same and I felt totally unsafe over 100km/hr as it was all over the road all the time and it had brand new Empi shocks on it.
With the shims and Konis shocks I can sit on 110km/hr all day long on the highway and have had it up to 130km/hr and was still staying straight.

I also think the red bushes that we all use are absolute sh&t and is probably 25% of the issue as the arms are always moving around.
Vintage Vee Dub apparently have good ones that they beat in and then ream the inner for the arms so they are right.
I will be getting this done when I put my big motor in and I'm thinking of putting a narrowed stock size front sway bar and steering damper on it.

Koni shocks are the best things anyone can do their VW.

Get it all on, set the height and find a place who can do 4 wheel alignments on lowered vw's.. 😎

oldturtle22 Officially Full-On Dubber

267 posts · joined Nov 2011 · 12 Oct 2015, 9:15 am

#1019798

Thanks Karmann. I appreciate your input.

So petemart maybe i dont need to replace the beam? Mine has got the red bushes. But how do I address the positive camber issues?