i am about to start the resto on my pan its 55-56 there some were ive got all the bits to convert it to irs but i was thinking before i cut in to it and stuff it up is there a jig to make shore the new mounts are in the rite spot and what about the later style box whats the go there its a single side plate type any help on what not to do would be grate
thanks travis
68AutoBug ·
I don't know anyone who has done this, its common in the USA and they do have to make up a jig to weld the IRS into place... but I've never seen one...
I think they just weld in the complete rear end, but still use a jig of some kind...
Maybe someone on this Forum knows how they do it...
All Beetles in the USA from 1969 had the IRS rear end....
So they only do it to fit into early model cars..
You would think they would just change over chassis, as there are plenty of IRS chassis over there...
Best of Luck...
Lee
Desert Moose ·
I can get you some weld in Trailing Arm Pivot Boxes so you can keep your pan @ $85. pair, but it a big job if the body is still on. A jig is the best way but its not imperative!
Craig Torrens ·
I would not recommend converting an early pan to IRS. The casting on the rear shock towers is a lot lower than on a later model pan, this will hit the IRS trailing arm as soon as you want to lower it, or the suspension is compressed.
Find yourself a 1500 pan to convert.
Also the handling benefits of going IRS will not be matched with a K/Link front end.
Sorry!🙁
Desert Moose ·
Yeh I'm with Craig by the time you do the work it easier to get a new pan.🙁
nbturbo ·
I have done this conversion on my Oval.I used a link pin pan from a '64 and don't have any clearance problems with the shock towers,so maybe a bit different to an original oval pan.I hired the jigs from VintageVDub and bought some pivot boxes as well.The boxes weren't of a suitable quality for my liking so found a rear end from a Type 3 and cut those out-piece of piss to remove.Don't forget to keep the rear trans bracket bolted up to the frame horns and to dimple the horns for the CV joints.You can use any Beetle/Type3 IRS box.I have used everything from the Type3 so have the thicker torsion bars and double spring plates as well as the single side plate box.It's not a real difficult job-but if you don't have any welding skills-think carefully B4 you start.
VWCOOL ·
Craig Torrens wrote:I would not recommend converting an early pan to IRS. The casting on the rear shock towers is a lot lower than on a later model pan, this will hit the IRS trailing arm as soon as you want to lower it, or the suspension is compressed.
Find yourself a 1500 pan to convert.
Also the handling benefits of going IRS will not be matched with a K/Link front end.
Sorry!🙁
Yep. You don't need a jig. You need a later pan!
[Edited on 23-4-2004 by VWCOOL]
low55 ·
COOL THANKS GUYS FOR THE IN PUT I THINK ILL GO THE LATER PAN
WELDING IS NO PROBS IM A PANEL FORMER AND BEATER BUT BALL JOINT WOULD BE NICE MY FLOORS NEED WORK ANY WAY SO I MITE JUST SEE WHATS AROUND THANKS AGAIN TRAVIS
Brad ·
If you are gunna go later then go with a superbug pan and just weld on a BJ Frame head... walla job done and it is a much nicer conversion.
seagull ·
so then you fit the link pin beam Brad ??
Brad ·
??? link pin ??? why would you want that on a street bug ??
BJ and factory Disc's... better ride, less maintenance, cheaper, stronger tie rod ends ............
seagull ·
No this is on my off roader pan , brad , seagull
low55 ·
sounds neat with not to much work i now were to find a strut pan
thanks brad
Brad ·
yep it is the way to go ..
lugnuts ·
Cant you just get a BJ+IRS pan,i realise these are semi-auto pans,tell me i hafta now is it the cost or the rarity of these pans that preclude there use,thanks guys.:o
low55 ·
i would say rarity you dont see many for sale and the ones i see are sold
very quick im going to go the chop on the super pan ther ferly cheap and comen to boot
bugmeister ·
Is BJ really a better ride? What about an improvement is handling? The maintenance thing is well known, but quantative details on ride and handling improvement are thin on the ground. I'd love to hear comments as I'm contemplating a BJ framehead conversion.
Jenny ·
If you are still interested in the IRS conversion, then it is covered in a tech article for a Manx Buggy in the Jan 2001 issue of VW Trends. Someone posted a huge zipped file with all the tech articles on the forum here not long ago but I can't find it at the moment...Have a look or do a search.
Karmann ghia seller ·
All you have to do is a cut and shut on the pan stich it through the centre spot marks and throught the sill joins
2 halves is so easy to join the old front to new rear if still under car
or
like the rest say even easyer to use later pan
hey low55. I've been looking for a semi-auto pan for my '71 standard to convert to IRS (got a balljoint front end). I can get a super pan to get the IRS from, but do you want to make some money and help me out with the conversion? :thumb
semi-auto pans are proving to be annoyingly illusive or too far away, so I'd be VERY interested if you could help me out.
cheers
beerdoc ·
does this meen I dont take my pan to the scrap dealer just yet???????????
ruckus ·
hehehe not yet mate, I might be able to use it!
Don't forget to let me know if you need anything brought down for you.
low55 ·
yer ruckus i can do that im in the middle of makining a jig so it wont be a prob and not to dear or a trade if you want
travis
helterskelter400 ·
with all this talk about welding front clips on & IRSing swinger pans, whats the legals on putting a ball joint head on a IRS pan and also slip the small triangle of metal that carries the oval chassis # under the rear seat??
VWCOOL ·
slip the small triangle of metal that carries the oval chassis # under the rear seat??
ahhh... huh?
helterskelter400 ·
so when its licenced again he'll have an oval body on an oval numbered pan but wuith ball joint front and the irs rear.
VWCOOL ·
Aha! You mean a dodgy numbers swap?!
helterskelter400 ·
yep. thats it. a dodgy numbers swap.
low55 ·
yer dodgy,s the word and in my eyes its legal he,he
in the end what i have done is i got a ball joint pan and fited the brakets to the rear torsion bar tube to take the irs trailing arms its easyer
but that said im a panel beater and have done lots of chassi work over the years and know what engineers want to see im all so an A grade welder in mig/tig and oxy so for me ther is no problem
and if they dont pick it up dont tell them
spunoff ·
you would probably find it would be better than when it came out of the factory
beerdoc ·
spunoff wrote:you would probably find it would be better than when it came out of the factory
exactly, a one of as opposed to a production line !
Sounds like low55 is your man ruckus
Low55 how much of the rear do you want?
as in cut in halve from the front or keep the pan in one or do you just want arms and weld in new brackets?
[Edited on 22-10-2004 by beerdoc]
low55 ·
thers 3 ways
1 buy the brackets new
2 cut up a type 3 irs for the brackets
they are easyer to get off than off a type one and looks much cleaner
3 cut up a type 1 this can be done its just it take an extra hour to remove properly so it looks good and you need from the chassi no back