Raising Ride Height

Hi Guys

1973 beetle 1300, when they are sagged at the rear, can you just change the location of the trailing arm on the torsion bar.

It has a big wide flat trailing arm that goes behind a bracket held on by 4 bolts. I presume behind that bracket is a torsion bar that the trailing arm slips on by splines.

If I am correct, can I undo those 4 bolts, slide the trailing arm of and then slip it back on a few splines anti clockwise.

Cheers

Most likely youll find when you pop the cover off the spring plate the rubber bush underneath has worn out. If this is the case replace this, keeping the torison bar aligned in the same spot and see how the ride height is after that. If its still too low its simply a matter of adjusting the springplate on the splines of the torsion bar. The torsion bar has different numbers of splines inner and outer allowing fine adjustments. Can be tricky to get perfect and might take a couple of goes to get perfectly even heights on each side.

I should add if you only move the springplate on the outer splines only its a couple of inches of ride hight for each spline adjustment. You need a combination of turning opposite directions on the inner and outer splines unless you want a massive change in height. Hope this makes sense.

Torsion bars do sag over time. adjusting it a spline is a normal procedure. Replace the bushes whilst you have gone to the effort to disassemble.

How to document here: http://www.vw-resource.com/rearaxle.html

The torsion bar bushes that are often worn out (inner and outer) will only alter the ride height by the amount of crush, therefore only millimeters. Work out how much you wish to raise the car by jacking up the car after measuring the actual ride height and comparing measurements. Then once the shock and axle is removed (you'll most likely need to remove h/brake cables too) and the spring plate droped off its stop (beware as there can be tension) but still ingaged in the torsion bar splines, measure to the ground for reference from the springplate where the axle sits. Alter the torsion preload by the amount you want to raise or lower the car (using inner and outer splines combined) and put it all back together again. Clocwise or anti clockwise will depend on what side your working on!!

Easy 😉

clinker42 wrote:Hi Guys

1973 beetle 1300, when they are sagged at the rear, can you just change the location of the trailing arm on the torsion bar.

It has a big wide flat trailing arm that goes behind a bracket held on by 4 bolts. I presume behind that bracket is a torsion bar that the trailing arm slips on by splines.

If I am correct, can I undo those 4 bolts, slide the trailing arm of and then slip it back on a few splines anti clockwise.

Cheers

Hi
its not quite that easy....
unless You have done it before... lol

but its normal to adjust the outer and inner splines to get the correct height...

and as said, You may need to replace the inner and outer rubber bushes.. as they don't last forever...

Don't You like a lowered rear end... lol

although it will look strange if the front isn't lowered.... lol

cheers

LEE

One good trick I have found to get both sides even is to take both sides off, set them both up ready to lift back onto the stops (so basically setting the angle), then sight across under the car to see if they run parrallel to each other (if they are 'in wind'). This should give both sides the same ride height.

beetleboyjeff wrote:One good trick I have found to get both sides even is to take both sides off, set them both up ready to lift back onto the stops (so basically setting the angle), then sight across under the car to see if they run parrallel to each other (if they are 'in wind'). This should give both sides the same ride height.

Jeff

shouldn't they be the same height..
if You adjust both torsion bars the same amount???

LEE

That depends on if they were set up even last time, and if, when you are taking it apart, one of the ends 'pops' off and you lose your place as to what spline you were at - happens to me most times.
It only takes a few seconds to check, and can save taking one apart to re-set it again if it is wrong.

Good tip Jeff, an extra to it is to vice grip two steel rulers to the bottom edge of the spring plates for increased accuracy.

beetleboyjeff wrote:That depends on if they were set up even last time, and if, when you are taking it apart, one of the ends 'pops' off and you lose your place as to what spline you were at - happens to me most times.
It only takes a few seconds to check, and can save taking one apart to re-set it again if it is wrong.

That's what I'm dreading Jeff....

the pop off... lol

LEE