hellbugged wrote:get Craig to cut a THICK plate with center hole that goes over the heater box.........with mounting tang on each side
send him the bars to be shortened and tapped for clevis joints
4 bars
could be nuts, but just a different take on it
yeah heater boxes are cool, recently borrowed a beetle with them in tact and absolutely loved it with the heat on tap!
I think this could be done, but the hole would have to be about 8" x 4" I think to get around the heater box on the correct angle.
I can not see it being possible to make a dog leg around the heater box as it would be such a big deviation. I wish you could see how much these heater boxes are in the way and then you may have a 2nd thought about it. Anyone welcome to come and look if they want.
Also the drivers side isn't as bad as the passengers side, for obvious reasons.
Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
Could a couple of tabs be welded to the very top bar, just inside the clevis joints, and the diagonal bars you have connect from the new welded tabs to the bottom tabs on the forks?
Let us know if there is room to do this as I'm not sure if this would allow you to get around the starter motor.
perhaps that could work, well similar, that specific example is an S13 camber arm, available in there millions in any colour u want probably, just thought that could work, was doing s13 related stuff for a mates car today 😀
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
STIDUB, bloody good idea and it would be rice if it were on a VW it would be a beautiful piece of engineering 😂
I was also thinking of something like this (excuse my photo shop skills or lack of). This is only a thought and I haven't done any measuring and it may be to close to the ground to actually work. The 'X' is to mark where the heater boxes would be. I think this would still stop the horns from flexing or twisting.
Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
You just need to re engineer the location tabs, I got them to fit OK on David's bugs. Just place the rod where it clears the heaterbox and that's where your tabs need to be
The first thing I notice is that your upper mount is on the outside of the body, where as mine are on the inside so this would greatly change the angle. And your lower mount looks further forward to mine. My kits is pre-made so I cant move the upper mount and I had the rear lower bracket welded as per supplier guidance. Anyway, gives me other ideas to work on thanks.
Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
Kev, whatever you do, the important thing to remember is TRIANGLE.👍 Any rod should connect at each end to what's known as a 'hard point', and form a triangle.
Email if you want some help.
Cheers, Greg
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
I think the body on the later bugs is different to your car that why the bar appears to be outside.
I had the greatest issue with the heater box on the 3&4 side, I got it to work OK but then when I went to a sidewinder header without heater boxes it was really close to the bar on the passenger side, so going sans heater may not help.
I thought the idea of coming in from outside the body was a good one, but pay pose rubbing issues. What if you got a fabricating mate around and tried the following:
Cut the existing tab off. Bolt the tab to the arm and locate it insitu where you think it would best lie, closest to the mount triangulation at the top of the shock.
Then bend weld and secure a new mounting point that reaches the arm in its new position.
the idea of the bar is to reduce movement and firm up the loose original rear end. If you can make a substantial mounting point then there shouldn't be too much of an issue.
There are pleant of other bars out there that are welded solid, or follow different paths. I will try and post some photos (and yes i know some of them do not do what craigs kit does. But we are looking for solutions right.)
Joel wrote:Steve, isn't your's an overseas kit? not one of Craig's kit?
Hi
My kit came from Lanner at http://www.vdubengineering.com/ in Canada, I went that way because I was bringing in some other stuff from him and it made the freight cheaper.
My shock tags where not all joined together like Craig's kit, the final angle and position of the tabs is left upto the installer. I just got the cross bar in place and then fiddled around with tags to go down to the forks from the shocks to make it all work.
I note on CIP that on one unit they sell (looks weaker though) the long down bar is a couple of inches in away from the top mount and is actually mounted off the cross bar.
Is this how they get around the clearance issue?
Newt
It is as it is - If you didnt enjoy today, you've missed the opportunity.
Craig Torrens6 times Australian, 7 times State Hillclimb Class Champion
DON'T bend the bar. Thats a thick ALi or chromoly bar that'll be a shit to bend for one and once bent will introduce fatigue if used in anger.
Looks like 40-50mm clearance needed to get the bar to fit. I know you spent money on the ceramic but is only need be part done. It's only 0.6 or 0.8mm steel for the heater casing so measure, cut, new metal and weld to move the outlet sideways, up, down or two of those directions. It's just ali sprayed on and then baked so a touch up can't be that much 🤪
