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Tie rod question
Secoh - July 18th, 2004 at 05:05 PM

I bent the long (PS) tie rod on my baja today jumping dunes on Stockton (oops)! I have a front end from a superbug. My baja is a ball joint '68. Are they the same tie rods?

Otherwise I'm going to have to get another one, if someone has one lying around :(


68AutoBug - July 18th, 2004 at 06:02 PM

Do You mean the tie rods are from a super beetle...??

as you can't have a front end from a super, as they bolt to the inner guards NOT the chassis....

they have a different steering box set up ...

My Book shows the Supers having two equal length tie rods that is attached to a centre tie rod...... that is attached to the steering box...

Torsion Bar beetles have a short tie rod on the Drivers side and a Long tie rod on the Passengers side.. these are attached to the pittman arm of the steering Box, which is attached to the torsion bar tubes... with the steering damper also attached to the long tie rod end...

Lee


Secoh - July 18th, 2004 at 06:20 PM

FWIW I actually DO have a super front end, it's the front half of a pan cut off with a gas-axe. :P

I also have the struts and steering box and arms sitting on the ground still all connected in a big pile from said pan. However it's buried under 2 ton of assorted crap and I decided it was easier to ask if the passenger side tie rod was the same as the passenger tie rod from my '68 which is very bent.


vw54 - July 18th, 2004 at 06:21 PM

Easy way to find out is run the tape measure over them both. I am pretty sure the tie rod ends are the same taper.


Secoh - July 18th, 2004 at 06:56 PM

the tie rod ends are fine, it's the actual arm i'm worried about.

yeah, no answers forthcoming looks like I'm digging it out from under all the junk to measure it :(


1303Steve - July 18th, 2004 at 11:40 PM

Hi

The arms are diffrent lenght between a super and beam front end. When I had a rally car we used to cutup old sway bars and slide them down the inside of the tubes to give them a little bit of extra strenght.

1302Steve


Secoh - July 19th, 2004 at 08:18 AM

Thanks Steve. That's a durned good idea!


battybat - July 19th, 2004 at 04:38 PM

Lee

you are a mine of useful pictures!

I had put up a post cos I didn't know beetles have steering dampers, and then I find you've posted a pic of the front end from above somewhere else

have you got a website with them all on?

cheers

terry


BiX - July 19th, 2004 at 05:25 PM

yep different tie rods the super are equal length, and have a drag link.


Secoh - July 19th, 2004 at 06:01 PM

I took it off tonite and bashed it flat, so it's back in action :D yeah yeah, it's weakened now but it'll get replaced with no urgency now at least/