Has anyone got some decent pics of the modified rear shock towers when converting swingaxle to IRS?

As luck would have it I sort of do, these are of a quick fix job I did for a guy who was on his way through.

Basically when you convert your pre 67 swing axle rear end to IRS you need to modify the shock towers to allow the trailing arm to swing full up travel without hitting it. If you don't modify it you will find that your arm hits the tower and the brake line often gets squashed and then ruptures.




The stock arms and tower




As you are removing some strength from the tower you need to gusset the tower to make up for it. Here I have added a 5 mm gusset plate to the outside of the tower. You DO NOT weld all the way around just up the sides.




Now you have the plate in you simply cut off the underhang. You will see the arms have the spring plate bolts removed so I can ensure they swing full travel.

After cutting clean it up and weld a strip on the bottom. I got bored of stopping to take pics about now so I don't have a finished one.

Note this job was done in the car as quickly as possible. we do them slightly differently when working on a bare pan but it is the same principle.

DON'T convert an old king=pin pan to IRS...

Brad...

you're my hero!! can I be your best friend?

so that's how you do it.

Btw, what is the tower made of?

Can I mig weld it?
or do I have to use gas and cast iron type rod?

P.s. VWcool is right, get a late model pan with IRS type towers or a semi-auto pan that already has IRS. I learnt the hard way.

Well the problem is I dont want Balljoint front as I can get more travel from the Link Pin but also want IRS on the rear.

the easiest option would be to weld a link-pin frame head onto a superbug pan.

There is nothing wrong with getting an IRS conversion done on a link pin pan. It only cost $539 inc including heavy duty pivot boxes or $450 if you supply your own. The job is fine as long as you know what you are doing.

Modifying the towers is just one of the little things you do to make it all work sweat.

Oh for got to say I will add some more pics in the next week or so when I finish of the rear end of my new Manx ....

A Mig Welder is fine

the person with the mig matters too :>

which is cheaper putting a link pin frame head on a super pan? or converting the link pin pan?
marcel

what are you saying brad, huh! :cussing

ok, guilty as charged, I promise I'll turn the gas on this time...

Thanx for the tips brad, mine are all done now and ready for proper offroading. Only took an afternoon with the grinder and the MIG.