Well, I found out what you guys meant about learning the limits of the Baja over easter. We drove 500km up to Lake maquarie to visit family, reasonably uneventful although the generator nut worked it's way loose which damaged the top pulley and possibly the wodruff key and keyway. Is there meant to be a spring washer under there?

On Easter sunday I decided to give stokton beach a go. I'd been there about 10 years ago in a suzuki sierra, so I thought it wouldn't be too hard... got bogged on the access track in. The engine tin becomes a great shovel in reverse. A nice bloke in a GS Limo buggy suggested that we lower tyre pressure down to 5 psi and, with lots of revs it got out of the really rutted stuff and onto the dunes proper. No real problems once we were there, but I was a bit concerned about getting out. It was on the rough stuff that the rear tyres started to hit the gaurds on full bump. I think the rear torsion bars have sagged a bit.

I think that somewhere during the day, one of the bumps must have shaken the accellerator pump nozzle loose, cos on our way home on monday, the car started making an awful noise, which turned out to be the engine injesting the accelerator pump nozzel. thankfully it didn't appear to cause any permanent damage and we were able to continue on our way through Sydney.

It was in Sydney that i realised the thump when applying the brakes was in fact due to one of the bolts on the front brake caliper falling out. It appears that the locking tab had broken off and due to vibrations the bolt had worked it's way loose. Fortunately I was able to get a new bolt and continue on without further dramas.

So I think if i'm going to continue with offroading the baja bug, i'm going to need to be more concerned about reliability and somehow find more rear end ground clearance.

Whats the best way to do that with a swingaxle?

Stephen

Convert to IRS...

Are you looking for more ground clearance (increased ride height), or more suspension travel (up and down)? Regardless of sag and suspension travel, the tyres SHOULD NOT touch any components on the body etc. There should ALWAYS be limiters, bumpstops etc to prevent contact or damage

And now for your next lesson: a 'Spanner Check' of all suspension, chassis and brake bolts/nuts to correct torque and check locking tabs etc at your next service!


[Edited on 31/3/2005 by VWCOOL]

[Edited on 31/3/2005 by VWCOOL]

pre-load the rear torsion bars.
A good guide is to set it so that the bottem edge of the springplate covers half the lower rear spring-plate cap bolt hole.
If you dont know how to pre-load the torsion bars do a search, its not very hard.

My first Baja tweaking consisted of fitting 150psi pump up air shocks to the rear, with the Biggest rear wheel/tyre combo I could fit in there...
That turned out to be 33x15 tyres on 10x15's... If you want to avoid a yellow sticker, I suggest NOT fitting such large wheels and tyres... I got several stickers... A big wheel/tyre combo with BIG pump up shocks will take care of your clearance problem.. I ran my car like that for several years before the current build.. It now runs a 4" body lift, 1600 Kombi box so the car was converted to IRS, reset front and rear torsion bars, disc brake front end, full cage and bar work with harnesses and race seats...
Despite how tuff it's been built, I broke something last weekend, so don't get disheartened about things snapping off... It happens to most of us, but it's a Great learning experience and most of the Baja guys on here will probably be very happy to give you advice or lend a hand...
Enjoy the ride...

There is no reall need to go to irs unless you want big big but my old swinger has eaten more irs cars than i can count now that we have that cleared up. start by taking the back up one outer spline that will make a few inches difference the front is easy but if your not mechaniclly minded you could take it to some one to do it for you but all you have to do is take your front beam out link pin to ball joint same thing just not as far with balljoint take it all apart make two cuts about an inch ether side of the lock screew one a side top and bottem and now turn the bit around as much as needed and weld you will have to cut the bump stops off and run kombi frot shocks if you go big big have fun

Quote:

Originally posted by WABaja A big wheel/tyre combo with BIG pump up shocks will take care of your clearance problem.. Enjoy the ride...

Any of You Guys interested in a pair of KYB used Gas shocks in good condition....?
$40 plus postage...
I don't have any pics of them as yet....
I will also measure them...
they fit the front end of a late torsion bar Beetle...
one nut at the top and the bolt thru the bottom....
they look like they are longer than normal......
but I haven't measured My Beetles shocks as yet....

Lee Noonan -- Scone 2337
vk2lee@qsl.net or U2U

I bet you painted them Lee

Quote:

Originally posted by VWCOOL Quote: Originally posted by WABaja A big wheel/tyre combo with BIG pump up shocks will take care of your clearance problem.. Enjoy the ride... No, not quite... it simply limits travel so the tyre/body clearance problem isn't so obvious. It's much better to have full suspension travel (it's there - might as well use it!) and adequate clearance all through that travel

Thanks for the advice everyone,

I'e already got avis adjusters on the front, but only 195x70 r14 tyres, so I think slightly larger diameter tyres on the front will help a bit.

The local VW guy suggested that coil over shocks at the back with adjustable spring tension would allow me to run reasonably straight axles when on road and then go to fully wound up rear axles for off road. Sounds reasonable to me, any thoughts?

Yellow Booger :-)

Yeah, I just thought I'd clarify the intent of his question as some people get the terms and concepts of suspension 'travel' and 'clearance' mixed up.

With his rear tyres already rubbing on the guards, bigger ones will only cause more problems... Time to modify rim offset/track etc etc or go IRS, I reckon!

[Edited on 4/4/2005 by VWCOOL]