Hey can someone tell me did the country buggy's have a special kind of wheel jack, or is it the same kind used for a beetle or kombi.

I need one for my car.

Regards
Paul

Paul,
The CB jack is the same as the Beetle jack except for one thing- it is about 4 inches longer in the reach to allow for the greater ground clearance of the vehicle. In the short term use a standard Beetle jack with a brick or block of wood under it so you can get the car far enough off the ground.
Regards,
Countrybuggybill

Hi Bill,

Thankyou once again for your assistance. You've answered many of my questions and it is very much appreciated.

Regards
Paul

Get yourself a steering shaft from a 6 volt Beetle-cut it to whatever length you need-get somebody to machine the circlip grooves each end and you will have a suitable CB jack.The shaft is the same 22mm OD and 3mm wall thickness as a Beetle jack shaft.

I recently came into possession of what I think is a genuine CB jack. While overhauling it I measured the shaft. It’s exactly 550mm long which, if it is real, may be of interest to someone modifying one. The 2 pins were worn out and the roller was worn through. Other than that it’s in perfect condition and will be an easy rebuild.
Does that sound like a genuine one to you blokes? I don’t have a beetle or kombi one to compare it with.
Cheers
Tony

Tony,
Your post made me go measure my CB jack and you are spot on with the 550mm long.
Sounds,looks and even smells like the duck's guts.
The length of the shaft is the only difference at I know about.
countrybuggybill

there are probably vw owners out there with a CB jack and wouldn't know it??

although a jack 4 inches longer wouldn't fit under My bonnet
in the jack clamps on the RHS next to the spare wheel...

a CB jack would need the handle with a bend in it???
from memory early jacks could go straight down in one go???

where as the later jack [bilstein with a pressed metal base]
had the two separate sockets to place the handle in..
and they go down a bit at a time...
am I correct???

LEE

PS: the front blinkers on country buggies...
they are still available new ?? I saw some in a local shop..

fairly expensive for something that used to cost a few dollars.

not sure about the tail lamps?? they were just generic Hella lamps too weren't they??

LEE

Lee- you are right about the CB jacks not fitting in a Beetle.

The Hella front and rear lense units are still available although the rears are now plastic chrome and 12V. The rears sell for about $50 and the front Hella lenses are about $35.

Navra make the same items as the Hella units but I dont see them that much cheaper at $39 for rears and $25 for the fronts.

countrybuggybill

Hi Bill,

Narva used to be located in the DDR or German Democratik Republik [eastern germany]
and their driving lamps and switches etc...
used to be much cheaper than Hella...

then they pulled the Berlin Wall down and it became a German Company... and its products have improved.. along with its price

I bought a pair of rectangular driving lamps off ebay a few years ago.. they were Holden official accessories.. lol
and made by NARVA.. with DDR on the lens... lol
they were still sealed in their boxes...

I think I have a new front blinker lamp somewhere too...
I know I have a clear one i never used... lol

the retail price of Hella & Narva lamps are rediculously expensive these days...

cheers

LEE

Well, here it is, all 550mm of it. 2 new pins and a roller (all hard) and a bit of a clean up and it’s like brand new.
You have to appreciate the simplistic design, excellent functionality and quality of a thing like this. Reminds you why you like these VW based things.
Tony

I found in the US and the US & Canada...

no one uses the VW jack...

I've been using one since 1962... [My Fathers]

I've never known one to come down...

even when greased or oiled.... ????

Excellent designs... both of them...

LEE


there was a third design in real late beetles but I've never seen one.. maybe the uSA only ???

CB jack on right, Beetle jack on left.

Hey Beven, your jack looks really nice. What did you use to clean it up? It has that nice old firearm look to it. Where did you get your pins and roller?

Hi
Yes it came up great, I was quite pleased.
No tricks to the finish. It came from a big sheep station (ranch) in a very dry area of Australia. It was obviously well used, and then dumped on the sand the open for 35 years. The surface was lightly rusted. All I did was brush it with various wire wheels and hand brushes, not too heavily, and then oiled it. I guess a wax or a varnish of some sort would do the same job. Perhaps one of those products that they preserve “patina” with?
As for the pins and roller, I just knocked it apart, measured it up and made those bits myself, in the lathe.
It’s now sealed in a plastic bag waiting for the rest CB to be completed.
Cheers
Tony Beven

Tony , I have just restored another one as well. It's the one I use for lifting the spring plates back up to get the rubber bush cap bolts back in.I have turned the workings around to get it to work in reverse. Works a treat.

Hi Gary
Yes, I’ve heard of people using them for that. Their compact size and positive action makes them great for the job. Only possible draw back is the “down” mechanism. You sort of have to commit to the release, all or nothing. They certainly get your attention that first time you let a car down with one. All part of the fun I guess.
Did you get those CB rear axles done?
Cheers
Tony

With some careful manipulation,they can be eased down.I had the reduction box axle tubes blasted and painted,but I have a dual sideplate IRS box at Volkscare being converted to swingaxle and having the crown wheel swapped sides.I will rebuild the reduction boxes and fit it all to that trans when he is finished.Should be a good cruiser with a 1600 TP mated to it.

Been thinking about the CB jacks- seeing all the running gear is Kombi based and split Kombis have the same type of jacking points- then one would assume the jack was from a Kombi ???