| [ Total Views: 443 | Total Replies: 11 | Thread Id: 15574 ] |
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 Craig Torrens
A.k.a.: Craig Torrens
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| posted on November 9th, 2003 at 09:40 PM |
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Raising front beam for a buggy ?
So do I use one or two adjusters ? I'm thinking only one as the buggy is lighter and this would give a better spring rate, but should I use two
??????
Also how high can you go with balljoint beams,all my "beam" experience is with lowering for racing !
would you set the lowest position on the adjuster/s at standard VW height or does this raise it too high ?
Sorry for the questions just want to get the beam right :thumb
P.S. the buggy is to be used for offroad.
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manxed69
A.k.a.: Steven Vanes
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| posted on November 9th, 2003 at 09:53 PM |
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I'm no VW expert, but I'll tell you what I did.
My buggy had two adjusters already fitted when I got it, but I noticed that it was set up to be low for the road and one adjuster was around more than
the other. I decided to raise it for off road and set the adjusts to the same point so that the torsion bars were working equally. I marked the
original ride height and then jacked the front up to where I wanted it to be then marked it again. Then I knew where I wanted them to be. One by one I
cut the original welds and moved them around to my marks. I moved one more than the other to even them up.
If you do two then you can always adjust them to what you want, but I believe that some people get away with one. If you only do one also remeber that
your adjustable range will be less than if you do two.
Hope this helps.
Steven
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Craig Torrens
A.k.a.: Craig Torrens
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| posted on November 10th, 2003 at 06:15 PM |
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Anybody else ??
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KruizinKombi
A.k.a.: Col
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| posted on November 10th, 2003 at 07:18 PM |
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For maximum adjustability, I'd use two and set them so that the lowest setting is about 'stock' - ie. the lowest setting you envisage
yourself using on the road.
This should allow you a considerable lift, but you have the option of using less by decreasing the adjustment on one or both adjusters.
Kruizin Kol
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Craig Torrens
A.k.a.: Craig Torrens
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| posted on November 10th, 2003 at 08:04 PM |
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that's the same as what I do for lowering, although in reverse:thumb
I just thought that if you could only raise by.. say 2 inches, then I may as well set the adjusters at stock height when they are Half way ! then I
could raise 2 inches (offroad) from stock or lower 2 inches (road hoon ). Maybe I should use CB performance raised spindles ?
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Baja Wes
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| posted on November 10th, 2003 at 08:13 PM |
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brad would be the person to ask, he's done heaps.
The basic rule is use 2 and offset them to get a progressive spring rate for the light buggy front end.
raised fronts always suffer from bump steer. The only fix is to use raised spindles. K&L front ends can find australian country buggy front ends
and use them. Ball joint guys can buy thing front ends from the US and use them. The thing front end is stronger than the CB raised spindles.
Brad is running a thing front end, and I have one in my shed ready to be installed when I get some time.
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Craig Torrens
A.k.a.: Craig Torrens
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| posted on November 10th, 2003 at 08:24 PM |
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thanks Wes.
is the only difference on the "thing" front end the stub axles, or do they have stronger trailing arms,beam etc
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Baja Wes
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| posted on November 10th, 2003 at 09:04 PM |
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The thing front end had both balljoints pressed into the arms from the bottom up. This means when you hit bumps hard the ball joints get jammed into
their seats even harder. Whereas the standard beetle front the bottom ball joint gets pulled out of it's seat.
The arms and beam are very similar apart from the ball joints pressing into the lower arms from the opposite side.
Another difference is the thing wheel mounting point is slightly further out than the beetle, effectively making it a wider front end. This is why I
haven't fitted mine yet, I am figuring out what to do. I think I will narrow a beam to get my front wheels back in the right spot.
The other disadvantage of the thing front end is that it only comes with drum brakes. Me and Brad are also working on making suitable adaptor plates
to fit factory ball joint disc brakes and calipers. It shouldn't be too hard.
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Craig Torrens
A.k.a.: Craig Torrens
Scirocco Rare
6 times Australian, 7 times State Hillclimb Class Champion
Posts: 8040
Threads: 347
Registered: January 10th, 2003
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Location: Sydney
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: Time to go Salt lake racing, and actually achieve a result.
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| posted on November 10th, 2003 at 09:25 PM |
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mmm
"thing" lower balljoints fitted to a beetle lower arm???? or could you fit a thing lower arm and use the standard stub axle ?
now it gets complicated!
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70AutoStik
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| posted on November 11th, 2003 at 01:15 AM |
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Hey Craig - October Hot VWs has an article on a "kit" for reversed bushes. Fitting the bushes from the other side was actually done 30
years ago - these days you can get extreme angle ball joints to go with it!
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Baja Wes
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| posted on November 11th, 2003 at 09:03 AM |
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Autostik, if your talking about a bump steer kit then that only works for lowered beetles.
Craig, The thing spindles are raised about 3 inches. If you want the lift you need the thing spindles.
You can't change the beetle stub axle to mount the ball joints from the other way. It won't give any more clearance and physically
won't work.
You can press the ball joints in the wrong side of the beetle arm to suit the thing spindles, I know some guys in the US have done it. However to do
it properly you would have to machine the other side of the arm flat to make the thing ball joint seat properly.
Thing ball joints are also slightly different to beetle ball joints.
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Craig Torrens
A.k.a.: Craig Torrens
Scirocco Rare
6 times Australian, 7 times State Hillclimb Class Champion
Posts: 8040
Threads: 347
Registered: January 10th, 2003
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Location: Sydney
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: Time to go Salt lake racing, and actually achieve a result.
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| posted on November 11th, 2003 at 11:13 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Baja Wes
The thing front end had both balljoints pressed into the arms from the bottom up. This means when you hit bumps hard the ball joints get jammed into
their seats even harder. Whereas the standard beetle front the bottom ball joint gets pulled out of it's seat.
MMM, come to think about it, the standard vw balljoint is pressed in from the bottom as well !
Or is it that your trying to say the stub axle sits below both trailing arms (both balljoints facing down,pressed up) unlike the standard beetle which
sits in between(balljoints facing each other,pressed up), therefore using the beetle stub would be impossible?
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Baja Wes
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| posted on November 11th, 2003 at 03:42 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Craig Torrens
Or is it that your trying to say the stub axle sits below both trailing arms (both balljoints facing down,pressed up) unlike the standard beetle which
sits in between(balljoints facing each other,pressed up), therefore using the beetle stub would be impossible?
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uummm, yes?
Hard to explain without a pic. I will find some.
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Baja Wes
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| posted on November 11th, 2003 at 04:08 PM |
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not many thing pics out there.
here is a pic of my thing spindles
notice how far the ball joint mounts are spaced. Both arms have the ball joints press in from the same direction as the beetle top arm. That is the
cause of the wide spacing.
so the beetle spindle don't have the room to be set-up the same.
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