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Fri Jan 06, 2006 3:26 pm

It improves handling. It lowers the car's center of gravity and also makes it so less air gets underneath and reduces lift.

Fri Jan 06, 2006 3:38 pm

Thanks Glenn, I always wondered and now I know. I want to install front disc brakes so that would be the perfect time to add drop spindles. Did stock '70 models have ball joints? I believe mine does, have not been under there in a while. Will take a look tomorrow.
Thanks again,
Jim

Fri Jan 06, 2006 3:48 pm

1970 had ball joint beams. Yes.. that's the perfect time to install front disc. Get a set of Ghia spindles, backing plates, calipers, rotors and wheel bearings. It's a simple bolt on.

Here's a link to my site and some info and pictures when i lowered my car.
http://www.glenn-ring.com/resto/resto9.html

Fri Jan 06, 2006 4:15 pm

Thanks again Glenn,

I visited your website and what you have done to your car is true craftsmanship! Absolutely beautiful.
Jim

Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:21 am

Just a quick check on the shock absorbers to get when using adjustable front beams...

I've got the KYB GR2 part number for the front. It's 343208, however i realised that the length is 4"+ different from the stock ones...what if you don't plan to lower that much?Like maybe just 2"-3".

The rear GR2 is 343144 right?

Anyone have the part number for the konis?front(lowered) and rear?

Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:57 am

lemme see if i got this right. if i get drop spindles, i dont need new tie end rods?
If i buy drop spindles, thats all i have to buy? (aside from needing to replace my front shocks) or am i stupid?

thanks

Sat Feb 18, 2006 7:24 am

balljoints dont bind up when you go low lowered balljoints are no good as for a sway bar if you go low throw in the garbage.[img]http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=250542[/img]

Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:09 pm

Here ya go Derrick....

Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:55 pm

so if i drop the front 2inches an rear 1 inch i wont need shims? Oh how do i lower rear...any kind of rear trick?

Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:48 am

If you get Ghia disc and dropped spindles, your front track will be wider so if you plan on going very low, watch out for those fenders, or narrow the beam.

Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:07 am

Hyper_Tension wrote: so if i drop the front 2inches an rear 1 inch i wont need shims? Oh how do i lower rear...any kind of rear trick?

That's what I'd like to know too. How do you lower the rear? Would you use a coilover?

Wed Mar 15, 2006 6:16 pm

7 bolts pop the spring plate off anf pull it out turn it up 1 notch is 10 degrees 20 is 2 and 30 is 3.

1 notch -cal look
2 notch-skammed
3-ridiclous camber an messin shit up

good luck

Fri Mar 17, 2006 1:57 pm

dgizzle2 wrote: 7 bolts pop the spring plate off anf pull it out turn it up 1 notch is 10 degrees 20 is 2 and 30 is 3.

1 notch -cal look
2 notch-skammed
3-ridiclous camber an messin shit up

good luck

Well..not quite. The outer and inner splines are of different sizes, the inner has 40 notches and the outer has 44 notches. So by changing both of these most people can get the look they are going for.

Moving the outer spline one notch will alter the spring plate angle by 8 degrees(about 2 inches!)
Moving 4 inner splines anticlockwise with 4 outer splines clock wise you get about 1.5 inches of lowering(performance). Conversley, the same set up with 5 OUTER splines(clockwise) instead of 4 gives you just a half inch of lowering. The latter was the method used by vw in the factory to correct any misalignment.

Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:05 pm

If you want to know how many splines inner/outer to move to get a desired height, take a look here >>---> http://www.glenn-ring.com/tech/low.html

Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:47 pm

Glenn, I just spent the last hour going over your web site. That is the best web sites I have seen that documents a cars restoration. I have a 68 convertible I've had for 20 plus years, I'm the second owner and the details and pictures you have will be a great help to me.

Richard

Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:11 am

Glenn, After you installed the adjusters and lowered the front end how does the ride compare to the stock set-up. I'd like to drop the front end on my 68 without it riding hard. From your pictures of your front fenders and tire clearance that looks like the height I'm wanting. Also, are the Berg AVIS adjusters any different than the others that are out there?

Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:35 am

The ride on my car is pretty firm, but it was that way before I lowered it. The GR2 shocks are firm and i don't know why anyone would want the high pressure gas.

Remember that I have 2" shorter shocks (72 Opel GT) and stock length shocks will give a much harsher ride.

The single caster shims make the handling just like stock.

The Berg AVIS adjusters are steel and i've seen others, but they don't seem as well made.

Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:44 pm

Hey, you guys got any secrets to moving the adjusters up? I had to put mine in the full down positiont to reassemble my beam, and now my car is too low. Any tricks to getting the adjusters back up a bit? I got the bottom one with a jack, but i can't reach the top one :oops:

Sun Apr 02, 2006 6:34 pm

This is a great topic and I am glad of all of the input that has been put into it! Here is my ? and it is just for clarification for me. I have 265-50-14 in the rear and 215-60-14 in the front. the diameter for the rear is 25.4 and the front is 24.2 which is a .6 inch differance already. I just put on my 2.5 drop spindles on the car for a total of 3.1 inches of drop. I am going to need to get some shims right? is it just 1 or 2 I am going to need? thanks in advanced

Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:14 pm

vwfan4life wrote: Hey, you guys got any secrets to moving the adjusters up? I had to put mine in the full down positiont to reassemble my beam, and now my car is too low. Any tricks to getting the adjusters back up a bit? I got the bottom one with a jack, but i can't reach the top one :oops:

if you haven't done it yet you can use the jack methot on the top one using a bit of wood to make up the distance ;) failing that take the shocks of at one end and wheels will drop further.