TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:57 am

anyone ever use an aluminum beam on the street? i think they look great and would be very cool, but not so sure it would be the safest thing. would this be a bad idea.

Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:56 am

nobody has ever used one on a street car, or is it THAT dumb of a question?

Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:20 am

It can used no problem just expensive $$$$

Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:23 am

cool. thanks a lot.

Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:22 am

They are cheaper than a new stock link pin beam from what I see. The problem is most of them have no provision for mounting them to a stock frame head. They are really intended for a tube frame and clamped to the front. the buggy frames usually attach at points much closer to the ends of the beam so the beam really isn't carrying ad much of the load. The only one I can say positively I've ever seen on a street vehicle was on the Bugwing trike.
I would be concerned with the strength of them if you are talking about using one with a stock frame head.

I have a reverse trike project in the planning stages and I will most likely use one, but the front end weight is minimal and it's basically going to be built like a sand rail so I'm not as concerned.

Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:27 am

Ive never used one but looking at pics of them, It looks like they are made to be used on sand rails as I don't see any brackets to mount them to a pan.

(oops I see HeidelbergJohn4.0 beat me to it)

Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:57 am

You can now buy clamps to attach the aluminum beams to your link pin front end (I had some machined for my manx clone). Problem is...... they tend to bend with "moderate to rough use" with anything as heavy as a baja or sedan. If you install 'em on anything heavier than a sand rail be carefull or you'll wind up with a piece of usless & expensive piece of metal. (I ruined one on a baja bug in just one day) On the other hand, I've had one on an 1150lb drag buggy all this year with good results.

Tom V

Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:58 am

thats what i was thinking. los like off road stuff. but i just saw an ad for one in the new vw mag with the two manx build in it from europe that has billet clamps. looked interesting. i most likely wil not be the one to experimant with this. wouldnt look that cool with the front end broken off on the side of the road.

Sun Aug 12, 2007 7:02 am

I have been running an alumonum beam for a few years with no problems.

Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:16 pm

Anyone know of a vendor of these aluminum beams that work with a Ball Joint front end? I have a later pan on my buggy and I like the look of the beam but can't find one for a ball joint pan.

Thanks!
Tom

Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:26 am

They don't make an aluminum balljoint beam. It probably has something to do with the odd shape of the shock tower.

Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:28 pm

hey lost, is that beam made by Jamar or JT? I was on the phone with JT yesterday for his beams and it seemed like a good way to go. I am still debating on getting one, especially since im going street/strip with mine and it drops 21 lbs off the front

Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:44 am

It's a JT beam. If I had it to do over again I would buy one of the aluminum beams with billet aluminum shock towers the JT I have has cast aluminum shock towers.

Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:37 pm

BJ beams have different sized bearing races machined into the tubing. Which is why no one is making them for Balljoints.

I know a guy who is using one on the street and he has narrowed it by popping the ends off, cutting the tube ends and reattaching the ends.
Apparently they are just pressed on or something.

Seems like with special made bushings a aluminum beam would be very possible for a Balljoint. Just gotta make a Urethane sleeve kit to go along with it.
Shock towers would make a difference 'cus you could always just mount different shocks, you don't gotta use the pin top shocks.

Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:02 pm

I'd do a couple Ball joint ones. All of my buggy chassis are BJ/IRS. I'd love to be able to get rid of the ugly ball joint shock towers and shocks.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:50 pm

Elwood wrote: BJ beams have different sized bearing races machined into the tubing. Which is why no one is making them for Balljoints.

I know a guy who is using one on the street and he has narrowed it by popping the ends off, cutting the tube ends and reattaching the ends.
Apparently they are just pressed on or something.

Seems like with special made bushings a aluminum beam would be very possible for a Balljoint. Just gotta make a Urethane sleeve kit to go along with it.
Shock towers would make a difference 'cus you could always just mount different shocks, you don't gotta use the pin top shocks.
they are pressed on and pinned

Sat Sep 15, 2007 7:50 pm

I thought the spacing between the torsion beams was different for the kinpin and BJ front ends. Don't know if it is true,and do not have any BJ front ends to measure. Maybe someone can verify this

Sun Sep 16, 2007 6:37 am

Augie wrote: I thought the spacing between the torsion beams was different for the kinpin and BJ front ends. Don't know if it is true,and do not have any BJ front ends to measure. Maybe someone can verify this

The spacing is definitely different. The BJ beams are farther apart.

Sun Sep 16, 2007 6:10 pm

Another thing about Aluminum beams it that they are only made with Urethane bushings where the trailing arms go in.

My link pin JT beam was a tight mother. You had to pull it apart and grease it from time to time because the springs weren't strong enouph to get rebound.

I switched to a Jamar billit tower adjustable beam and those are sloppy so may not have that problem but in the ruf I hear them slapping. That would not be good on the street. Doesn't matter on sand.