TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri May 09, 2008 9:26 am

Is there a special trick/procedure for installing the pins through the tops of the spindle assembly and into the drop arms? (I hope that I'm making sense.)

I know that they need to be tightened right up there and the old washer/spacer between the arms and assembly has a crimp in it from the previous assembly process, so it MUST have been very tight!. The square head on the pin and the spiral groove would indicate that there's something kinda special and neat going on, but I've never done this before and could use a LOT of help!

Any links to a step-by-step procedural or a "how to do it" post would be terrific.

Thanks ! ! ! ! !

TC

Fri May 09, 2008 1:36 pm

Make sure you have the correct amount of shims for your spindle to control arms.

Put your bolt in the top of the hole and slowly turn the link pin until the bolt falls through. Once its in turn the link pin in until its tight..back it off a very very very little bit. Just a nudge (John Muir says about 1/4" movement at the end of the wrench). On the drivers side turning towards the front of the car tightens and the passenger towards the rear tightens.(you can see it either pull in or push out) and then tighten the link pin pinch bolts. I torque all my bolts to factory specs.

The crimp you refer to on the shim.....does it go all the way around the shim and have a ridge in the middle? If so you have the early style that uses 2 plates and an o-ring.

If not and its in one spot its damaged....get a new one.

Get yourself John Muirs "How to keep your Volkswagen alive" available at Barnes and Noble and/or a Bentley service manual...its your bible.

Jonh Muirs book is great because it simplifies everything for people who have no clue how to fix a car..Has interesting stories and cool drawings explaining what to do.

Fri May 09, 2008 3:30 pm

THANKS ! ! ! !

The crimp that I mentioned is like a line bent into the same washer, shim/etc. that has a collar in the center where an "O" ring fits. The dent/crimp lines up with the open "crack" in the trailing arm that closes up a little when the bolt is tightened up.

Is this normal, or ?

TC

I searched around the web and was kinda surprised that I didn't find any pics of the pieces involved or the installation itself.

Fri May 09, 2008 4:51 pm

Thats the way it works. Its normal

Fri May 09, 2008 6:41 pm

One last question or two? Please ! ! ? ?

The link pins currently in the assembly are the ones with a square end poking through the trailing arm, I have a nearly new set of pins with just two flat sides rather than the four on the square end style. They look and fit the same, but the spiral groove seems to be just a touch narrower.

Can the two style pins be interchanged? Are there really two different diameter bolts/grooves or is it just not that crucial and the groove cut a little randomly and only seems narrower?

On the disassembled set-up that the new(ish) pins came from, the grease fittings are also smaller. The ones that are all rebuilt and tight have no fittings in them, but the openings seem HUGE. Are these fittings/nipples common and available? The depth of the hole and the threads inside it looks very shallow. Are the fittings something kinda special or could I get some at the local auto parts outlet?

Thanks you SO very much for the help! I know NOTHING about this early iron. Plenty about the ball joint and IRS variety, but I'm lost here . . .

TC

Sat May 10, 2008 6:37 am

I had a set of cheap link pins that came with my spindles. The groove was narrow and looked like a blind man machined it. I could not get them to tighten up at all. I put my stock ones in from the original beam and it was fine. You may have the same problem.

The grease nipples are big and shallow I stole one of them off my stock spindles and went to the autoparts store and matched it up.

Sat May 10, 2008 6:51 am

Terrific ! ! I'll stick with the ones that came inserted in the assembly. Thanks for all of your help, you have no idea how much your info has helped me out.

I may be in touch later/revive this post when it comes time to insert the trailing arms into the beam. They seem to just push in but I'm not sure if I just shove them in and hold them while I tighten the grub screws or tap them with a mallet or maybe use a strap/come-along to force them in further, or what . . .

Thanks !

TC

I'll have to post some pics of the final assembly just to show how I did with it.

Sat May 10, 2008 7:41 am

If you have eurethane bushings you will need a VERY long pipe clamp to compress the bushings. Make absolutely sure that your arms go in far enough that the grub screws are in the dimples of the torsion leaves regardless of if you use eurethane or needle bearings !!!!!!!!! You don't want the trailing arm coming off the torsion leaves while driving. Torque the scrub screws and nuts.

Sat May 10, 2008 8:49 am

GREAT ! ! ! !

Again, thanks SO much, you are such a MAJOR help ! ! ! ! ! ! !

TC

Sat May 10, 2008 9:05 am

Just curious, where are you located? ....it doesn't say in your info.

Sat May 10, 2008 10:11 am

In Massachusetts.