TheSamba.com :: View topic - Installing rear hatch springs (I searched)

Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:38 pm

My square came to me with gas shocks to hold up the rear hatch and no torsion bars. They stopped working shortly after I got the car. I have recently acquired some torsion bars from a 67 (mines a 69 but the peices are identical) and want to put em in. I neglected to take a pic of how they were installed before we pulled them out. Now I cant for the life of me figure it out. I spent all day trying different combos. The directions online (the tailgate link) show a different setup than I have. My bars have a round hook on one end and a more squared off one on the other end. In the pics online one end of a torsion bar is put through a hole thats in the bracket welded to the roof. My brackets have no such hole, neither did the 67 where I sourced the bars. The slot to hold the hinge in is there, but no hole. Does anyone have experience with these style of bar? I know they will work because they worked on the 67 I took em from and my car has the exact same crap inside. A couple pics of them installed would be stellar. Thanks for any help/tips/advice.

Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:50 pm

Let me go out tomorrow, and see if I can get you a picture of my 69 sqbk parts car. The head liner is torn anyway.

Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:59 pm

I would appreciate it greatly.

Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:30 pm

Heres pics of one of my bars. Notice the squared end that does not match the ones ISP sells, nor the ones in the tailgate link how to (or my bentley for that matter). I know they worked in the car they came from and my brackets look the same. Im very frustrated. 6 solid hours of trying to figure this out. What a crappy day off. :?

this is the squared end

this end looks like the ones online

Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:51 am

i am going to have to go thru this as my left side hinge over extends sometimes and locks up that side. alex at isp says that the bushings are worn, usually from too many people letting the hatch fly up on its on. apparently i will have to buy a complete section as there are no new bushings available.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:18 am

Do you have this Type 3 Variant Tailgate Hinges printed out? It says you'll need to bend up a long screwdriver for a VW 709 tool. I haven't had to do it yet! :D http://home.clara.net/hallvw/technical/tailgate.htm This is all I've ever seen on this subject?

Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:18 pm

Mike Fisher wrote: Do you have this Type 3 Variant Tailgate Hinges printed out? It says you'll need to bend up a long screwdriver for a VW 709 tool. I haven't had to do it yet! :D http://home.clara.net/hallvw/technical/tailgate.htm This is all I've ever seen on this subject?

Yeah thats the link people keep sending me, but its not working on my car. If you look at pic 7 in that demo theres a hole in the bracket on the roof where one end of the bar is anchored.....my car doesnt have the hole, niether did the 67 that I got the bars from.
Its rough man, but I appreciate all the support. :)

Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:28 pm

So when I do figure it out, is it correct to have the bars covered with the headliner or do they go outside of it?

At this point if someone has these same bars and will snap a clear pic for me of them installed Ill paypal them $5. Im desperate to get em in.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:18 pm

Today is your lucky day. I had to install these springs in my 67 square a few months ago and took pics. The guy I got he springs from just cut off the rear part of the roof with the springs intact. I believe that the end of the spring just tucks under the bracket instead of into a hole. The how to you have is for early squares. I guess they saved a couple of bucks by not having to drill the extra hole. The headliner does cover the bars. Good luck and be careful. The springs can really bust you if you don't watch out. And you can keep your fiver :wink:

Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:19 pm

the headliner covers everything but the ends that are covered by the hinge covers. if i did not have a headliner, i would snap pics for ya free of charge. i hope you get it figured out soon.

edit: pics above posted while i was posting. good man for posting up the pics!!

Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:31 pm

Damn, I forgot to take those pictures of mine today.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:47 pm

aircoolnut wrote: Today is your lucky day. I had to install these springs in my 67 square a few months ago and took pics. The guy I got he springs from just cut off the rear part of the roof with the springs intact. I believe that the end of the spring just tucks under the bracket instead of into a hole. The how to you have is for early squares. I guess they saved a couple of bucks by not having to drill the extra hole. The headliner does cover the bars. Good luck and be careful. The springs can really bust you if you don't watch out. And you can keep your fiver :wink:

You are my hero. A million times over thank you. I can see now that I almost had it, just had that square end in the wrong spot.
Seriously thank you so much man, Im heading out right now to try again. If you ever need a favor you have one on credit.

Russ Wolfe: Dont sweat it, I know were all super busy.

Everyone who offered advice but couldnt snap a pic...thank you for the encouragement, I understand how its hard to tell with the ol' headliner in.
Im going to try to thread em under my headliner but even if theyre over it I dont care, I just want to get rid of my custom broomstick/prop rod.

Aircoolnut you made my week man. Its sad how happy I am about those pics....you are awesome.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:59 pm

I thought you might have been "spacing out" about yours being different "not having the hole" or whatever it was? "A picture's worth a million words" :D

Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:03 pm

You're very welcome Onerase. I can understand your giddyness. We have owned our square for over 20 years and when be bought it, it came with a signpost to hold the hatch open. We used it until this past spring when I finally fixed it. As far as installing them, I don't know if you'll be able to do it over the headliner. They fit pretty snuggly against the roof and you have to load the spring up quite a bit before it will slip into place. When I did mine, I had to lift up the weather seal a bit and carefully remove the the headliner, it's just glued down under the seal. When done, I just used a good spray adhesive to the glue the headliner back.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:29 pm

your funny wil :D