TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:31 pm

Is there a linkpin that will fit a 65. Right now i have a bj in it, and am looking for a linkpin. Will this work??

Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:32 pm

You have to cut the framehead off and weld in a Link Pin framehead.

Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:43 pm

Can i just get a balljoint and put linkpin shock towers on it?

Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:04 pm

65 should be a link-pin. 66 was the first year of BJ.

Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:06 pm

Title says 65, the guy before me wrecked it while romping and winded up putting a bj frontend in it.

Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:38 pm

The shock towers have little to do with it.......

Its the distance between the beams........The beam spacing is wider for BJ that is why frame head need replacing to accept K&L beam...

Dale

Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:33 pm

Ya, can't be a 65. That would be a LP front end. I don't know why someone would change a frame head from LP to BJ.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:44 am

I just had to part out my 65 baja and if you've got a 65 with a ball joint front end, then like you said, someone has already swapped it over. All 65s came with link pin front beams. Check it again to be sure. If the swap has already been done you should make sure you really get down and check all the welds, seams etc.. One bad weld on this type of project could be very dangerous, even deadly.

I'm going to be swapping in the beefed up 65 link pin front end into my 70 project next spring and I found the article below to be very informative.

In the November issue of dune buggies and Hot VWs magazine there's an article on swapping a type 1 (bj) front end into a type 3 car. Not exactly the same but you can see how involved it is.

*NOTE* Even the article states that this swap is not something that should be done by a novice. Having a front end fall off because of bad welds wouldn't be a good thing at 50 mph.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:55 am

see the post by kbwake, halfway down the page...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1...;start=100

Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:52 pm

Ok thanks for the info....also my bolt pattern for the front is 4 lug and the rear is 5 and a swing axle it makes no sense........SO im buying a irs pan and am gonna put my body on it and go from there....i want more travel and thats the way to go, does anyone know if this wont work or will??? THnks

Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:05 am

or you could just weld in the irs pivots. not much to it except for a special jig that is pretty easy to find.

Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:40 am

Na, i dont want to deal with all that, so im gonna try to pick up a pan for cheap and go from there.

Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:29 am

Bajabro wrote: Na, i dont want to deal with all that, so im gonna try to pick up a pan for cheap and go from there.

If this is a titled vehicle...that may be an issue since it's based on the VIN :shock:

Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:50 pm

72class5 wrote: Bajabro wrote: Na, i dont want to deal with all that, so im gonna try to pick up a pan for cheap and go from there.

If this is a titled vehicle...that may be an issue since it's based on the VIN :shock:

No actually,noi can just cut around it, and today i went and bought a irs baja for 300$$ and i got a engine in pieces, the whole irs setup installed a body lift( iwont use) and a crap load of parts, but it didnt come with a front end, but i had one laying around so now its a roller. ill post pics when i make a builds thread.