TheSamba.com :: View topic - correct trailing arms and spring plates for 69 std

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:58 am

2 sets of spring plates came with my 69 pan, im trying to put it all back together today and the ones with double leaves dont look like they will fit... the other pair has single leaves but i wanted to be sure that i was using the wrong spring plates, not the wrong caps. if someone needs pictures ill go back out to the shop but its freezing and i am eating lunch.

i looked at some pictures and also what was available for replacement, but im still confused

Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:36 pm

My 68 Autostick later converted to 4 speed came with double leaves

Wed Nov 04, 2009 2:03 pm

ok, i braved the chill and went out to take some pics. i also took another look at my bently and i think im missing some spacers that the bolts go through between the cover plates and the torsion tubes. i can make those but i still need to know if what i am using is the right stuff.

here they are

this one is the double leaf one i thought i was supposed to use

the next 3 are the single leaf plates that i have. one of them is, well, frail. the other looks fine.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:40 pm

if it is a 69 and has the cv joint's with the IRS diagonal control arm you needthe double plates. the single plates are for swing axles.

but- i have seen a 69 or 2 that were actually late 68's with a swing axle- and i have see late 68's with "IRS" so really the key factor is the tranny.

swing is single CV's are double.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:10 pm

jd-drafter wrote: swing is single CV's are double.

That is what my research has led me to believe until I saw this. My super is a 71 and I clearly have CV's and clearly has single swing arms. They are covered in undercoating so I am believing them to be originals??

Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:18 pm

the little casting on my pan that stops the plates from dropping down too far isnt wide enough for the double leaf. if this is normal im ok with that.

can anyone give me the thickness of the spacers i need to make to hold the cover plate off? if i try to torque it down now im fairly certain it wont meet the flange on the chassis without bending something

Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:27 pm

well color me wrong...

nothing is certain i guess...

MoparFreak69 wrote: jd-drafter wrote: swing is single CV's are double.

That is what my research has led me to believe until I saw this. My super is a 71 and I clearly have CV's and clearly has single swing arms. They are covered in undercoating so I am believing them to be originals??

Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:12 am

Does anybody have some factory information about this? I'm really curious now as I want to have what is supposed to be on my car, on my car!

Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:04 pm

Ok, i think i got the initial issue semi sorted out....but now i have another one in the same area. my trailing arms are not the same. there were 3 with the car from the PO, 2 of them have 3 holes for mounting to the spring plates and the other has 4. i did not notice this at the time, in fact i assumed they were all the same until today. I used the best 1 for the side i had 2 for (ended up being the 4hole one) and then i just cleaned up the other as best i could. All went swimingly until i attempted to bolt it up to my spring plate. only two of the holes match up between the 4hole plate and the 3hole trailing arm. the 4hole trailing arm bolted up perfectly, i was very happy.

my question is this...what does not belong on my 69...the 3hole trailing arm or the 4hole spring plate? and also is there any reason i CANNOT use the 4hole trailing arms if i can locate one for the passenger side?

Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:26 pm

Early IRS uses double springplates and 4-bolt-diaganol arms...and the torsion bar retainers have ~1/2" spacers built in. I want to say the change was mid `71

Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:36 am

The single plates in the pics above are definitely IRS. If they were swing they would be a several inches longer than they are.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:27 pm

In my pictures or someone elses? Also, IRS is CV joints right? i keep getting confused.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:48 pm

I think they were referring to my picture for the shorter swing plates on an IRS.
You are correct, if they axles have CV joints, they are an IRS.
If they have the solid axle tubes they are swing arms.

Chris I believe you are correct as mine is supposed to be a mid-year car.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:51 pm

Ok, i think i got it now. The retainer plates that are provided by cip1 are not the correct ones. but the spring plates i do have are correct?