TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:18 pm

I have a 67 baja, I was wondering if a type 3 beam would fit and be of any benefit. I found this in my area and the price is very atractive:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=927701

It looks like the ball joints are similar to the Thing's which would be a benefit since they are both pointed the same direction. The beam does not look like it is really round, looks like it is make out of pressed metal is why I am not confident it would fit on a type 1. It also comes with disks which is nice.

If it does fit, would it offer a lift like a thing beam?

Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:24 pm

Nothing even similar between the T-3 and T-1 beam.
That was one of the main differences between the T-3 and T-1.
People are pulling the T-3 beams out and installing T-1 beams, so they can get a narrower beam and slam the car on the ground. But in doing this, they lose the benefits of the T-3 suspension, and also lose the 3 bolt mounting system.
That may be where that one came from.

Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:27 pm

Ok thanks for your reply thought it would be a worth a try, or worth asking in this case.

Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:34 pm

He has these for sale cheaper.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=836442

Fri Feb 26, 2010 1:25 pm

Yeah unfortunatly I have a BJ frontend though so that is not a very plug and play friendly option. I would like to get a thing beam but they are expensive and would make the front of my car way higher than the rear for now. I have a little bit of cancer on the passenger side shock tower on my current beam and probably just need to replace it with another bug one until I find the right thing parts.

Fri Feb 26, 2010 1:42 pm

FYI: A Beetle BJ beam and Thing beam 90% identical. The only differences are: the Thing beam has extra reinforceing on the shock tower and attachment points for Thing beam supports.

The lift comes from using Thing spindles and trailing arms. You could install a new bug beam now and swap out just spindles/arms later.

Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:01 pm

Its not a direct bolt in job but i would so do it. type 3 arms are longer and with the disc breaks, go for it, talk to 57baja he has a type 3 baja.

Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:25 pm

You can use these adapters to bolt on the linkpin beam

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/search.php?...ton=Search

Gary.

Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:03 pm

On socalbajas.com, misfitmark is installing one on his Baja.

Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:25 pm

The bearings for T-3 beams are made from Unobtanium.

The stuff they were mining in the Avatar movie.

Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:51 pm

nukeworker wrote: On socalbajas.com, misfitmark is installing one on his Baja.

Yep. We're hoping to get 10.5" of travel, like my BajaSquared project has. The beams have 2-1/2" longer arms than a standard ball joint beam, and adjustable torsions, just like the rear. They drive real nice off-road. Sure, there will be a bit of fabrication involved, but it should be real sweet when done, with very little money invested. You even get disc brakes!

I've seen several spindle-to-spindle for sale for around $100.00. How could it get any better than that?

Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:43 pm

57baja wrote: nukeworker wrote: On socalbajas.com, misfitmark is installing one on his Baja.

Yep. We're hoping to get 10.5" of travel, like my BajaSquared project has. The beams have 2-1/2" longer arms than a standard ball joint beam, and adjustable torsions, just like the rear. They drive real nice off-road. Sure, there will be a bit of fabrication involved, but it should be real sweet when done, with very little money invested. You even get disc brakes!

I've seen several spindle-to-spindle for sale for around $100.00. How could it get any better than that?

So, is it possible to just swap out the arms and spindles to get the longer trailing arms and disk brakes? :roll: ...I'm just look'n for a decent trail front end.

VWM

Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:58 pm

veeweeman wrote: 57baja wrote: nukeworker wrote: On socalbajas.com, misfitmark is installing one on his Baja.

Yep. We're hoping to get 10.5" of travel, like my BajaSquared project has. The beams have 2-1/2" longer arms than a standard ball joint beam, and adjustable torsions, just like the rear. They drive real nice off-road. Sure, there will be a bit of fabrication involved, but it should be real sweet when done, with very little money invested. You even get disc brakes!

I've seen several spindle-to-spindle for sale for around $100.00. How could it get any better than that?

So, is it possible to just swap out the arms and spindles to get the longer trailing arms and disk brakes? :roll: ...I'm just look'n for a decent trail front end.
VWM

I'm gonna say no, as the type3 front end uses torsion bars(like the rear of a bug), and the bug uses torsion leaves/leafs

Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:07 am

just get a type three front pan head and fab it to your frame, then it would bolt right up.

Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:20 am

Will the arms fit the BJ beam?...I have a set of coil overs and was planning on using a cross bolt to hold the arms in the BJ beam with no leafs :?:

Sat Feb 27, 2010 8:49 am

veeweeman wrote: Will the arms fit the BJ beam?...I have a set of coil overs and was planning on using a cross bolt to hold the arms in the BJ beam with no leafs :?:

Now that, IS a good question.

Sat Feb 27, 2010 9:48 am

hopefully 57baja can answer that question...it would make for an inexpensive swap with more travel using coil overs without major front beam surgery.

Sat Feb 27, 2010 10:09 am

NO, the torsion arms are completely different that a T-1. They are bigger in diameter. Also, they are splined like the rear torsions. They do not use the leaf style torsion bars. They use actual torsion bars like the rear.
And, they use 1 torsion bar per side. The torsion bars cross internally in the axle beam. The upper arm is connected to a built in internal sway bar.
Only thing that the T-3 front ends shares with the bug, is the steering box, and a couple tie rod ends.

Sat Feb 27, 2010 11:27 am

sixty9fasty wrote: veeweeman wrote: Will the arms fit the BJ beam?...I have a set of coil overs and was planning on using a cross bolt to hold the arms in the BJ beam with no leafs :?:

Now that, IS a good question.

I've wondered that, myself. Maybe someone in the T3 forum could mic an arm. To me they look VERY similar in diameter. Russ is an extremely knowledgeable dude regarding stock stuff, and I would take his word as if it were coming from the mouth of God directly on repairing most things in a by-the-book fashion. Regarding off-road modifications and crazy-ass off-the-wall ideas for fabricating and building stuff, I don't really know. No disrespect intended, as I've learned a ton from reading Russ's posts. I seriously doubt he's tried to slide T3 arms into a T1 beam and make it work. For that matter, I don't know if anyone has. I'll be finding out soon, though. Maybe some urethane bushings from another beam configuration could be turned down or bored out to make the mod easier.

These are the crazy things that bounce around between my ears and torture my soul. Some day, I'll have enough money and time to answer these questions with authority. For now, it's all speculation.

Regarding the coilovers.... Here's something to ponder: First of all, I think it would be prudent (if you CAN fit them inside the beam) to somehow reinforce the shock bolt on the arm, possibly even replaceit with alarger diameter one. VW, even with the superior design of the T-3 beam, didn't plan on having that bolt support the entire weight of the car while bouncing around in the desert.

Here's another cool thing about the T-3 design that I thought I'd point out: The ball joints are super easy to replace with ordinary hand tools. How cool is that? No press needed. Replaceable in the field (on the trail). Now that's the cat's meow!

Sat Feb 27, 2010 11:38 am

Here's the approach we're going to try when modifying MisfitMark's beam: Since the arms are longer, he's going to have to push the T3 beam out further to keep the wheels centered in the wheelwells. We're going to try and make an adapter to make the beam bolt right on to the Type 1 frame head. This adapter is going to be roughly 3-4" in thickness, pushing the beam forward, tilting it at around 7 degrees, and hopefully bolting right up.

If you look at a Type 3 frame head, it splits like a "Y" from the tunnel and supports the beam at the outer sides, rather than in the middle like a Type 1. This is cool, actually. It looks to me like it could be grafted on to a Type 1 fairly easily. Why do it the easy way, though? Actually it looks like less work to me to build an adapter, though.

We'll see. I think Mark bought the beam last week. The project will be underway soon. We'll be posting photos soon, I'm sure.