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Fri Oct 24, 2003 4:27 pm

I am the new owner of a 71 squareback. I have been trying to find the tie rod ends for this car, and have aquired all but the left inner. The part comes up as unavailable everywhere I go, and I was told that I could substitute a type 1 tie rod end in its place. Could anyone verify that for me? thank you for your help!

Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:19 pm

Have you tried ?

http://www.jbugs.com/store/merchant.php?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=jbugs&Category_Code=32031

Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:48 pm

Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:53 pm

No I haven't tried yet. I just try not to assume with the front end. I have been fighting the bad front end in my bus for a while and I know that a bad front end is just that, bad. I didn't want to assume based on one opinion.

Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:55 pm

thanks for the links!

Fri Oct 24, 2003 8:06 pm

This is the one with the angle built into it right? If so, you can use a right type3 outer tie rod end in its place. I did this on my wife's 70 Fastback about 4 years ago, and its been fine. I think VW made the little bend in it in case of an accident, so it wouldn't bind everything up. What ever you do, DON'T use the bug part, it has the wrong bend in it, and is the wrong shape. I hope this helps.

Sat Oct 25, 2003 7:21 pm

I just got your message bob, the origional vw end did come out of it and it has the slight bend. I did buy the type one left inner, I think from a 65-68 beetle. Two type III people that I talked to told me that it would fit, I probably would not have bought it if I had gotten your message first, but I have it and have the day free tomorow so I will try it and let you know. I do thank you for your help. Funny you mention the car and your wife. My girlfriend was jealous of the bus for a while and still is scared to ride in it, I suppose I could put the seatbelts back in it, and she would never drive it. But the squareback, oh the squareback, now volkwagens have gone from 'too loud and cold' to 'really cute like we live in europe and when will you finish it so I can drive it since I drove you to where we fished it out of the woods?.......have you killed all the spiders?'

Sat Oct 25, 2003 7:45 pm

I think you're going to run into a length problem using the type1 part.
My wife told me that the only way she would drive a VW is if it had an automatic. She had a previous bad experience with a 4 speed and doesn't like driving them. I found one for her (just like she asked, color and all), but she didn't like the body style (a Squareback), so I fixed the engine, brakes and pans and got it good to go, and swapped the body of my Fastback onto the AT pan. Now she was really happy, as she loved the Fastback body style (in her words "its different"), and it even had an automatic trans. I drove the hell out of that little Square, then gave it to my dad for a combination birthday/christmas present.

Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:37 pm

Is the question whether or not it will fit or do you forsee performance problems?

Sun Oct 26, 2003 6:56 am

It'll be a fit problem. It'll be too long, and you might not be able to adjust the length correctly to get the front end aligned. If the bug inner part is the one I'm thinking it is, it'll be about 1" too long (has a hole in it for the steering damper), and also be the wrong angle (too much angle). The right outer will work fine though, even with the slight loss of the built in angle. And if you lower the car slightly, then that angle becomes not needed at all. I hope this helps.