TheSamba.com :: View topic - Difference between Link Pin & Ball Joint Beam

Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:40 am

Forgive me for a newbie dumb question, but I keep seeing front beams advertised for sale & they usually say "link pin" or "ball joint". What is the difference between the two (specifically the beam.....I know the difference between the ball joint & knuckle styles)?
thanks,
Mike Sal

Fri Oct 10, 2014 11:13 am

....READ THE " read before posting " SECTION AT THE TOP OF THIS FORUM !!!

BEETLE FAQ'S line 2 and 3

Fri Oct 10, 2014 11:59 am

:) The last year for the Link Pin front axle was in 1965.

In 1966 and later on was the Ball Joint Axle and for a nice look/ride use dropped spindles and 145/15 tires...that"s what I have and Love it for handling.

Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:12 pm

EVERYTHING between the two is different right down to the tubes they use to build the beam. NOTHING is interchangeable.

The spacing of the tubes is different and this is what prohibits you from bolting one on the wrong frame head.

The torsion leaf stacks are different and have a different orientation in the tube.

The trailing arms are different due to the different orientation of the torsion leaf stack and of course the difference on the other ends for ball joints or link pins.

The shock towers are different.

They use different shocks.

Brakes, drums, backing plates, wheel bearings are different.

These are just a few of the things that are different.

Fri Oct 10, 2014 4:41 pm

I'm somewhat of a newbie still even though I've been a member for some time now but I still think we/us should encourage newbies with more of an answer than "read the " before posting. We're not all that savvy at this. It's supposed to be about the love of the VW, period. Help one another!!!!

Fri Oct 10, 2014 6:14 pm

Hoagy wrote: Help one another!!!!
We try. The reason they get referred is there are stickies about FAQ's(which most are) and most newbie q's have been discussed at length so the stickies were born :wink:

Sat Oct 11, 2014 4:03 pm

Hoagy wrote: I'm somewhat of a newbie still even though I've been a member for some time now but I still think we/us should encourage newbies with more of an answer than "read the " before posting. We're not all that savvy at this. It's supposed to be about the love of the VW, period. Help one another!!!!
There are pros and cons either way...

By sending people to the right thread they will get more answers and a more compete answer.

It can seem like a less friendly place to just refer them to the answers.

Sat Oct 11, 2014 4:17 pm

"give a person a fish " OR " Teach them to fish " :shock:

Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:41 am

Thanks to all the replies. Just for clarity, I did scan thru the FAQ section and didn't find anything that really explained the differences (although I've not read more than I need to know about lowering a bug.....which is just the opposite of what I want to do....I need to raise mine).

I am glad to learn the difference, as I had assumed that I could buy an early beam & install it onto my '70 chassis (I want to have the snubber that goes between the upper & lower control arms....to make it look more like a kubelwagen front beam).

I guess I will fabricate some fake snubbers & weld them into the beam I have.
Mike S

Mon Oct 13, 2014 1:00 pm

Just FYI....
Conversion brackets are available to mount any beam on any frame head..
They do add some wheel base though..

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1064757

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