TheSamba.com :: View topic - How to lower a Bus and all lowering questions

Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:40 am

cdennisg wrote: Does anyone have a diagram of the dimensions for the e-brake cable adapter tube? I want to make a handful for some future projects. I know they can be made from a piece of tie rod, I just need the overall length and the diameter of the skinny end. I now I have seen a CAD drawing posted somewhere before.

I searched the gallery with every description I could think of, but no dice.

would be nice to know...

Wed Mar 24, 2010 4:17 pm

Ian wrote: cdennisg wrote: Does anyone have a diagram of the dimensions for the e-brake cable adapter tube? I want to make a handful for some future projects. I know they can be made from a piece of tie rod, I just need the overall length and the diameter of the skinny end. I now I have seen a CAD drawing posted somewhere before.

I searched the gallery with every description I could think of, but no dice.

would be nice to know...

Here are the ones I build, total length is 2 1/2", I've seen some that are total of 3 1/8", which is too long I think. I don't have any off to give a good measurement, I make them fit the backing plate I am using them on.

Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:10 am

I bought a 66 bus without a tranny. I would like it lowered. does anyone have any advice on what i should look for.

Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:36 am

jrcco wrote: I bought a 66 bus without a tranny. I would like it lowered. does anyone have any advice on what i should look for.

Read this entire thread, for starters.

Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:05 am

jrcco wrote: I bought a 66 bus without a tranny. I would like it lowered. does anyone have any advice on what i should look for.

search "straight axle" in this forum under titles only.
search "transaxle" in this forum titles only.

any which way its a bitch, i had to cut off shock mounts or you can f**ck with spring plates, notching, new holes and an angle finder.

Tue Apr 20, 2010 4:07 pm

Someone pmailed me and I thought it would be good to share my experinces...

Q: what size tires, wheel, wheel spacers are you using if any. is the tire rubbing? hard to get off?

My current setup is stock 14" bus rims with Toyo 195-45-14 in the front and Geostar 205-60-14 in the back, both from Big O tires here in Tucson. I have a set of 3.5 drop spindles I've been running for about 15 yrs now (don't remember where I got them from) with recently installed oldspeed drop plates in the rearwith the stock springplates at stock setting. They have a shock mount that uses your stock shocks. I used my stock bus tunnel with '68 bug axles and tubes and all associated 68 bug brakes, drums, bearing caps and hardware. You will need to grind off the stock shock mounts from the 68 bug axle tubes. Even with the 2017 the gearing is very tall since I replaced my tunnel with a freeway flyer RGB setup years ago. If you use your stock bus tunnel you will need to flip the ring and pinion when you remove the RGB's so you don't have 4 reverse gears.
I used front superbeetle wheel cylinders in the back for more braking force. I bought some generic hard lines from the local vw shop to replace the stock ones since the distance is shorter but you could make the old ones work. For e-brake there are people selling special sleeves to allow you to use the stock bus cables. I bought a set from slugbugblue here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=903068 but I haven't installed them yet. I am using Empi 4-100 to 5-205 adaptors to use my bus wheels. They are basically just metal plates, they push the wheels out roughly 3/8" but you could use more with this setup to keep the this wheel combo from rubbing on the springplates, The oldspeed adaptors give you some leeway as far as final wheel position. I had to use 4 stock bug lugbolts to mount the adaptors to the drum, then I had to use washers between the adaptors and bus wheels because the bus lugbolts bottomed out before they got tight.
Depending on what engine you use, tire size, and gearing there are tons of different combinations out there to get the best rpm's, mileage and highway speed. Lots here in the forums for research. I don't have the combo I was going to use but I think it was a 3.88 ring and pinion but I forget the 4th gear size.

For removing the rear tire you need to either take out the bolts holding the axle tube to the adaptor, or the bolts holding the adaptor to the springplate and slide the whole wheel/axle tube toward the rear. No other way around it. Not too bad but definitely more work than a stock setup.

I don't have any problems with the tires rubbing with this combo. Before I did the whole rgb removal and rear tire change my steering box dragged quite a bit when I still had my RGBs out back lowered one notch and 185r14's.

Right now the front of my bus sits about a 1/2 inch higher in the front compared to the back. I bought a pair of beefcake beam adjusters from wagenswest http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=832840 to give me some adjustability and get things sitting right but I haven't installed them yet. This could bring back the problem of dragging the steering box again depending on how low you go.

Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:07 pm

Wanting to raise my 65 bus. Not all the way to standard height but the 4" narrowed, adjustable beam is still too low for me especially when I have a bus full of people. a friend of mine has offered to swap out the beam with a straight beam and fix it up with the proper shocks in equal trade for that beam. What do you think?

Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:18 pm

If stock hieght is what you are looking for then all the labor you
would save would be worth it.
I would make sure the beam he gives you in trade has a new
center link bushing installed.

Wed May 05, 2010 10:44 am

Getting my spindles flipped, and have lowered the rear a spline so bus will be 3.5 in lower.

I want to keep the gearing up for the freeway, so what are the tallest tires I can put on either 14in or 15in wheels (haven't decided yet)?

Thanks,Mark

Wed May 05, 2010 10:49 am

What is your tranny gearing? It all factors in the equation.

This question has been asked and answered several times in this thread. I know it's long, but if you haven't read it, please do.

Wed May 05, 2010 11:00 am

Thanks, ill read through the thread again

The rest of the bus is stock otherwise I would have mentioned it in my OP.

Thanks foe the reply. Mark
cdennisg wrote: What is your tranny gearing? It all factors in the equation.

This question has been asked and answered several times in this thread. I know it's long, but if you haven't read it, please do.

Wed May 05, 2010 11:07 am

So you are still running RGB's? If so, your stock tires should work OK.

Wed May 05, 2010 11:10 am

You looking to keep the same tire on all four corners?

If so, a 195/75r14 on a stock Bus rim is about as tall as you can go.

Wed May 05, 2010 11:18 am

Yep, all else is stock

So 195/75/14 or the same measured diam and width on a 15in rim (ie 27in high).

Thanks, guys :)
cdennisg wrote: So you are still running RGB's? If so, your stock tires should work OK.

Sun May 23, 2010 5:33 pm

Sorry if this is not in the right place ive did a search. I have stock RGB and the swing plate bolt as broken off . Its the left swing plate on the lone bolt not where there are the 3holes . anyhow how do I repair this? Take the springplate off. Drill out the broken stud and do a insert of some type into the RGB case? If somone can direct me where I can buy the drill and tap etc. to fix this issue. My DC now tends to slide a bit . i was just thinking of welding it for a quick repair but maybe not a good idea. thanks for any help.

Sun May 23, 2010 5:49 pm

Don't weld it. Fix it right. Remove the RGB, drill out the bolt, then re-tap it. Or weld a nut to the bolt and try to turn it out. Use penetrating fluid judiciously. This process may take a few days, but patience is key.

Taps, drill bits, bolts, etc, are all available at your local parts store or better hardware store. Don't even bother with Home Depot or any chain like that. They generally wouldn't know an M14 X 1.50 tap from their own ass.

Thu May 27, 2010 5:56 pm

I don't if it has been mensioned, but what's the difference between stock spindles and flipped ones? can't i just flip the stock one's, and if so how do i do this?

Thu May 27, 2010 6:47 pm

P-lourde wrote: I don't if it has been mensioned, but what's the difference between stock spindles and flipped ones? can't i just flip the stock one's, and if so how do i do this?

Have you read this thread? If not, do so.

Thu May 27, 2010 8:27 pm

If you are asking you might not do it. This is a really big project! I tackled the whole front end project narrowed 3 and 3/4 inches made my own plates and flipped my own spindles. You really do not flip them you disassemble them grind them and put them back in a different sequence on the same sides that they came off of. Taking them apart is not something that most people have never done nor could they figure out how to do it. They are way different from a bug which you just press apart. Not even close for a bus. Many people will do yours for you for a very cheap price considering the amount of tools and work involved. However it is much more realistic then trying to flip your RGBS. That may have been done once or twice but not a viable option. Do yourself a favor and just buy them and get all of the link pins and do it right from the beginning. Keep in mind that if you still want to do it. :shock: I have done many things to my bus that most say don’t. I recently narrowed my torsion housing and installed a bug IRS in mine and did not buy any parts except for a gasket and a seal. A fellow Sambainista jeremyrock says "Why buy what you can build" He rocks! 8)

Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:55 am

hi, i'm italian and all day i read this forum. very compliment 8)
i have 1962 kombi bus and now i want lower. for the front use only dropped spindle and original beam, but for the rear i don't want use swing axle but i want lowered for Reindexing the reduction boxes. For equalize the rear as the front, how many inside and outside notches?
thanks
Simone