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Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses
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cdennisg
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2015 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dubskii wrote:
So school me for a bit. I am always trying to gain knowledge...I see quite a few of the tire specs in this thread are 165s. Are you saying none of these tires are stiff enough? BTW mine are 165/80/15.


165/80R15 is a tire designed for a beetle. They are way under rated for the handling needs of a bus, either stock height or lowered. If that tire was a 165/45R15, things would be different. The sidewall of a 45 series tire is much shorter, and by design much stiffer. That stiffness aids in handling in a top-heavy bus.

Stock buses require a C, D, or LT rated tire with a stiff sidewall. Not necessarily for the tire's load rating, but for their handling characteristics. Lowered buses do not have room for stock height tires, but low profile tires have the necessary stiff sidewalls.

If you installed a set of correctly rated and designed tires on your bus tomorrow, you would be blown away at how much better it rides and handles.
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Jori
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Hi! Specs of mine -58 Kastenwagen:

Front:
-175/55/15 @5,5 Fuchs
-Beam narrowed to the sideplates and adjusters installed
-Front beam raised about 40mm
-Flipped spindles
-selfmade wheeltubs
-944 brakes with adapters
-Raised steeringbox

Rear:
-185/55/15 @5,5 Fuchs
-type1 IRS
-Adjustable springplates
-5x130 Cromo hubs, 124 MB discs, Saab 9000 calipers

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glifahrenheitcameron
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 12, 2015 11:51 am    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

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Front:
-Wagenswest 4" narrowed/adjustable beam w/ needle bearings
-Shortened center pin
-Wagenswest 4" welded drop spindles
-Flipped tie rods
-Frame is slightly grinded down for tie rod clearance
-3" tubs from Cage66
-Tires are the shortest height available in 14"...something like 165/50
-Skid plate for the steering box
-Steering box raised
-Springs removed from seats to lower the height
-Shortened empi oil shocks

Rear:
-Flipped rgbs (packed up with grease and oil)
-Spring plates are shortened 1/2" inch (because of toe) and notched
-Wagenswest lower shock mounts welded to spring plates
-Shortened gas shocks from airkewld
-Tires are something around 185/60/14

I think that's everything.....I could be missing something though.
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Ian
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 7:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

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This is my Bus I've had it since I was 13.

Front end:
Early stock beam with damper mount welded on
CSP adjusters installed by me
stock micarta beam bushings and stock grease seals from wolfsburg west
late control arms
flipped spindles by me with stock grease seals
new link pins
Bilstein steering damper
new tie rods and drag link
flipped tie rods
stock 15" bus rims
175/55/15 Hankook tires
stock KYB Gr-2 shocks
3 clicks down on the adjusters
new center pin kit (Febi)

Rear end:
traditional straight axle kit
cut spring plates i bought used from Manny
traded for some axle tubes but i had to make them the same length as each other
68 bug transmission and axles
bearing caps with oil slingers
IRS backing plates
4 lug brakes with 4 to 5 adapters
e-brake adapters from WideFive
custom 7.5" banded stock 15" bus rims from the 1970's
still working on finding the right shocks
195/60/15 Kelly tires
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cdennisg
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 8:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

^^^ Looks and sounds like the perfect setup for an everyday usable lowered split bus. Well done.
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JohnnyRingo
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 2:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

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New empi 5.5 with 3/8 spacers up front and 175/55/15 and 185/65/15 rear 4™ narrowed beam and 68 beetle tranny long axel, notched frame and steering box raise.
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surfr4evr
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PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2016 12:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

Hey guys, originally wanted a small drop. Running 2.5in flipped spindles/stock beam up front and one click in the back with original RGBs. 175/55-15s all around. Looking to change things up a bit with the RGBs, but I like the stance.
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6sixTinBox
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

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66 13 window deluxe
Vintagevdub 4" narrowed beam
Vintagevdub dropped spindles
Womack offset spring plates
68 beetle transmission conversion
No rear shocks
15x5.5 BRMs
195/60 rear
165/50 front
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sidstrife
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 6:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

1974 Brazilian Deluxe 15 window bus.
23 window conversion by Grumpys Metal in HB
All other work done by Laurent at Vintage Bus Import
Engine by Vic At theLab


FRONT:

Wagenswest 4" Narrowed adjustable Beam
Wagenwest 4" Welded drop Spindles
Airkewld Bad Ass Series wide 5 Front Disc Brakes
Spax Lowered front end shocks
15" Empi Wide 5 with 165/45/15 formosa
No Tubs
Steering box raise kit 40mm Hayburner UK
Steering column Shotened 40mm by Victor Gonzales GFK909
Buttys Bits Throttle Kit


REAR:
Wagenswest straight axle Doglegs
Wolfgang Straight axle kit
68 Beetle Transmission
Type3 wide five drum brakes
Spax Lowered shocks
15" Empi WIDE 5 185/45/15 TOYO PROXES









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Last edited by sidstrife on Mon Jul 18, 2016 1:58 pm; edited 5 times in total
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EmpiGT
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 7:57 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

Nice looking for a Brazilian bus.^^^
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Stephbong
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2016 1:14 am    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

Bam!

I have to say I'm not a fan of the Brazil bus market because they often looks weird, but in this case no doubt I'd straight exchange with my German panel camper conversion. What a beauty!
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Squilly
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2016 10:33 am    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

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Specs on my 1960 deluxe

Front:
-Stock beam, no adjusters
-Old Speed 3.5" drop spindles
-Flipped adjustable tie rods
-Old Speed front disc brakes with Wilwood calipers
-Bilstein 4600 series shocks for a stock bus
-195/50/15 BF Goodrich G-Force Sport Comp 2s


Rear:
-Old Speed rear drop plates
-Torsions adjusted up a bit to make it sit level
-EMPI rear disc brake kit
-Bilstein 4600 series shocks
-195/55/15 BF Goodrich G-Force Sport Comp 2s

This setup makes the bus ride really well. I can have 3 people up front and be at full lock without rubbing anything. However, I was conservative on the tire size in the rear because I wanted to make sure they fit before I went bigger.

The 195/55s in the rear are a bit too low profile to cruise well at highway speeds. I think I might try to find something with a larger sidewall before I roadtrip back to Colorado.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2016 1:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CaLiBus wrote:
Quote:
you certainly do not see many low hinge, doubledoor, 23 window buses with semaphores Smile


The list go's on... No bulk head, center speedo ?


who cares.... see those wheels.... CUSTOM, dude.... CUSTOM, and cool as hell Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil
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6sixTinBox
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 10:20 am    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

EmpiGT wrote:
Nice looking for a Brazilian bus.^^^


100% agree!
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AirBus
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:39 am    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

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Front:
- 2.5 inch narrowed (bushed) front beam with 2x airbags (3 level bags)
- 914/911 steering rack with 911 turbo rods
- 944 front brakes
- 912 lemmertz 4.5 J steelies.
- 165/50/15 Nakang tires.
No notches.. no tubs.. no raised beam..etc

Rear:

- 944 IRS with 2 airbags (home made) (3 level bags)
- adjustable springplates
- Notched chassis
- AT 1303 Gearbox
- 944 rear diskbrakes
- 944 spare wheels 5.5J
- 185/65/15 tires

Airride installation + remote control (ver funny when people touch the bus)

Most stuff home made except spingplates and IRS clamps.

Drives very good. only a bit nervous with small front tires on high speed.
Since it's adjustable I can set the correct ride height when loaded..

Some tech pictures:

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External dual brake booster Cool

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911 rack + airride + 944 brakes
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busworks
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 7:47 am    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

I really like that setup. Would love to see more tech shots of the front and rear.
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AirBus
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 2:54 am    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

busworks wrote:
I really like that setup. Would love to see more tech shots of the front and rear.


Thanks! Will dig up some pictures..
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ManFromNapa
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 10:07 am    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

I have a 64 bus with an IRS conversion.

I'm currently running 195/65 R15's on BRM 5.5" wheels.

Looking to install flipped spindles on the front and am 99% certain I will need to narrow my beam. The flipped spindles should lower the front end 3.5". How much will I need to narrow it by? I'm thinking 4". How will that effect handling?
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easy e
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

ManFromNapa wrote:
How will that effect handling?
It'd be best to find a narrowed beam bus to drive & compare yourself.

Shortening torsion bars...
Think of holding a Popsicle stick at each end... apply torisonal twist. This would be your stock set-up.

Now imagine if you shortened (narrowed) the stick by a couple inches and applied the torsional twist again (stiffness increases).

This is one handling difference between narrowed & stock torsion leaves.
Narrowed track width... I don't have any info to report. But, when I see super narrowed beams... I can't help but thinking of the old Honda ATC (three wheelers)... and how that design was abandoned because of instability. Yeah, extreme example... but maybe others can provide a more meaningful narrowed beam handling discussion (or I'd bet a dollar it's been covered on one of the previous posts of this thread).
e
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cdennisg
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 9:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses Reply with quote

ManFromNapa wrote:
I have a 64 bus with an IRS conversion.

I'm currently running 195/65 R15's on BRM 5.5" wheels.

Looking to install flipped spindles on the front and am 99% certain I will need to narrow my beam. The flipped spindles should lower the front end 3.5". How much will I need to narrow it by? I'm thinking 4". How will that effect handling?


If you are just going to run flipped spindles and no beam adjusters, you should not need to narrow. You can run a slightly smaller front tire and leave the beam alone.
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