Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses

lowindO · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 6:46 am Post subject:

Tires-Easy.com is showing them in stock. That's where I've been getting my tires for the last few years.

I went with the Achilles ATR-K because if u read the specs between them and the federals the achilles have a slightly higher load rating and they are cheaper.

I got mine about 3 months ago and so far love them.

When I was looking for some tires-easy had them, then the day I went to order they were gone! I called they said out of stock just keep checking the website. I checked back everyday for about a week and they showed back up and I ordered them.
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Why don't you have a narrowed beam yet?
My Squareback's Video

rastaguam · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 4:35 pm Post subject: 1960 DC

Here is my specs for my 1960 DC:

Front: 3 1/2 drop spindles built by Volksfab (Cameron), S/S Salt Flat Style 17's with 195/40/17 Yoko's

Rear: Type 3 Swing Axle/Trans conversion, Franklins Werks Adjustable Springplates, S/S Salt Flat Style 17's with 205/40/17 Yoko's

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

lowindO · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 5:37 pm Post subject:

My set-up

Front
4" Wagenswest* style narrowed beam sold through (ratlookvw)
3.5" Wagenswest dropped spindles
1.5" steering box raise
Wagenswest wide 5 babystang disc brakes and Wagenswest dual circuit M/C
KYB GR-2 shocks

Rear
Swing axle beetle transmission with home built straight axle kit (lengthened tubes)
Wagenswest adjustable dogleg springplates
KYB GR-2 shocks
Empi swing axle wide 5 disc brakes w/ e-brake for type 1
1" CIP aluminum wide 5 spacers

Rims / Tires
Empi wide 5 cosmo - cosmics! 15x5 et22
With 65mm Porsche cayenne center caps
165/45 front - Achilles
165/70 rear - stock 165 beetle size. Brand escapes me. But, rears go on/off without having to unbolt anything or do weird tricks.

Engine
1600dp w/ pict 34 under stock oil bath and alternator
Vintage Speed stainless steel sport exhaust for extremely lowered buses on stock heater boxes (hooked up!)

.......

On Stock Rims

Now on Cosmics.

_________________
Why don't you have a narrowed beam yet?
My Squareback's Video

falselogic · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 3:54 pm Post subject:

heres mine,65 panel...
front
stock width beam,adjusters fitted.no tubs or steering box raise..
smoothy rims,federal Formosa 165-50-R15

rear
straight axle kit,early type 3 trans and brakes
spring plates in stock location
smoothy rims,federal Formosa 185-55-R15

66ratrod · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 8:23 am Post subject:

My 66 11-window, daily driver.
2.0L Type 4 engine, with a Webber progressive.

Front
-Stock, rebuilt beam
-3.5inch drop spindles (Wide-5)

Rear
-Wright pro-street swing axle transaxle
-1968 beetle axles, tubes, and brakes.
-offset springplates (Wide-5)
-4 lug to wide-5 adapters.

Tires/Wheels/brakes
-175/65 R14 Kumho Solus
-14 inch late-model split bus wheels

*Question
Without rubbing the parking brake cable or requiring axle removal to change a tire, what would be the widest tire I could fit on the rear wheels?
I bought four 175/65/14 tires to get better clearance in the front wells, but they killed my gear ratio (that beast type 4 will cruise 50-55, and top out at 60:/ )

175/80/14s would put me in the speed range I want, but they have a high aspect ratio and there's nobody local that stocks, or can order them.
195/70/14s are close enough, and have a lower aspect (i.e easy to find local), but I'm not sure if they will fit, without having to pull the axles and deal with that headache.

TlDr: will a 195 width tire fit in the rear of a straight axle bus, without needing to pull the axle to change a tire?

I'm getting ready to leave for Bulli Friday, so I was hoping to get this handled this week.

Thanks;
Austin
_________________
1966 Standard Bus (No longer a ratrod)

"ACWVs are like having a sick dog that has a 100 year life span and needs constant medical attention... that you ride to work daily."
-Brian

\ Dancing

6sixTinBox · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:45 am Post subject:

Andrew · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 7:07 am Post subject:

Guess I'll finally make a post in here. I'll do a few different specs as my bus has been through a number of phases over the years.

Front:
4" narrowed beam with dropped spindles
EMPI 5 spokes and 195/50/15
Stock length White KYB's

Rear:
Bus Boys straight axle kit with wide 5 type 3 rear brakes
EMPI 5 spokes with 195/60/15
Stock length White KYB's

Front:
4" narrowed beam with dropped spindles
944 front disc conversion via OldSpeed kit
Repop Gasburners 175/55/15
Stock length White KYB's

Rear:
Bus Boys straight axle kit with 4 lug type 3 rear brakes redrilled to 5x130
Repop Gasburners with 195/60/15
Stock length White KYB's

Front:
7" narrowed beam with dropped spindles
944 front discs with hubs redrilled to 5x4.75
American Eagle Torque Thrusts 15x4 with 165/50/15. I had to shave a little bit off of the back of the front wheels to get the correct offset. I have no idea what offset I ended up with.
No shocks.

Rear:
Womack's Offset Spring plates with short axles and 4 lug type 3 brakes redrilled to 5x4.5 and the nose of the hub cut down for short axles
American Eagle Torque Thrusts 15x7 with 205/65/15. I had to use a 3/8" spacer in the back for the right offset. Again, no idea what offset I ended up with.
Classic Performance Products CPP-4809G rear shocks. Doestch Tech also makes these same shocks, as well as ones that are slightly shorter.
_________________
-Andrew

VWMan59 · Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 10:01 pm Post subject: Adjustable Spring Plates

I am new to the Type II world. I just purchased a '65 13 window deluxe bus. It is all stock as far suspension height. The previous owner through in a freeway flyer gearbox and some adjustable spring plates from Airkewld to straight axle the bus. I want to run a set of Empi Sprint Stars with A 195/60/15 on the back for a tire. I already purchased a Wagonswest narrowed 4 in beam. I am currently in the process of picking up a 2.5 in drop spindle from Nate at Wagonswest next. My question is will the adjustable plates have clearance issues with the tire and rim I want to run? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The adjustable spring plates look like a quality product but am concerned about clearance issues. Also is there any negative aspects to running an adjustable spring plate versus' a drop plate from Old Speed that is available?

nynone4 · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 1:48 pm Post subject:

Anyone have ideal alignment specs for the front end of a lowered bus? I'm looking mainly for toe specs. Judging just by the highly sophisticated "eyeball test" and the extreme wear on the insides of the front tires, I think I have some pretty extreme toe out. Camber seems to be near zero. Not sure on Catser - but I believe it to be a 4" narrowed beam (previous owner installed it).

Should the fronts be toed IN slightly - like maybe 1/8" per side?
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>>Looking for any and all Vic Williams, Peoria Illinois dealership items.<<

G-wood Todd · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:07 pm Post subject:

cdennisg · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:18 pm Post subject:

Kiwinw · Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:02 pm Post subject: These Spring plates any good?

Can anyone let me know your thoughts on this lowering job? Just got this 66 and the previous owner had dropped it himself. He said IRS in the back (is IRS or using a bug tranny one and the same - straight axel?) and flipped spindles in the front. The spring plate looks different than those I see online. Also curious about whats been used to get the shocks mounted? Looks like a plate is welded onto the frame for the front and the bottom hangs low. Does it look like the front spindles have been done correctly? I was thinking about switching this set up to another 66 thats stock as that one needs to be lowered and this one would be better raised back up. Is that easy considering this set up?

mandraks · Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 9:12 pm Post subject:

most of the time SAK, bug axles and IRS are the same. technically what makes it IRS is the use of a transmission with two CV joints per side, regardless of it being bus or bug.
_________________
regards

Uli

----------------------------------------
'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

Kiwinw · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 9:42 am Post subject:

Thanks Uli,

I'm new at this, so can you tell me what he used to mount the rear shocks? Most lowering pics I found on this site look like the shocks are mounted to the spring plate somehow. This one has a separate piece thats mounted with some brackets welded to the frame. I'm assuming I can use different spring plates or find similar brackets to mount, if I switch this with another bus.

cdennisg · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:20 am Post subject:

That looks like a beetle IRS system. The shock mounts (at the bottom) to what is part of the trailing arm. that mounts to an inward point on the torsion tube. looks like all stock beetle parts to me, other than the spring plates.

Here is what that system looks like from above. This is a super beetle with the body removed, but the rear suspension s the same.

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nothing

kaveh · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:45 pm Post subject: tires on 14" wheels

I'm rebuilding an old junk yard parts bus - a '66 13 window. The shell is solid. I need to get tires right away because my "roller" wheels aren't holding air anymore. I have a clean and freshly painted set of original 14" wheels that I want to use. I want the largest tires that will still fit after I eventually add dropped spindles. I'm going to keep the RGB tranny - eventually with a 3.88 r&p.

I think 185/70/14 will work in the front, but that's just an educated guess based on the tire height 24.3" Will it work? I could pair those with 195/70/14 on the back with a 24.8" height.

Alternately, I couldn't find any info on the Wagenswest 2.5" drop welded spindles. Anyone know if hankook 185/r15 will fit with this milder drop? This setup would cost about $500 more, but I'd consider it to have the better tire setup (all same size and nice ride... I've had those tires on a stock camper before).
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'66 13 window deluxe
'67 beetle
'89 westfalia

kingodirtp3 · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 6:00 pm Post subject:

i have 175/60r14 tires up front and they fit perfect with flipped spindles. I had 185/60 and they rubbed too much. my rims are 14x6in, 155/65r14 fit perfect on stock 14x5 bus rims.
for the rear I had 205/65r14 tires on stock rims, no rubbing. using 215/65r14 on 14x6 rims and they work great.
federal makes all those sizes.

Dubskii · Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:59 am Post subject:

With just drop spindles in the front what size backspacer would I need or BRM rim specs to not rub on the dog leg? Positive RBM Rim offset?
_________________
69 Sunroof Deluxe - Montana Red/Cloud White (Sold)
57 Kombi - Dove Blue http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=648240
WTB Early Dove Blue Bus Driver's Side Door
WTB Joe Heishman VW Arlington, VA License Plate Frame or Other Memorabilia

kingodirtp3 · Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:55 pm Post subject:

stock rims have 4.5 in back spacing. with 185 tires on stock 14x5in rims they rubbed some, on 14x6in rims they rub alot.
not sure how much that helps though.

SambaUser1M · Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 10:16 pm Post subject: Specs on my '58 Single Cab

Front:
205/50ZR16's on a stock beam
Brakes: 11" rotor/Willwood caliper from Old Speed
Custom spindles from Old Speed provide 2" drop w/o adding track width
Custom 16x7 smoothie wheels w/ 6" backspacing

Rear:
225/55ZR16's on a narrowed rear torsion - 1" each side
Beetle IRS with Subaru 5-speed trans
Beetle rear discs w/ parking brake
Custom 16x8 smoothie wheels w/ 6" backspacing

Chassis:
4-wheel power disc brakes, bay booster, custom install by Old Speed


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Specs. of tire, wheel, and suspension - Lowered Buses
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