RGB's for High Speed

[36hplandspeedracer]

Yes, that's what I said. While at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas a week ago I was visiting with Tom Lieb, SCAT's esteemed leader and guiding light. I was inquiring about the Volksliner, a VW powered streamliner that ran at Bonneville in 1970(see Hot VW's article in the Winter 1971 issue).

Our discussions led to specific details about the streamliner and I was amazed to hear the Volksliner ran Reduction Gear Boxes from our favorite pre 67 Type 2's. The reason, to attain higher speeds. In essence, by installing the boxes in a reversed fashion, it "raised" the final drive gear ratio to a higher number allowing for higher overall speeds.


Todd Penns RGB equipped splittie Single Cab.

I thought it would be good to share this info after discussions in an earlier topic about RGB's and racing. Obviously, in stock form, the RGB's lower the final drive ratio and limit top speeds but both Matthew Kenney (Air Cooled Research) and Tood Penn from Saskatoon saw respectable speeds and good handling at Bonneville with their RGB equipped Type 2's.


Matthew Kenneys RGB fitted 57 Panel.

Burly

[earthquake]

I was thinking about building GRB's that used 'Quick Change" gears from a Winters circle track rear end, you could dial in you final drive ratio out fairly easy this way.

Casey
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74 CLASS 11 LOOK-A-LIKE
65 pan [I haven't decided what to do with it]
69 DUNE BUGGY
79 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
05 SCION XB SERIES RELEASE 2[#437]

Some where in Kenya, A village is missing its Idiot!

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, there would be a shortage of sand in 5 years"

[Rusting Hulk]

What do you mean by installing the boxes in 'reversed' fashion?
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55 BD Deluxe.
64 356 C Coupe

[Kapt. Q]

I have parts of a Kdf box that did exactly this, it is 21:15, a complete reversal of the normal 15:21. I have been unable to find out what it's use was, although it had a regular Kdf logo'd cable brake backing plate and has an 82 part number on the housing. If you look at the picture of the casting you can see how it has been re-designed to allow for the larger 21 tooth input gear to be fitted. The logo is from a casting company that supplied Kdf/VW, and VW is cast into it in the late war style.








The most likely theory I have heard is that the vehicle had much smaller drive wheels, like the half track kubel version or something of that nature.
Cheers!

[Tom Simon]

In their stock form, reduction boxes are proven strong.

Greg Urrutia and I torture tested a set during our endurance racing of the Shasta Bus. Sustained 80mph and bursts over 100mph for more than 24hrs straight, at one event alone. We've thrash on the things during the upcoming Shasta Snow Trip, as well. On the two that I've been on, not a single RDB failure that I'm aware of.

A local drag racer, Jason Lang, has been drag racing his RDB equipped bus, running pretty deep in the 12's, they get hit hard when he's spraying nitrous oxide at the engine. Bonneville will never be that hard on any drivetrain parts.

Kenny Porter, Jason's trans builder near Sacramento, built the gearbox with Jason's goal of being the 'fastest RDB bus in the 1/4 mile' in mind.

In an attempt to increase toughness of the VW parts, they cryogenic treated (liquid nitrogen soak to some recipe) the housings, gears, stub and main axles. The only failures they've had since doing all this has been a couple of buckled spring pates (an indication of how hard they are hitting it off the starting line) There are several wheels-up shots of the DRAGBUS circulating the internet. Not some one trick pony, he bracket races in NASA and Sacto BOR events regularly. I've driven it at a Bug-O-Rama, and can attest to the fact that his bus IS, all that and a bag of chips

Using then as an overdrive is something I've kicked around as well. Good to know the Volksliner did this.

[36hplandspeedracer]

[Mr. Motorhead]

[Tom Simon]

[splitpile]