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Raising a lowered front end back up to stock 65 Bug
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offshores
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:19 pm    Post subject: Raising a lowered front end back up to stock 65 Bug Reply with quote

Newbie posting here. Just bought a 65 Bug project today and I want to know the best and most cost effective way of getting it back to the stock height? I haven't wrenched on a VW in 20 years and all of a sudden I got the itch again. I've owned 6 VW's in the past and have never had a lowered one so it's foreign to me. Thanks for any info and sorry if it's already been discussed, but I didn't see anything under a search.
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66brm
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Firstly we need to know how the front of the car has been lowered, put up some pics of the front suspension, steering knuckles, centre of the beam etc
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evlwevl
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

At worst, you'll have to replace the missing springs that may have been pulled out of the beam, which is a little bit of a pain. At best you may just have to readjust your ride height with adjusters on the beam, that is if they were welded in so that stock height is was obtainable at their full range of adjustment. Then there are dropped spindles.......uh yeah, just post some photos.

I just did raised mine back up by replacing missing springs that the PO pulled and I did have to remove both left and right trailing arms to get everything to slide back together.
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Mitey62
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

evlwevl wrote:
At worst, you'll have to replace the missing springs that may have been pulled out of the beam, which is a little bit of a pain. At best you may just have to readjust your ride height with adjusters on the beam, that is if they were welded in so that stock height is was obtainable at their full range of adjustment. Then there are dropped spindles.......uh yeah, just post some photos.

I just did raised mine back up by replacing missing springs that the PO pulled and I did have to remove both left and right trailing arms to get everything to slide back together.


I have never heard of people pulling springs to lower... it's usually spindles and beam adjusters... ?
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kanniff
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Buy a stock beam and swap it out.

Then sell what you have.
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evlwevl
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Every bug I've ever bought that was lowered had springs pulled. It was the poor mans way to lower the front and the worst way to do it.
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offshores
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the info so far. I need to trailer it home this weekend and then I'll post up some pics.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mitey62 wrote:
evlwevl wrote:
At worst, you'll have to replace the missing springs that may have been pulled out of the beam, which is a little bit of a pain. At best you may just have to readjust your ride height with adjusters on the beam, that is if they were welded in so that stock height is was obtainable at their full range of adjustment. Then there are dropped spindles.......uh yeah, just post some photos.

I just did raised mine back up by replacing missing springs that the PO pulled and I did have to remove both left and right trailing arms to get everything to slide back together.


I have never heard of people pulling springs to lower... it's usually spindles and beam adjusters... ?



then you havent been around long

I actually pull a couple on cars with just an adjustable beam. Say what you will, it bounces less than a full torsion stack adjusted all the way down.

yes, what was said, we need pics of the front beam first. And the spindles. Then we can tell you what you have, and how to go back to stock. It may be a sub 15 minute job if you only have an adjustable beam.
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offshores
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 12:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Erik G wrote:
Mitey62 wrote:
evlwevl wrote:
At worst, you'll have to replace the missing springs that may have been pulled out of the beam, which is a little bit of a pain. At best you may just have to readjust your ride height with adjusters on the beam, that is if they were welded in so that stock height is was obtainable at their full range of adjustment. Then there are dropped spindles.......uh yeah, just post some photos.

I just did raised mine back up by replacing missing springs that the PO pulled and I did have to remove both left and right trailing arms to get everything to slide back together.


I have never heard of people pulling springs to lower... it's usually spindles and beam adjusters... ?



then you havent been around long

I actually pull a couple on cars with just an adjustable beam. Say what you will, it bounces less than a full torsion stack adjusted all the way down.

yes, what was said, we need pics of the front beam first. And the spindles. Then we can tell you what you have, and how to go back to stock. It may be a sub 15 minute job if you only have an adjustable beam.


I doubt that these pics will be of any help, but at the very least it gives me some practice uploading to this site. Think it's the same as others???
Some of you might be able to tell with the minimal views.


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frt. lft by offshores, on Flickr

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Ready for lift off by offshores, on Flickr

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pan rot by offshores, on Flickr

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new pan 1 by offshores, on Flickr
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drscope
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mitey62 wrote:

I have never heard of people pulling springs to lower... it's usually spindles and beam adjusters... ?


You need to get out more.
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Mitey62
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

drscope wrote:
Mitey62 wrote:

I have never heard of people pulling springs to lower... it's usually spindles and beam adjusters... ?


You need to get out more.


Either that or I keep company with people who know how to work on cars properly Smile
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Max Welton
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 4:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Touché. Laughing

Max
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mitey62 wrote:


Either that or I keep company with people who know how to work on cars properly Smile


I think you found the right answer!
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

evlwevl wrote:
Every bug I've ever bought that was lowered had springs pulled. It was the poor mans way to lower the front and the worst way to do it.


Amen to that. mine was the same way. My front quarter panels were cracked as a result
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offshores
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just got the Bug home, put it on jack stands and snapped a few pics of the beams. Can anyone tell how it was lowered based on these pics? Thanks

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IMG_0424 by offshores, on Flickr

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IMG_0420 by offshores, on Flickr


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IMG_0419 by offshores, on Flickr[/url]
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66brm
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can you get a pic of the steering knuckle, and also into the end of the trailing arms, the pics you have shown indicate theres no adjusters there, so either theres spring leaves that have been removed as discussed above or they have fitted drop spindles
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offshores
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think I know the answer. Looks like they pulled springs. If so, is it hard to put them back in?


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DSC_8229 by offshores, on Flickr


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66brm
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep springs have been removed Shame on you , to replace the missing springs you will need to remove the steering knuckles at the link pins, then remove the trailing arms, then pull the spring packs from the beam, work out whats missing, get replacements, then bundle them up with some PVC tape and slide them back in and reassemble, its important to note the existing springs left/right as they will have taken a "set" and you want them to go in the same way.

Its a pain to do all this with the beam fitted to the car but it can be done.
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evlwevl
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

it is also important to note the shim count both inner and outer of both top and bottom link pin so you put them back in the way they were and nothing changes assuming they were shimmed correctly to begin with
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offshores
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darn it! Oh well! Do you guys know of any links/videos on how to do this? I want to pull the beam off anyways to clean it up and repaint so will that make it easier to replace the springs??? Sounds like that's what you mean. All the other stuff doesn't make much sense yet, but I guess if I see some pics it will. Thanks again for the info.
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