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Front suspension
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Duffyboby
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 3:55 am    Post subject: Front suspension Reply with quote

Hi,

Its my first post on the samba but i searchead a lot and didnt find what i wanted so i am making a new topic. I bought a bug some years ago, a 59, and i finally got around to fixing my front end. My problem is that the front end of the car is unrealisticaly high. What i mean by that is there is a 1.5 to 2 inches betweem the front and the back of the car. Now i have looked at the suspension of the car to try to find whats what and didnt find anything wrong except the excessive angle of the arm. Since the front is higher than stock, is there a way to bring it back to stock form without further modification?
Hope you can help me guys.

Olivier
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Derek Cobb
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

take some pictures of the beam and we'll be able to tell you if it's been raised. My bet is the rear has been lowered.
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Duffyboby
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 6:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Derek Cobb wrote:
take some pictures of the beam and we'll be able to tell you if it's been raised. My bet is the rear has been lowered.

I am a 100% sure the rear has not been lowered. I have a picture of mine next to an oval and you clearly see the front of mine is higher.
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60ragtop
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 6:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Was it that high before you fixed the front end?
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tasb wrote:
I've restored a large number too, but I don't toot my horn quite as loud.


sb001 wrote:
maybe he just snapped cause his car sucked Wink
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Snydr
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 6:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In the technology world (my line of employment), when something isn't working the way it was intended, we trace back to the last time a change was made.

So the first question should be, what did you do to "fix" your front end?
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Duffyboby
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 6:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok so in 1999, i went all the way to alabama to buy the car from an old man who was the first and only owner of the car (i drove it all the way to canada). I am the second owner of the car and it was like that when i bought it. I did not do anything to the front end yet except removing the wheels.
I appreciate your help, thank you.
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drscope
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 7:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's really difficult to say just how high the front of your car is without pictures.

Early cars were high at stock height. And with so many of these cars running around that have been lowered it's really difficult to match yours up against another one to compare.

Post up some pics before you start getting all sorts of responses that will only cloud the waters more, confuse you and won't help you!

Once some folks on here SEE what you are dealing with we can help you get it straightened out a lot easier if there is something to straighten out.

But if you keep asking without pictures, you are going to get a lot of answers from folks that don't know what you have now.
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Duffyboby
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 8:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know its very shady without pictures i just dont have them with me as of now ill post them tonight. And i know for a fact the other bug i am talking about is not lowered its been restored to original conditions. The owner is a friend of mine.
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Duffyboby
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 1:23 pm    Post subject: finally got pics Reply with quote

ok so as requested, here are some pics of my bug(the green one) besides the silver which is completely stock.
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nlorntson
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What points are you measuring to determine the height? Are you comparing the two cars?

With the peanuts, the Green one looks very much like a 62 not 59. Wink
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Helfen
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nlorntson wrote:
What points are you measuring to determine the height? Are you comparing the two cars?

With the peanuts, the Green one looks very much like a 62 not 59. Wink


It's got a 56-59 deluxe steering wheel. Peanut ft. turn signals for U.S. was 1958, and it's got the correct rear tail lamp assys.
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Duffyboby
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is defenately a 59 its got all the documentation to confirm its a 59 and the chassis and engine vin matches the 59 numbers (its a numbers matching car). Also, i am basing my guesses on the height of the front end of both car, and between the space of the front and the rear wheel weels and also because it just looks really strange.
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Helfen
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This might sound strange, and may have nothing to do with this car but I once found a type one that had the incorrect shocks installed and it road high because they bottomed out too soon.
D.
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Derek Cobb
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rear end is drooping because of the extra leverage from the wider rear wheels. Like I said earlier, the rear end is dropped.
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Duffyboby
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wow really? if its only that it explains my problems. thanks!
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Helfen
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Derek Cobb wrote:
rear end is drooping because of the extra leverage from the wider rear wheels. Like I said earlier, the rear end is dropped.


Tried your theory out on my 64 type 1. All three series of tires were 24 3/4" diameter ON the car. 1 Set of 155 SR 15 Summet Mega Metric on 4 1/2 X 15 stock VW wheels, one set of 165 SR 15 Michelin on 4 1/2 X 15 stock VW wheels. One set of P 205 65 R15 on Porsche 15 X 5 1/2 wheels and the one inch offset is to the outside of the rim.
Ride height unchanged front and rear measurements.

D.
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Derek Cobb
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well then, even though the physics indicates greater leverage, I guess some other unknown force has caused his rear suspension to drop.

I guess every time I've ever put wider tires on a swing axle car that same mysterious force also magically caused my rear suspension to drop.
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Helfen
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Derek Cobb wrote:
Well then, even though the physics indicates greater leverage, I guess some other unknown force has caused his rear suspension to drop.

I guess every time I've ever put wider tires on a swing axle car that same mysterious force also magically caused my rear suspension to drop.


Gotta tell ya Derek, that was a lot of work for me without a lift today. The older I get the harder it gets!

D.
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Duffyboby
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Derek Cobb wrote:
Well then, even though the physics indicates greater leverage, I guess some other unknown force has caused his rear suspension to drop.

I guess every time I've ever put wider tires on a swing axle car that same mysterious force also magically caused my rear suspension to drop.

i have tried to figure out whats wrong with the suspension with your suggestions on what to look at but not yet succeeded. the first pic is a pic of the front arms, the second one, well i jacked the rear of the car to figure out what would be the perfect height and could not find it, the wheel was at an angle.
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Helfen
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why don't you check your dimensions first to see how far off your car is from factory dimensions. The ones I have for your year of car are overall height (empty) of 4ft 11 inches and a ground clearance of 6.8 inches with a 15 X 4 1/2 standard wheel and a 5.60 15 tire. My guess is a 26" tall tire.. I measured mine on the car at 24 3/4 " at proper tire pressures weight of the car on and suspension settled.

D.
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