Bad Thing, good buggy

[impaleale]

If your wondering why I cut these... To ensure its the correct ride. I'm not going to beat myself and it's called suspension. It's made to move, like my hot body on the dance floor. Fast, sexy and smooth.

[impaleale]

Here is half way through the adjuster install. I will cover more tomorrow. I will let this all sink in. The adjusters are not as easy to install as you might think or the YouTube shows. Also, when your beam is apart replace your ball joints and all other bearings and too it off with seals. Take your time to replace zirc fittings. Once you open your beam wear rubber gloves. It's going to get very messy. 30+ years grease turns nasty. With that I mind clean out the beam and the trailing arms (they will go back together a lot easier).

[impaleale]

On a side note. I cut it back apart and reweld end it with the TIG. Not a fan of welding some thing that will take a real beating with a MIG. You want full penetration and nothing less

[EVfun]

I have a cut and welded bar in one tube -- forgot if it was the upper or lower. I used a large leaf to make the pieces and tapered the ends to make installation easier. I welded the leaves in place in between the leaves and only where the bars where fixed in the blocks. I'm not sure if welding off the end where the inner one can flex is a good idea.
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[impaleale]

EVfun, I did give that thought. I'm pretty confident my tacks will break before serious problems occur. At least that's what I hope. So what did you do about the ends?

[EVfun]

I tack welded on the outside end and between the leaves opposite where the grub screws clamp the leaves in place. I removed all the small bars from one of the bundles. The king and link pin cars have 4 small leaves, each half the width of the large leaves, so the bar bundle comes out as a square.

I've been told that with a ball joint front end you don't need to fit spacers in place of the single top and bottom small leaf, though putting spacers at each end isn't a bad idea to keep grease in and water out.
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[joescoolcustoms]

Some one has already changed the leaves. That spring pack is not from a Thing. The four main, full width leaves are the same thickness. The Things used three thicker leaves and one thinner leave. This gave the Thing a higher spring rate, but still allowing them to fit in the beetle size pack area..

In a buggy, you are better off with Beetle leaves.
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Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[impaleale]

Joe, is this s good Thing that it was changed than? You lost me. I hate this car. Never buy a car from Mexico. I have already taken off the mis match rear brakes and rear trailing arms.

[joescoolcustoms]

[impaleale]

Well, I am encouraged by your words. I got to get my spindles on tomorrow, thing spindles will be the perfect match for my rear end. I got some days off ahead of me! Time to work on buggy and make cheap empi parts work.

[joescoolcustoms]

[impaleale]

Well, set back after set back. Thing ball joints are different than beetle, this we all know. Thing are stronger when installed correctly they both point down. If you are putting a bus trans in a beetle or buggy that's great! DO NOT buy a empi dog leg adapter for the shift rod to bus trans. I had to open the size of hole for the trans and re-tap the grub screw. Still junk. Make your own. Don't buy it thinking you can "I can make it work." I am in the Coast Guard, we get junk that some politic dreamed up and spent a lot of money on that has no field experience all the time and told to make it work. It's trash. My next posts will be positive.

[impaleale]

I got the new aluminum floors in. I had to crop a section from a pan for the where the pedal cluster is. Could I havd made one? Yes. It took me very little time to cut down the pan and put it in. Don't spend hours beating your self for a part no one will see well. As long as it is very durable who cares.

[impaleale]

[impaleale]

I'm about to bolt the body down for the final time hopefully. How many people really used gaskets? I was thinking just black caulk. Any thoughts out there? The roll cage will be sitting on top sandwiching the super strong chassi fiberglass body then roll cage.

[impaleale]

Also here is one of the seats in going to use. I need to cut down the mount about an inch or two.

[impaleale]

I tried to use the search and a lot came up, over a thousand. What is the proper degree the steering box should be at? Notice I did not say "what is the right angle the steer box should be at?" I did not want any geometry jokes. But if you know a good one please do. My front end is close to being done.

[impaleale]

Well, I got it all back together and put it all back to the messurements before I rebuilt it. I am not thinking I won't have to get an alignment, I'm just hoping doing so will get me down the road to the alignment shop. I am still looking for the proper degree of the steering box.

[EVfun]

If your front beam is stock you should have some tabs spot welded to it that locate the box. At least with some years, if you turn the bottom clamp around it will slightly change the box angle to what the Ghia used.

If those have been removed then it isn't so easy. The lowest (closest to horizontal) angle the box should be at can be found by jacking the front into the with the wheels and tires in place and turning the box down until the long tie rod is just shy of hitting the tunnel.

Usually, the issue is that direction, not how far upward you can point the steering box. I'm pretty sure turning it up would increase bump steer from the left tire and eventually cause binding in the short tie rod.
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[impaleale]

Good info. Thanks. I have that little raised tab. I did not know if that was just a left and right thing. I installed adjusters in the beam so I can lift it to make it level with the rear. It's pretty stiff up front right now. All joints are new and anti seize has been placed on all threaded parts.