TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Feb 14, 2023 5:48 am

I have a 1970 181 with ball joint front end. I am thinking about lowering it using thru rods and Monroe air shocks. Has anyone used thru rods to lower the car? How’s the ride and the durability of the thru rods?

https://www.jbugs.com/product/17-2545.html

Thu Aug 08, 2024 11:41 am

I would like to see a video or detailed pics on installing a Puma style front end adjuster without removing the beam from the car. Also is it possible to do this without removing torsion bars?
Thanks
Jack

Thu Aug 08, 2024 5:59 pm

Found this video on YouTube. Seems like a good walk thru of the steps.

You can judge for yourself if you could do this without removing the beam from the car. I would remove the beam to give you better access.

It goes look like you need to remove the torsion springs so you can drive out the center "puck" from its position as the dimples in the beam holds it in place.

Sat Aug 10, 2024 8:21 am

Thanks for the reply. Why does the center puck need to be removed? Isnt it the part that the grub screw goes in to?

Sat Aug 10, 2024 5:08 pm

jackro wrote: Thanks for the reply. Why does the center puck need to be removed? Isnt it the part that the grub screw goes in to?
You don’t actually remove the puck. You need to get it out of the way so you can drill/cut the tubing to turn the grub screw hole into a grub screw slot. Also the dimple in the tube that the person in the video heated before driving the puck free could limit the rotation. Once the slot has been cut you move the puck back into place and make sure you can rotate it from one end of the slot to the other.

Sat Aug 10, 2024 5:23 pm

Great thanks

Thu Jan 30, 2025 12:19 pm

Ok, I've been racking my brain and the internet for a couple days with no luck so I figured I'd ask here:

I am installing sway-away style adjusters into a stock 68 BJ beam that is also getting narrowed 4". My question is about the orientation of the small "grub screw" that is hidden once you install the adjuster. If I place the grub screw so it's into the stock divot in the center of the leaf pack, won't the rotation of the leafs 90 degrees to get the other bolt into the adjuster going to change the angle of the leaf pack in relation to the torsion arms? I may just be overthinking this, but it also creates questions for me as to the proper angle of the adjuster in the beam. I was going to weld it in with "max lift" at the stock location, but can't figure out how do this with the 90 degree rotation of the hidden grub screw.

Please let me know if this makes no sense :oops:

Thu Jan 30, 2025 4:43 pm

The way I always do it is scribe or draw a long line through the factory grub screw hole. If you want adjustability up and down, install it straight with the line. If your using dropped spindles, you want a little up or down. If you start off rotated at like 3/8” from stock, your already at 2” lowered.
Airkewled sells their own with some explanations:
https://www.airkewld.com/PRO-Built-Type-1-Ball-Joint-Adjusters-2451-p/2451.htm

Sat Feb 01, 2025 9:38 am

Thehate916 wrote: My question is about the orientation of the small "grub screw" that is hidden once you install the adjuster. If I place the grub screw so it's into the stock divot in the center of the leaf pack, won't the rotation of the leafs 90 degrees to get the other bolt into the adjuster going to change the angle of the leaf pack in relation to the torsion arms? I may just be overthinking this, but it also creates questions for me as to the proper angle of the adjuster in the beam. I was going to weld it in with "max lift" at the stock location, but can't figure out how do this with the 90 degree rotation of the hidden grub screw.
As the saying goes... "A picture is worth a thousand words." From the gallery...

If you line up the hidden grub screw with the stock grub screw location when the adjuster is set to raise the adjustment block to its highest position before welding it in place then the adjuster will adjust from stock height and lowered positions.
If you set set stock height when the block is half way in its adjustment range then you have an equal amount of up/down adjustment from stock height.
If you weld the adjuster so the block is in the lowest position when the hidden grub screw is in the stock position then all adjustments will be stock height or higher.
Just remember that when the block is fully down (adjustment screw is backed out all the way) the adjuster is in the max lowered positions. When the adjustment screw is screwed in all the way the front end will be lifted all the way.
Also, your torsion arms may not be able to articulate thru the range that the adjuster can. For example, say the adjusters can provide 4inches of height adjustment and you apply this to drop your front end by 4inches. Your ball joints and shocks may only allow 3inches of drop before they max out in their range of motion. The adjusters cannot make your suspension move beyond their physical limits. When using torsion adjusters you often reach the limits of stock ball joints. This is why you can find "lowered ball joints" that have a larger range of motion over stock ball joints. These are often needed when you want to "drop it into the weeds". :P