TheSamba.com :: View topic - Is it worth lowering a classic VW Beetle?

Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:33 am

after reading all this i just gotta comment. I would never lower a vw for other reasons.. i'm more of a baja guy and my lowered ghia rides great..

Your talk about lowering is not a good idea for old vws....

It appears from everything you have said is that your crappy ride has nothing to do with it being lowered but that you had shit for a front end to begin with....

you dont think a car engineered 40 years ago can be improved with modern parts and thinking...

then you say that you would lower/modify a modern car engineered with modern technology ?????

carry on

Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:55 am

impressive troll thread 8)

Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:51 am

I dont understand how a nice car like that can be so F'ed up. My 69 is in way worse shape but the suspension is flawless, well besides the rear being up to high. I think thats because I need to roll it around alittle.

Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:40 pm

boosted_eclipse wrote: I dont understand how a nice car like that can be so F'ed up. My 69 is in way worse shape but the suspension is flawless, well besides the rear being up to high. I think thats because I need to roll it around alittle.

I daily drive my vw beetle and I am a little bit of a freak when it comes to the way my car runs and drives...If its not right I fix it....
My bug is in good condition,but there are some finishing touches that need to be done....

Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:03 am

dirtkeeper wrote: after reading all this i just gotta comment. I would never lower a vw for other reasons.. i'm more of a baja guy and my lowered ghia rides great..

Your talk about lowering is not a good idea for old vws....

It appears from everything you have said is that your crappy ride has nothing to do with it being lowered but that you had shit for a front end to begin with....

you dont think a car engineered 40 years ago can be improved with modern parts and thinking...

then you say that you would lower/modify a modern car engineered with modern technology ?????

carry on
I do not see any performance value using an adjustable beam!NONE....

Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:13 am

Wait, so the whole time you've been talking down lowered cars because of your personal experience... and your personal experience includes a car with a trashed framehead. :roll:

The reason people use an adjustable beam is just that... it's adjustable. Dial in the ride height for your preferred stance, ground clearance, fit the tires you want under the fenders, etc...

If a car is lowered properly, it retains an acceptable ride at an improved center of gravity. If you cut corners, you're gonna get bad results. And a car with a jimmy-rigged framehead is going to eat sh*t regardless of how your suspension is set up.

Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:28 am

I truly believe that the way my beetle was lowered is what caused the damage...it was slammed plus the shocks were garbage....

in my opinion lowered or not lowered I love vw beetles....

I drive em ,I drive em hard...

But it needs to perform to my standards and I do not think its worth lowering a claSSic bug .... :wink:

But I still love the way they look lowered...its all good...

Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:21 pm

Well, I'll tell you... I lowered my fat chick on a 3 inch narrowed beam that I did entirely myself from the german core. I wanted to fit in some fairly wide spun wheels with FAT tires up front... 185/55/15. Adjusters are set to give 2 inches in either direction, they are currently all the way down. I did disc brakes from CB, and got KYB ball-joint shocks that have a slightly lower range than stock, not quite as much as the Opel GT shocks. Also have a narrowed sway bar installed.

I did everything RIGHT from the get-go, and it handles awesome. It is a little stiffer than stock due to the narrowed leaves, but that's what I wanted for a car that can go around corners. It also has a BETTER turning radius than my stocker.

On my daily driver, it is all stock except for dropped spindles and discs... and let me tell you, it is also a HUGE improvement over stock.

To each his own I guess. But blanket statements that say lowering your bug is useless... that's just being a sour grape.

Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:30 pm

Your setup is almost exactly what I'm currently building for my 67, right down to the tire size. I'm stoked to see how nicely the tires fill the wheel wells. What did you do for your rear tire size?

Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:54 pm

Here's a shot... it's when I was test-fitting to make sure the spare tire fit the front (155, and it also fits with no rubbing due to more tuck)

The rear is a 215/65 mounted on a 6.25" CMS wheel, and the torsions are readjusted one outer spline. Stock length GR-2 shocks. This is an IRS 70.

Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:12 pm

mynameistory wrote: Well, I'll tell you... I lowered my fat chick on a 3 inch narrowed beam that I did entirely myself from the german core. I wanted to fit in some fairly wide spun wheels with FAT tires up front... 185/55/15. Adjusters are set to give 2 inches in either direction, they are currently all the way down. I did disc brakes from CB, and got KYB ball-joint shocks that have a slightly lower range than stock, not quite as much as the Opel GT shocks. Also have a narrowed sway bar installed.

I did everything RIGHT from the get-go, and it handles awesome. It is a little stiffer than stock due to the narrowed leaves, but that's what I wanted for a car that can go around corners. It also has a BETTER turning radius than my stocker.

On my daily driver, it is all stock except for dropped spindles and discs... and let me tell you, it is also a HUGE improvement over stock.

To each his own I guess. But blanket statements that say lowering your bug is useless... that's just being a sour grape.

nice looking ride .....

Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:56 pm

mynameistory wrote: Wait, so the whole time you've been talking down lowered cars because of your personal experience... and your personal experience includes a car with a trashed framehead. :roll:

The reason people use an adjustable beam is just that... it's adjustable. Dial in the ride height for your preferred stance, ground clearance, fit the tires you want under the fenders, etc...

If a car is lowered properly, it retains an acceptable ride at an improved center of gravity. If you cut corners, you're gonna get bad results. And a car with a jimmy-rigged framehead is going to eat sh*t regardless of how your suspension is set up.

this is exactly what everyone has been trying to tell vespaboy and he just doesnt get it. he is trying to tell everyone that he highly recomends that you do not lower your car because it is unsafe just beacause he bought a hackjob of a car that wasnt done right. i dont know what he is trying to prove but he asked in the begining of this thread if it is worth lowering a car. so everyone told him the right way and SAFE way to do it but he disregards everything.

Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:16 pm

Its not worth it for me...Because this is my daily driver....
:!:

Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:42 am

Here's the continuing disconnect, it is perfectly safe to lower a daily driver. It's okay if you like stock height too. One person's hack job does not make a lowered car unsafe for everyone else. Drive what you like, it's your car. But your not liking something doesn't make it unsafe for me. Kapish?

Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:33 am

Abosolutley Rubbish !!! (british accent)

This thread is thouroughly EXHAUSTED !!! Please stop the MADNESS !!! ](*,) =; :sleeping:

Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:17 pm

vespaboy200 wrote: I mean besides the look is there any type of benefit ?The handling in my opinion is not improved! Maybe its just my setup ...But my experience has been nothing positive,besides the "look"... I am at the point where I might go all stock... especially when there is no improvement in the handling...Am I wrong?

I have ridden in a lowered standard that had impressive cornering and braking abilities. The key is to do it right, and that person did.

Most of the opinions in this thread are opinions and serve no real purpose to answer your question.

I did say "most" and not "all." :wink: I don't want to be involved in this which-religion-is-best argument. Crikey, the Vanagon/EuroVan forum has a thread going on who hates who and who doesn't honk at who and so forth. It's like The Three Stooges. You laugh for 30 seconds; then it becomes really boring.

Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:00 pm

I
What I need?help needed here...

narrowed beam...
dropped spindles
dropped rear arms
disc with 4x100 lug pattern same for rear drum.... am i missing anything?

Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:40 pm

vespaboy200 wrote: maybe just maybe I will attempt to lower it the"right" way!

I would also like to add some 17 inch wheels...lowered 2 inchs...

What I need?help needed here...

narrowed beam...
dropped spindles
dropped rear arms
disc with 4x100 lug pattern same for rear drum.... am i missing anything?
im done :roll:

Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:56 pm

:oops:

Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:32 am

nodak_85 wrote: if you lower a bug the right way its going to be a stiffer ride than stock (unless you have airride) but you are not going to break and bend stuff just cause its lowered. if you had a adjustable beam and it rocked you really hard, chances are that they didnt do it properly. you have to preload the springs in a adjustable beam. i rode around for the summer with out them preloaded. only suspension i had was the tires. but then i preladed them and now its better. and drop spindles help to. but it is all personal pref. and you have to do it right or things will get broken and it will not be safe to drive. mine is lowered about 3 inches up front and 2 3/4 in the rear. rides a little rough but i drive the crap out of it without any problems. My car has this exact problem in the front..what do you mean preload the springs? How do you preload the springs? thanks