TheSamba.com :: View topic - 5 x 205 stock drums in a ball joint? possible?

Mon Jul 26, 2010 2:25 pm

hi there..

The frame head of my recently owned ´64 its a total mess, rusty as hell and cracking everywhere... I found only balljoint frame heads in the local shops and I have a decent Balljoint front beam to do the swap...

it is possible to install my 5 x 205 drums after the swap? do I have to use the 5 x 205 braking plate also? it fits the spindle? I dont want to have different rim patterns...

I´d rather to install just the link pin frame head but that a hard-to-find part here..

thanks in advance...

Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:11 pm

66 & 67 bugs had BJ beams with wide-five drums so it isn't a problem. You can't use your linkpin drums and stuff. Gotta use the correct parts for the spindles. Later spindles will work with the wide-5 parts but I think there is some switching of bearings needed.

If it was me I would hunt down the correct framehead and put a LP in there. I don't think it is a direct swap with no work needed. Or you could just get a BJ pan and roll that. No welding, fabbing or cursing required!

Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:42 pm

Yeah, I don't think you can bolt on your early ball bearing drums to the spindles, but USA spec '66-'67 front drums will bolt on to the BJ beam and they are 5x205.
Not sure of the car specs for your country in the '60's. Depending on the year of your BJ beam's spindles, you may have to use the bigger '69- inner bearings though.

Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:43 pm

nextorskater wrote: hi there..

The frame head of my recently owned ´64 its a total mess, rusty as hell and cracking everywhere... I found only balljoint frame heads in the local shops and I have a decent Balljoint front beam to do the swap...

it is possible to install my 5 x 205 drums after the swap? do I have to use the 5 x 205 braking plate also? it fits the spindle? I dont want to have different rim patterns...

I´d rather to install just the link pin frame head but that a hard-to-find part here..

thanks in advance...

So cal has them in stock http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=696540

Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:52 pm

cru62 wrote:
If it was me I would hunt down the correct framehead and put a LP in there. I don't think it is a direct swap with no work needed. Or you could just get a BJ pan and roll that. No welding, fabbing or cursing required!

I did the same hunt some months ago and its very hard to find even a damaged LP frame head to repair... Also in our workshop we have done this work (frame head replacement and related issues) a couple times with very good results...

I´m going to keep looking for the correct one, those new brazilian BJ frameheads are crap... :?

thanks...