TheSamba.com :: View topic - BD Steering Column Floor Plate

Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:21 pm

Have you seen this kind of BD Steering Column Floor Plate? Pics taken of a 1951 Barndoor, model 24A, which is being restored. It seems to be original factory.
Can you help with some information?

Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:53 am

My guess would be that its not original. I have never seen that part on any BD that I have owned. I also looked at pictures that I have of other 51 BD's and that part is not there. It does seem to have the same patina though, Kind of strange.

What purpose would it serve? And keep in mind that it would also have had a modified floormat which I also have never seen before.

Have you removed it and looked for a part number?

Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:30 pm

EA57RHD,
thanks for your considerations.
No part number...
However, i´m sure this is not a handmade part. This is a great mistery for me. Look more pics:

Fri Jun 17, 2011 4:02 pm

maybe off a prototype model then fitted to a later production model? anyone got pics of the prototype barndoor floor area

Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:11 am

Lets see pictures of the rest of this '51 24A bus. Some overall shots and shots of the VIN tag and chassis numbers would be cool.

Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:44 pm

whats the floor look like where its mounted

Sat Jun 18, 2011 4:56 pm

I think that looks factory. How big is the hole in the floor under it?

Sat Jun 18, 2011 8:52 pm

Good questions. Look the pics. The hole is not handmade too.

Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:01 pm

Like campingbox said..let's see some more of the bus!!

Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:55 am

Hi Capriacci,

your cover plate is original - but your steering column is not! :D

VW mounted a certain ZF steering box type (don´t know the part number now) with separate steering column and flexible rubber joint in between for a short period. I have the remains of these parts lying in my shed; they came off a May 1951 microbus I uncovered in a forest in 1996.
But until today I didn´t know how the cover plate even looked like as everything was heavily rotted and I didn´t pick up all the scrap metal ... Thank you very much for the pictures!

My steering column tube still has the fragments of the spot welded "ball" cover around at the bottom. Does your part show any signs of cracked spot welds on the inside of the upper flange?

The whole action was stopped for unknown reasons, maybe it was too expensive - and the construction finally entered serial production with the baywindow type in August 1967!

The shown steering column is Barndoor but the usual type we all know. It must have been replaced at some point in the car´s life.

Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:09 am

berge lets see some pics of this unusual linkage you have

Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:54 pm

Hi, friends,
very interesting information.
I never see this "ZF steering box type...with separate steering column and flexible rubber joint" too. Bergepanzer, I´m curious...pics will be welcome :D
About the question, I don´t find any signs of cracked spot welds on the inside of the upper flange.
I suspected that my steering box was not the original, because I have a original "Spare Parts List" from 1951, March, that show another kind of steering box:

Very grateful for all information shared!

Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:56 am

Just so you know, the type of steering column bergpanzer is talking about is different from the type in the workshop manual pics you posted above. The one above is the standard set up until late 52 (not sure exactly when it changed to one piece).

Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:20 am

Yes, "separate steering column and flexible rubber joint ". Let´s wait for some pics...I´m very curious!

Scotty wrote: Just so you know, the type of steering column bergpanzer is talking about is different from the type in the workshop manual pics you posted above. The one above is the standard set up until late 52 (not sure exactly when it changed to one piece).

Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:41 am

"flexible rubber joint" sounds scary! Would this be something similar to the a rear shift rod coupler? Early form of steering dampening? All really cool information nonetheless.

Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:18 am

Rick wrote: "flexible rubber joint" sounds scary! Would this be something similar to the a rear shift rod coupler? Early form of steering dampening? All really cool information nonetheless.

I imagine it'll be just like a beetle set up which isn't scary

Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:29 pm

Scotty wrote: Rick wrote: "flexible rubber joint" sounds scary! Would this be something similar to the a rear shift rod coupler? Early form of steering dampening? All really cool information nonetheless.

I imagine it'll be just like a beetle set up which isn't scary

Beetle set up? Like this? :?:

Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:58 am

That's what I'm guessing

Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:33 pm

Hi,

you were faster than me :-)

The shed is 300 kms away so pics will have to wait. But the photos you posted clearly show the setup. To 90 per cent I´m sure VW used this split bug steering linkage. For the remaining 10 per cent I have no explanation.

Supposingly VW mounted the parts A, B, C and D on some early BDs, maybe as an additional shock absorber for rough road conditions abroad.
For this the steering column had to be made a bit shorter inside the column tube.

@Capriazzi: I guess the hole in your cover plate is 40 mm in diameter? That´s the diameter of pre 53 steering column tubes. And the steering column tube later mounted in your 24A has a diameter of 32 mm?

Tue Jun 21, 2011 1:07 pm

Bergepanzer wrote: Hi,

you were faster than me :-)

The shed is 300 kms away so pics will have to wait. But the photos you posted clearly show the setup. To 90 per cent I´m sure VW used this split bug steering linkage. For the remaining 10 per cent I have no explanation.

Supposingly VW mounted the parts A, B, C and D on some early BDs, maybe as an additional shock absorber for rough road conditions abroad.
For this the steering column had to be made a bit shorter inside the column tube.

@Capriazzi: I guess the hole in your cover plate is 40 mm in diameter? That´s the diameter of pre 53 steering column tubes. And the steering column tube later mounted in your 24A has a diameter of 32 mm?

It could explain why this steering wheel on this 51 is so close to the pod. I Was asked about this last time in Bad Camberg.

Chassis number 20-018817

-Tonny