TheSamba.com :: View topic - Swingaxle to IRS or Swingaxle w/o RGB pros/cons

Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:14 pm

Looking to gather info on weather to covert from Swingaxle to IRS or stay Swingaxle w/o RGB pros/cons. Please post a comment if you can help! PICTURES WOULD BE GREAT TOO! If you have done either conversion please tell what kit you uses and your like/dislikes

*i'm hoping this will help others in the future

Cheers
David

Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:30 pm

The pros and cons would depend on your plans for the bus
Irs and no rgbs are good for lowering and faster freeway speeds
Rgbs are good for using it as a work truck or trailbash bus
There are lots of other pros and cons but it would be easier to answer if we know what yours plans for the bus are

Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:43 pm

joe56vw wrote: The pros and cons would depend on your plans for the bus
Irs and no rgbs are good for lowering and faster freeway speeds
Rgbs are good for using it as a work truck or trailbash bus
There are lots of other pros and cons but it would be easier to answer if we know what yours plans for the bus are

I personally am looking to build a kick a55 63 panel. Something that will handle (as well as a panel will handle). Twist up to 6500-7000rpm. Do killer smoke shows, looks its age without feeling it and make people smile:).

Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:58 pm

mk1motorsport wrote: joe56vw wrote: The pros and cons would depend on your plans for the bus
Irs and no rgbs are good for lowering and faster freeway speeds
Rgbs are good for using it as a work truck or trailbash bus
There are lots of other pros and cons but it would be easier to answer if we know what yours plans for the bus are

I personally am looking to build a kick a55 63 panel. Something that will handle (as well as a panel will handle). Twist up to 6500-7000rpm. Do killer smoke shows, looks its age without feeling it and make people smile:).

Then you will probaly want irs cause swingaxles break easily when doing burnouts

Mon Mar 25, 2013 6:55 pm

The biggest advantage of IRS is that it handles much better, but is more complex (more parts to break, especially when abusing it) and it is heavier. If you want to abuse your trans like that (and I mean that in a positive way), you're best to convert the trans to the later 68+ style with IRS. It's more expensive at first, but they can take a serious beating.

Mon Mar 25, 2013 7:48 pm

i went with IRS, it'll handle better.
if you find an early steel A arm 924/944 rear end, you'll have everything you need, and you get porsche rear brakes, the porsche rear brakes will bolt straight onto an IRS but i think you might need to add a spacer in there somewhere

Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:26 am

To "IRS" or "not to IRS", that is the Q 8)

Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:58 am

While you are thinking about making it go faster start thinking about how you are going to stop it. It is all a balance and Volkswagen had it pretty well thought out.

Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:18 pm

vdubdan wrote: While you are thinking about making it go faster start thinking about how you are going to stop it. It is all a balance and Volkswagen had it pretty well thought out.

Absolutely! But right now I'm running a 1500. I just want to remove the RGB, but at the same time move forward. Thank for the putting that out there someone may not have given that a thought

Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:29 pm

What kits are people using? If custom built: how did you build it.

Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:35 pm

i used a bug irs in my 64 . i bought the "clips" online . these are the brkts to convert a swing axle bug to irs. i opened them up to fit the bigger torsion tube but worked real nice . im real happy i did it. ive got pics in my build thread
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=506171

Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:24 pm

mk1motorsport wrote: What kits are people using? If custom built: how did you build it.

if i had the money i would get a kit from wagenswest all the stuff i have seen of his was really nice

if i was going the budget route i would just get all the parts from a late model bug and have the springplates cut to bolt up to the irs trailing arms

Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:05 am

demon1018 wrote: i used a bug irs in my 64 . i bought the "clips" online . these are the brkts to convert a swing axle bug to irs. i opened them up to fit the bigger torsion tube but worked real nice . im real happy i did it. ive got pics in my build thread
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=506171

damn that's a sick setup. Love it! :wink:

Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:42 am

mk1motorsport wrote: joe56vw wrote: The pros and cons would depend on your plans for the bus
Irs and no rgbs are good for lowering and faster freeway speeds
Rgbs are good for using it as a work truck or trailbash bus
There are lots of other pros and cons but it would be easier to answer if we know what yours plans for the bus are

I personally am looking to build a kick a55 63 panel. Something that will handle (as well as a panel will handle). Twist up to 6500-7000rpm. Do killer smoke shows, looks its age without feeling it and make people smile:).

Quote: Absolutely! But right now I'm running a 1500. I just want to remove the RGB, but at the same time move forward. Thank for the putting that out there someone may not have given that a thought

a stock 63-67 1 ton tranny is geared perfectly for a 1500/1600.

If you have a stock 1500/1600, and run it up to 6500-7000, better be ready to build another motor. IIRC, the redline on that motor is around 4K. But you probably already have plans for a balanced blah blah blah motor.

Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:22 am

I would recommend to any and everybody to drive a rock stock 65, large nut 1600 with stock wheels and tires BEFORE they rip everything out and build bigger motors, remove RGBs, put tiny wheels on it, etc.

Many might find that a well maintained stock bus drives much better than they think.

Unfortunately many vw owners have never owned a good stock bus, and think that the hulk they just bought is the measure of how a VW bus drives.

with good tires, healthy motor, good brakes, new tie rods, adjusted steering box and good shocks a bus will drive just fine, go anywhere, get 25 miles to the gallon, won't veer of the road when you stomp the brakes, and is NOT susceptible to windgusts on highway overpasses.

Once that baseline is established, you can still modify it to "fix" what you need.

not a rant, just a recommendation :)

Thu Mar 28, 2013 3:58 pm

My '66 had a '74 bug transmission in it when I bought it, and late '68 brake backing plates and drive stubs. I've added Safari drive stubs to the trans so I can run large CV joints on both ends of the axle. It's taken me from California to Florida and back three times and handles fine.

Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:35 pm

safaris on the gearbox ,interesting

Fri Mar 29, 2013 5:40 pm

theres also alot of info on this on the steering box scrapers website. look uner technical section and its right at the top. just remember theres more than one way to do it :wink: