TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Jan 04, 2015 1:59 pm

It was one of those days and while placing a nice new chock on the front and taking off the bolts this broke. Is that the lower torsion control arm bar? How screwed am I, what options might I have? Is it fixable? A lot of work to replace?

Just as i thought I was well on my way another set back with this SC.

69 Single Cab

thanks in advance
Rustednuggs

Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:04 pm

Either cut it off and drill it out and then tap that hole to put in a new stud or buy a new lower arm. 68-69 have short studs and 70+ have longer ones. Other than that they're the same.

I would just swap out for another one if you can find one on the cheaps. Bummer man.

Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:07 pm

What is it called Brian? Front axel lower arm?

If I put a pair of vice grips on the non-threaded part will the broken screw come out or does it need re-drilled like you mentioned?

thanks
Rustednuggs

Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:08 pm

it is the shock mount. To remove it you need to find the small pin and remove it then pull out or drill the broken part. You'll do better when removing old nuts and bolts if you use a little penetrating oil on things first, and let them sit a few hours to overnight. True penetrating oil has phosphoric acid in it so it will convert the brown rust to black rust which helps remove some of the debris in the threads. It also lubricates.

Or you can replace the whole control arm.

If you try to remove it be aware of how VW made that part. They pressed in the stud in then drove a small pin into the mount to lock it from coming out.

dstefun wrote: The shock mount stud is a machined stud held in with a press fit and a tiny 4 mm dowel pin. The inner part is not threaded. The Bentley replacement procedure is in Front Axle section 7.4, figure 7-14, Front Axle page 17 in my 68-78 manual. The basic process is to drill out the broken stud, enlarge the hole, ream the hole to the correct oversize, press in a new stud and pin it. It may be easier to do with the torsion arm removed from the bus but can be done on the bus if you have the proper drills & reamer. If you don't have the drills & reamer then take the torsion arm off and take it to a machine shop. (Or find another torsion arm with a good stud.)

Any machine shop should be able to make the stud easily enough if it is no longer available from a dealer. I can scan the Bentley page for you and email it if you need it.
Dave

Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:13 pm

I think its part # 211405151E ?If I replaced that I would do the ball joint as well. There looks to be some clamp of the swing bar, should that be repalced also?

Thanks
Rustednuggs

Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:06 pm

Very often the clamp for the sway bar gets fubarred when it's removed so you might need new ones. Clean and inspect the sway bar. It looks like a bunch of rust down there, if the bar is pitted badly you might want to replace it before it snaps. BTW I went through my stash and only found 3 extra serrated washers, PM me your address and I'll send them to you, I have another parts stash in Miami, I'll look for more.

Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:13 pm

Man I appreciate it. As soon as you send them to me something (knock on wood) will happen, please keep those and I will look and pick some up.

Have a sway bar, clamp or lower torsion arm? :)

Thanks Rustednuggs

Sun Jan 04, 2015 4:33 pm

If that is "only" a shock mount aren't there enough threads left for the retaining nut and it is useable as is? I might attempt to use it as is and use locktite and/or peening to keep the nut from loosening on the threads that are there. Drilling a hole for a cotter pin and castellated nut might be another method. Those repairs/hacks would seem to be way easier than a replacement. The shock mount takes vertical loads and the nut might be considered only a retainer, rather than a load bearing member of the suspension. I would assume that many VW's have lost those nuts before it caused a noticeable problem. On the other hand, a loose and flopping shock absorber might cause other suspension/steering problems.

Aloha
tp

Sun Jan 04, 2015 5:22 pm

Back too "off topic".....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-BEETLE-BUG-BUS-GHIA-THI...1465249151

I looked at a bunch of other sites for you. Seems I was looking for love in all the wrong places. :shock:

Quote: "(The picture shows 1000 of them - you aren't getting 1000 - you only get 24 washers. You don't get the Schnoor box either. Or the table we shot the picture on.)"

Sun Jan 04, 2015 5:23 pm

LMAO...nice find..

Sun Jan 04, 2015 5:24 pm

BTW over 200 posts for me!

Rustednuggs

Sun Jan 04, 2015 5:49 pm

Does anyone know if a lower torsion arm from a 71 will work? I might have found one?

Rustednuggs

Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:13 pm

Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:24 pm

This happened to me as well. I used a pneumatic cutting wheel and cut the threads off flush to the shock mount. Then I drilled the mount and installed a helicoil and a bolt to hold the shock on.

Mon Jan 05, 2015 4:27 am

So to make sure I understand:

I can take a grinder Saw/cut flush where the screw meets the the solid part of the screw or where it meets the torsion arm? Then drill it out enough to put in a helicoil? (Where do I get one of those?) and then place a screw in the heli coil? That then holds the shock back on?

Thanks in advance
Rustednuggs

Sun Aug 14, 2022 10:23 am

Looking at that , the proper fix is a shoulder bolt pressed in as the threaded part is a fair bit thinner and weaker than the shank of a shoulder bolt.
Once the shock starts moving around it will chew away at the thread of a bolt screwed in and break again.