TheSamba.com :: View topic - How to lower a Bus and all lowering questions

Wed Aug 25, 2004 8:00 pm

Well, someone posted some questions about lowering a barndoor early on in this thread, but I didn't see any good answers. Some details I am a little fuzzy on are dealing with the split case nose cone (without trashing the front mount) when installing a bug swing-axle tranny and adaptability of 55-63 lowered spindles to a barndoor beam. Any info would be much appreciated

Thu Aug 26, 2004 9:30 am

volksheads wrote: Some details I am a little fuzzy on are dealing with the split case nose cone (without trashing the front mount) when installing a bug swing-axle tranny and adaptability of 55-63 lowered spindles to a barndoor beam. Any info would be much appreciated
Assuming a barndoor tranny mount is the same as the later splitcase tranny mounts you will need a 60-67 bus tranny nose cone and the adapter from Wolfagng int. Or you can fab your own mount plate which is what I did.

Added: GO here http://www.bigbulli.com/ and you should find everything you need. Go to workshop and then IRS. :wink:

Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:14 am

I wouldn't go with the metal nose cone mount, too noisy. I took a nose cone urethane mount and trimmed it down to fit. You have to cut a big C in it so it's narrow enough to fit. The only thing you have to do is weld two studs off the torsion tube, those studs go through the mount. This way it can go back to stock split-case trans.

Barndoor lowering....I only got the beam with my '55, so I'm punching out the center torsion holder and putting in a non-barndoor center for 9 torsions (barndoor has 4 torsions per tube). This way I have 9 torsions (per tube) and later trailing arms and spindles (I'm using '67). After this, the narrowing is the same, installing adjusters is the same as well. When doing your drop spindles, it appears that you don't want the tie-rods coming from the bottom since the swing lever is up higher. So tie-rods will come in the top of the spindles like stock later bus.

Fri Aug 27, 2004 9:50 pm

wanted to find info about link pin shims for my drop spindles. Here's what I got.

Measure displacemant of lower eye.should be .28 +- .08
correct the error with .02 shims were
A = top inner
b = top outer
c = lower inner
d = lower outer

Displacement No of shims
A B C D
.20 1 7 5 3
.22 2 6 5 3
.24 2 6 4 4
.26 3 5 4 4
.28 3 5 3 5
.30 4 4 3 5
.32 4 4 2 6
.34 5 3 2 6
.36 5 3 1 7

as you can see each link has 8 shims
IF displacement is greater than .28
add shims to A from B & to D from C

Thus if less than .28 add shims to b from A
& to C from D

If this does not work. Remove torsion arms & check them.do not add extra shims

Wed Sep 01, 2004 8:28 am

Long-roofs wrote: I wouldn't go with the metal nose cone mount, too noisy. I took a nose cone urethane mount and trimmed it down to fit. You have to cut a big C in it so it's narrow enough to fit. The only thing you have to do is weld two studs off the torsion tube, those studs go through the mount. This way it can go back to stock split-case trans.
This is a good Idea. I think I will change my setup. I have rubber rear mounts and after talking it over with a friend he mentions issues with a hard mounted front and flex rear and made me realize this could break my nose cone. I shall weld in a res mount for the front to resolve this.

Thu Sep 02, 2004 11:49 am

How about a rack and pinion steering unit? Has it been done? I think i remember hearing about it somewhere on here but a search didnt bring anything up.

Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:03 pm

Camerod (Cameron Johnson of Volksfab, in the Seattle area) has a 15 window deluxe with rack and pinion conversion (as well as a Porsche engine and mahle gas burners). They were talking about development of a bolt in kit for this a while back. Send him a PM and post your results here.

Chris

Fri Sep 10, 2004 1:12 am

we are still working on the bolt in rack and pinion kit, we are in testing stages to ensure safety.

-cameron

Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:11 am

on my 63 DC, i used a vanagon steering box and a rack from woodward precision, mounted on a bracket about 10" behind the beam. the combination of the short trailing arms on the beam, and the short tie rods caused too much bump steer, so i'm going to bag that idea and i'm building a setup using 911 front suspension with shortened struts that will bolt in in place of the beam. still using a vanagon box. it has adjustable height torsion bars stock. more to come on that. the rack behind the beam would work without bump steer if the tie rods were long and attached to the center of the rack instead of to the ends. the only rack that,s like that is for dune buggies and is too light weight for a bus. a vw dasher rack that mounts on the left side only is another possibility. if anyone knows of a center tie rod mount rack, i would be interested to know.

Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:58 am

How about a rack from a rabbit? I can get some mesurements if someone wants to check.

Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:47 pm

gotta be rear steer for my setup. in other words the rack needs to mount behind whatever the suspension is, because the steering arms on the spindles go to the rear. rabbits are front steer. a RHD front steer super beetle rack with center-mount tie rods could be flipped over and used as a rear steer, but try to find one, and the rack is a tad too wide for a bus frame, unless you want to cut holes. the pinion on the rack needs to be turned clockwise, looking at it from the front, when used with a vanagon box, if you want to turn the steering wheel right and actually go to the right. if someone came up with a front steer setup, more racks are available. one of those fatman or art morrison streetrod style upper and lower a-arm crossmembers with rack and pinion and coil-overs may be the ticket.

Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:39 pm

rabbit ones are rear steer. I have a spare im going to take some measurments and pics.

Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:42 pm

coulda sworn they were front. it's been 20 years since i looked at a rabbit. hate them things. the rack needs to have the tie rods attach to the center of the rack to work in a bus, so you don't get bad bump steer. a dasher is kind of like that, but i recall a rabbit having end attachments.

Sat Sep 25, 2004 2:12 am

I dug up an old photo of the rack in the 15 window, mazda rack converted to center output. no bump steer! our new kit uses a high quality center output aftermarket rack..

Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:19 am

John dont hate the rabbits they where the OG hot hatch. They are what got me loving all things VW.
A rack from a Fox may also work as the tie rods are in the center.

All this talk and i havent even touched my 67 yet. Gotta finish the Rabbit first.

Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:19 pm

here is our front air ride set up as well as our rear ar ride set up.

Thu Oct 14, 2004 1:06 am

Airkewld wrote: here is our front air ride set up as well as our rear ar ride set up.

Curious, the entire weight of the front end will rest on the lower shock mount? It's only a 12mm stud. :-k

Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:47 am

i was thinking the same thing. say it isn't true.

Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:28 am

Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:35 pm

66split wrote:

People that sell beams and spindles (that I know of) in the USA;

Wolfgang
Nate
Rizzag
Camerod
Franklins
Bus Boys

People that sell beams (that I know of) in Canada;
JPM Custom Bus Shop (John Paul Marc)
Email @ [email protected] OR [email protected]