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Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:53 am

about a 20 year old Scat Drag fast with an empi ball handle instead of the t... i hate t handles

Tue Oct 27, 2020 11:05 am

VWporscheGT3 wrote: about a 20 year old Scat Drag fast with an empi ball handle instead of the t... i hate t handles

This is why I avoided the Berg shifters for years. Now, they make a ball shifter and I am going to try it in the new car.

Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:27 pm

Following this thread as well to see what others have done for improvements. I just purchased a 69 Squareback and have been tweaking things on it a bit for better handling.

Swapped out the 145 front and 165 rear tires for 195/50 front and 205/50 rear tires. Cornering and highway speed handling is like a different car with the wider, lower profile tires. It has also revealed that the rear shocks need replacing. Ride height is currently stock (sagging) height in the rear, but mildly lowered two splines in the front with a slight rake.

I purchased Aadco front and rear sway bars for the car as well but haven't yet installed them. The car was recently aligned. I'm curious to see how the replacement of the rear shocks and addition of the sway bars will flatten the cornering a bit.

I'd love to take it to an autocross for fun eventually - but just having fun doing some tweaks to dial it in right now.

Fri Oct 30, 2020 5:14 pm

Curious how the sway bars work out. My fastback has poly bushing in the rear trailing arms, 24mm 944 torsion bars, 15mm squareback front sway bar, 185/65 fronts, 185/65 rears. Front is lowered a spline. Handling is improved, sway at highway speed is much better. Overall it’s pretty well planted, not ready for autocross, but fun to drive.

Sat Oct 31, 2020 1:32 am

Roadbeater wrote: Curious how the sway bars work out. My fastback has poly bushing in the rear trailing arms, 24mm 944 torsion bars, 15mm squareback front sway bar, 185/65 fronts, 185/65 rears. Front is lowered a spline. Handling is improved, sway at highway speed is much better. Overall it’s pretty well planted, not ready for autocross, but fun to drive.

I also sourced SB front internal sway bar although I measured it at 14mm. As opposed to standard 11mm fastback front sway bar. My tuning brain needs more proof that additional external mounted front sway bar is necessary for a street car. I just can't see it. Ideally an internal sway bar of around 18mm would be just about right but they don't make them so compromise is necessary rather than doubling up on front sway bars. And a decent 20-22mm rear sway bar to keep rear roll in check. Handling should exhibit mild oversteer which would keep me smiling more than boring understeer/push through corners.

I sourced rear SB torsions. Hoping it might be enough for spirited street/road driving however I suspect a little stiffer wouldn't hurt.

Also possibly rear ride height needs to at least match the front ride height of the Bert3 drop spindles but ideally via fixed lowered spring plates not those poxy budget ones with the height adjusting bolt in the middle.

Still trying to find a rear sway bar setup that I like. Not really fond of the ones that clamp on underneath but that's all I have seen thus far.

Also following this thread.

Sat Oct 31, 2020 8:34 am

Yabbadubbadoo wrote: Roadbeater wrote: Curious how the sway bars work out. My fastback has poly bushing in the rear trailing arms, 24mm 944 torsion bars, 15mm squareback front sway bar, 185/65 fronts, 185/65 rears. Front is lowered a spline. Handling is improved, sway at highway speed is much better. Overall it’s pretty well planted, not ready for autocross, but fun to drive.

I also sourced SB front internal sway bar although I measured it at 14mm. As opposed to standard 11mm fastback front sway bar. My tuning brain needs more proof that additional external mounted front sway bar is necessary for a street car. I just can't see it. Ideally an internal sway bar of around 18mm would be just about right but they don't make them so compromise is necessary rather than doubling up on front sway bars. And a decent 20-22mm rear sway bar to keep rear roll in check. Handling should exhibit mild oversteer which would keep me smiling more than boring understeer/push through corners.

I sourced rear SB torsions. Hoping it might be enough for spirited street/road driving however I suspect a little stiffer wouldn't hurt.

Also possibly rear ride height needs to at least match the front ride height of the Bert3 drop spindles but ideally via fixed lowered spring plates not those poxy budget ones with the height adjusting bolt in the middle.

Still trying to find a rear sway bar setup that I like. Not really fond of the ones that clamp on underneath but that's all I have seen thus far.

Also following this thread.

My wife's 70 Fastback has Squareback torsion bars and a sway bar, and feels very tight compared to my Notch. I'm pretty sure the lower torsions are the same size in both cars, which would make the sway bar the big difference. At this time however, her car still has the stock sized tires on it, while my Notch has 195-60's up front. I noticed real quick how much it rides and handles better with the tire change.

You really need to drive it with both narrow front tires, then put on the wider ones to really feel the differences for yourself.

Fri Nov 13, 2020 8:54 pm

I have a 71Fastback that has good joints, recently aligned, and new 175/65 tires on it and it’s down right scary at 70mph in the wind, passing cars and especially trucks! Not just me the wife noticed it too! The car is so light in the steering that it feels like it has power steering, would love to it corrected! Any suggestions??

Sat Nov 14, 2020 11:28 am

gheezerghia wrote: I have a 71Fastback that has good joints, recently aligned, and new 175/65 tires on it and it’s down right scary at 70mph in the wind, passing cars and especially trucks! Not just me the wife noticed it too! The car is so light in the steering that it feels like it has power steering, would love to it corrected! Any suggestions??

First check your tire pressures. With radials, you want 18 psi up front, and 28 psi in the rear (maybe even 26 psi rear). That alone should take some of the wander out of it. That's what I run on my wifes 70 Fastback with the stock sized 165-80's. I also run those pressures on my 65 Notch with it's 195-60 and 205-65 combination. I've found those pressures work the best, and the VW engineers knew what worked best for their cars. Those pressures are often found on a sticker on the glove box door. When I had my T-34 Ghia, and had mounted new stock sized tires on it, they were pressurized to 32 psi (on all 4 corners), and it was dangerous to drive. Once I adjusted them down to 18 and 28, the car became so much better to drive (did a road trip with it). That little no cost change took away all of the squirelyness, and nervousness, and wander out of it.
Just a heads up.

Sat Nov 14, 2020 11:10 pm

Thanks for the advice, I’ll give it go and let you know! By the way was there any adverse tire wear that you’ve noticed? Thanks man!!

Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:19 am

gheezerghia wrote: Thanks for the advice, I’ll give it go and let you know! By the way was there any adverse tire wear that you’ve noticed? Thanks man!!

Not in the 7 years I had them on the car (they aged out).

Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:54 am

Bobnotch wrote: gheezerghia wrote: I have a 71Fastback that has good joints, recently aligned, and new 175/65 tires on it and it’s down right scary at 70mph in the wind, passing cars and especially trucks! Not just me the wife noticed it too! The car is so light in the steering that it feels like it has power steering, would love to it corrected! Any suggestions??

First check your tire pressures. With radials, you want 18 psi up front, and 28 psi in the rear (maybe even 26 psi rear). That alone should take some of the wander out of it. That's what I run on my wifes 70 Fastback with the stock sized 165-80's. I also run those pressures on my 65 Notch with it's 195-60 and 205-65 combination. I've found those pressures work the best, and the VW engineers knew what worked best for their cars. Those pressures are often found on a sticker on the glove box door. When I had my T-34 Ghia, and had mounted new stock sized tires on it, they were pressurized to 32 psi (on all 4 corners), and it was dangerous to drive. Once I adjusted them down to 18 and 28, the car became so much better to drive (did a road trip with it). That little no cost change took away all of the squirelyness, and nervousness, and wander out of it.
Just a heads up.

How do you find the steering with the wider tyres when parking ?
i have a smaller steering wheel and with the stock size tyres the steering is a tad heavy.
Bloody awful at speed.....

Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:11 am

Duncan1958 Funny you mentioned the smaller wheel because I had considered that a a possible fix for my light steering. I do prefer the factory wheel on my very original car so if I can get it done without removing it I’ll be happy. I am considering widening the factory wheels though to allow for a bigger tire.

Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:36 am

duncan1958 wrote:
How do you find the steering with the wider tyres when parking ?
i have a smaller steering wheel and with the stock size tyres the steering is a tad heavy.
Bloody awful at speed.....

Having driven manual steering equipped vehicles for years (remember those?), I've found that IF you keep the vehicle moving even just slightly, the steering will be easy. Trying to steer with the vehicle completely stopped is a royal pain, and it doesn't matter what size steering wheel you use either (although the larger wheel makes turning easier).

Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:22 am

Finally got the front and rear Aadco bars mounted to my IRS pan squareback. I was a little suspicious at first at the way the end links mount - but I'm REALLY impressed with how these bars have transformed the handling of the car when driven "in a spirited manner." :D It's not quite 914 level handling.... but its VERY good.

Sorry the pictures aren't great....

Rear bar (looking from driver's side toward passenger rear wheel)

Front bar (looking from driver's side toward passenger front wheel). The mounts that bolt to the longitudinal channels in the pan were kind of a pain to do. They require a fairly substantial hole in the channel and fishing the u-bolt into the channel with a magnet and small screw drive to tip it into the holes.

Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:31 am

got a link for those bars?

Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:53 am

VWporscheGT3 wrote: got a link for those bars?

Sure thing:

https://www.jegs.com/i/ADDCO/020/983/10002/-1?year=1969&make=VOLKSWAGEN&model=SQUAREBACK

https://www.jegs.com/i/ADDCO/020/102/10002/-1?year=1969&make=VOLKSWAGEN&model=SQUAREBACK

Wed Nov 18, 2020 1:38 pm

They look like some nice bars now though I think the jury is still out on whether our cars need them or not I know my bus really behaved and it's a big fat westy and try put a big old fat bar up front on it

Wed Nov 18, 2020 1:50 pm

Cptn. Calzone wrote: They look like some nice bars now though I think the jury is still out on whether our cars need them or not I know my bus really behaved and it's a big fat westy and try put a big old fat bar up front on it

‘Need’ is definitely a term I struggle with when it comes to cars. My wife’s BS alarm generally alerts when I say my car ‘needs’ a go fast goodie. Heheh. :D

My jury has returned with a unanimous decision for the bars- but, it’s really just a matter of preference I suppose. These cars do handle quite well in stock form with a well maintained suspension. I just prefer a car that is a little stiffer sprung and corners flatter when pushed hard.

Thu Nov 19, 2020 2:54 pm

thanks for the links. those are pretty dang affordable. gonna have to order them up after the first of the year

Sun Nov 22, 2020 2:39 pm

Any body looked into making an 19mm front sway bar that could go in the stock location in side the beam to help?