TheSamba.com :: View topic - Help identifying suspension set up please

Mon Jan 27, 2025 1:25 pm

Hi,

I bought a 1960 bus last year and finally getting some time to look at it.
It runs and drives but needs some sorting out as it looks to have been modified way back when…

Reason for the post- I assume it is running an early bay front beam and early bay IRS rear but would be good to hear confirmation and any observations/ thoughts on challenges with this set up.

It sits quite well but haven’t had the opportunity to drive very far. Ideally I would like to go through it and make it safe- some things alarm me like the steering box being held on by coach bolts!
Then I need to work out a longer term plan!

Front
Assume early bay beam, can’t believe its on dropped spindles as that and the brake adapter would make it quite wide (happy to be wrong on that). Has a strange bar that revolves welded to the beam- not connected to anything and no idea what it does

Rear- welding doesn’t look great so I suspect poorly aligned.
Running a 130*5 adaptor to 205*5. So assume this is all early bay?

Any advice or confirmation appreciated

Thanks

Front

Rear

Tue Jan 28, 2025 12:02 am

the front is a porsche 911/944 hub, it fits the spindles
the beam seems to be early bay, you can see the balljoints
the bar seems to be there to hold a rollbar?
the rear arms are definitely early bay due to the angle of the inner bolts
a pic from further away would help (like on a hoist)
for fitting these arms you normally have to modify the chassis rails, but these seem to be suspended out wards. i have the same setup in my panel, there are pics in my buildthread.
these are custom shouckmounts in the rear split/bay shouckmounts are not compatible, the empty one is the stock split upper mount

Tue Jan 28, 2025 12:04 am

there seems to be an unused brake booster adapter welded to the beam.
for improoved braking, mount one
it seems the center beam has been cut/turned/welded to lower it, the bumpstops are cut off. is there an adjuster on the rear side of the beam?

Tue Jan 28, 2025 12:17 pm

Hi Karl,

Great build thread! Have read a bit, will read some more :lol:

Great info thanks!
Front-
Yes will look to use the booster, once it is welded on properly!
Further pics of the rotating bar ( in a different position) its not a roll bar / ARB but looks more like a cable actuator
No beam adjusters on the rear, but look to have been cut and rotated.
Maybe these are dropped spindles? No idea how to spot them

Rear
I can’t see any cuts to the motor mount but the cradle has been trimmed

Wed Jan 29, 2025 12:24 am

i cant see an adjuster or welds for a cut-and-turn on the front beam, so if it is lowered it seems to have dropped spindles
the welded on front bracket is a mistery. i meant that the actual rollbar is missing and just the brackets are still there (hope thaqt makes sense)

Wed Jan 29, 2025 12:25 am

front calippers look like my non turbo 944

Wed Jan 29, 2025 12:30 am

for the rear brackets to fit outside of the chassis rails the rear IRS arms have to be modified, or they would push out the brake drums a good 2"
no rim would fit without cutting the wheelarches (and you would need 2" longer irs axels)
sorry for the multiple posts

Wed Jan 29, 2025 7:45 am

where are all the missing washers on the beam bolts and in their proper orientation?

Wed Jan 29, 2025 9:18 am

shiggi10 wrote:

When I look at the beam center retainer bolt, it sure looks clocked in a lower position (moved up). You can break centers free, make a slot, turn or clock centers and weld them in place, no adjusters needed. Saves a little money.... :? I believe that is what they did. Could have drop spindles too?

Beam is '68-'69.

Wed Jan 29, 2025 3:13 pm

karl h wrote: for the rear brackets to fit outside of the chassis rails the rear IRS arms have to be modified, or they would push out the brake drums a good 2"
no rim would fit without cutting the wheelarches (and you would need 2" longer irs axels)
sorry for the multiple posts

Hey- no need to apologise! Very useful information, particularly about the hubs and brakes thank you

Wed Jan 29, 2025 3:17 pm

velvetgreen wrote:

where are all the missing washers on the beam bolts and in their proper orientation?

Sorry you might have to explain that one- never owned a split but I am an engineer so receptive to putting it right

Wed Jan 29, 2025 3:20 pm

Long-roofs wrote: shiggi10 wrote:

When I look at the beam center retainer bolt, it sure looks clocked in a lower position (moved up). You can break centers free, make a slot, turn or clock centers and weld them in place, no adjusters needed. Saves a little money.... :? I believe that is what they did. Could have drop spindles too?

Beam is '68-'69.

I suspect you are right and that it is a 20 year old conversion- I lowered my bay window 30 years ago and had to change the tyres as they had tread but were old!
The upper one seems untouched

Wed Jan 29, 2025 3:35 pm

I drove it for the first time today- truley terrible. I know they wander but this was heading significantly left or right with the steering straight ahead and no wind etc

I was aware the previous owner was concerned and had stopped driving it.

Bear in mind I bought it knowing it needed work and undriven

Rear toe looks significantly positive and tyres hot on inside edge
Front made a mess of a gravel drive and tyre edges are gone.
Steering very notchy and drag link has a huge amount of play as does the steering box

So plan is to

Front
Pull and probably replace front beam as its a mess- double adjuster, brake booster std width
Rebuild and replace all moving parts
Rebuild steering box

Rear
Replace all wearing parts and cvs
Change spring plates for dropped / adjustable plates and get the toe in spec

Open to further ideas and thanks for the advice

Wed Jan 29, 2025 11:53 pm

as of the washers: the upper bolt has one assymetric washer, the lower one on the pic doesnt. there should be 8, one for each bolt

Thu Jan 30, 2025 10:47 am

Thu Jan 30, 2025 10:47 am

Great info - thanks

Thu Jan 30, 2025 10:48 am

velvetgreen wrote:

Cool

Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:24 am

Its just dawned on me what the weird rotating bar welded to the front beam is…. Connects the brake pedal to the, now removed, brake booster/ servo

Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:25 am

Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:06 am

i allready thought it was rhd