TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed May 28, 2025 10:11 am

Is there any remedy for this or is my beam scrap?

This isn't good.

Wed May 28, 2025 10:37 am

Those bearings can be replaced. It's just a matter of finding some. Although getting that outer race out could be challenging.

Wed May 28, 2025 11:40 am

I did a thread on type-3 beam rebuilding a while back. Read the whole thing.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461581

Also, I should still have a box of those roller bearings. Chinesium, but they're working fine for me.

Max

Wed May 28, 2025 2:21 pm

gtixpress wrote: Those bearings can be replaced. It's just a matter of finding some. Although getting that outer race out could be challenging.

Yup, but I think finding an entire beam might be easier.

Thu May 29, 2025 9:34 am

So I was doing a rinse after my first cycle of hot-washing my beam, and figured now is as good a time to cut off my bump stops. I know heresy. But they were so mangled and Swiss-cheesed that they had to come off.

Anyhow, once these were off I found this....

Please tell me this is fixable.

The more I dig into the beam the worse it's getting.

Fri May 30, 2025 7:47 am

I would say it is repairable, but you should hammer and poke all over the thing to see if there are any soft spots. Particularly where the beam is clammed to the car as water ingress and time will lead to rot.

I welded a plate over the spot you found - after cutting the rot out and greasing extensively.

Fri May 30, 2025 1:15 pm

bigwhit wrote: So I was doing a rinse after my first cycle of hot-washing my beam, and figured now is as good a time to cut off my bump stops. I know heresy. But they were so mangled and Swiss-cheesed that they had to come off.
Anyhow, once these were off I found this....

Please tell me this is fixable.

The more I dig into the beam the worse it's getting.

It's fixable, but personally I'd look for another beam. The hole at the upper arrow you want to keep open, as that hole is for the bolt and clip for the other torsion bar (inner end of it).

My biggest worry is where did the needle bearings come from, and which bearing assemblies, as there's also an inner bearing assembly for each trailing arm. Also what is the conditions of the trailing arms? Can you see any worn grooves in them? Or are they perfectly smooth? I'm just asking those questions, so you know what you're up against. The rust above mixing into the grease isn't good, as it's also allowing water to mix in causing more rust. If the trailing arm machined surfaces are rusty, they're basically damaged and junk. Sure you might be able to polish them, but you might not be able to get the wear spots out of them. And right off hand I don't know of anyone who repairs them (they'd have to spray weld them to build them up, then machine them again. Yes I've seen videos of it happening, but that kind of work is specialized and expensive (I think the guy was in Australia).
About 35 years ago I found the front beam on my wife's had a completely worn out lower outer bearing assembly. I just replaced the entire beam for 150 bucks (plus new ball joints), as it was an easier solution than trying to find NLA bearings (remember this was when the internet was still young).
Just my take on things.

Fri May 30, 2025 3:13 pm

I would totally agree with Bob on this. I picked up a good solid replacement beam for $200 a few years ago to replace my swiss cheese impersonation of the original beam.
My attitude is what is your labor and safety worth. A solid beam with good towers for $200 or multiple hours in rebuild and restoration on a front end that you may always be nervous about.
just my .02 worth.

Fri May 30, 2025 7:18 pm

I think I'm in agreement with Bob and Ossipon on this. After degreasing it further I found another section of rust. This time right where the lower beam inserts into the shock tower. That shows me for removing the structural grease build up.

With the rust repair, new needle bearings, two new upper control arms, and the other bits and pieces, it's time to look for a better specimen. =/

Sat May 31, 2025 12:47 pm

bigwhit wrote: I think I'm in agreement with Bob and Ossipon on this. After degreasing it further I found another section of rust. This time right where the lower beam inserts into the shock tower. That shows me for removing the structural grease build up.

With the rust repair, new needle bearings, two new upper control arms, and the other bits and pieces, it's time to look for a better specimen. =/

This is where Biffidum was asking you to check above. I've never really seen any rust there on any of the beams I've had, other than the 71 Notch that I got from Neil, and that car needed both floors along with a frame head and a beam due to rust. It also had a broken torsion bar in it. If I had really thought about it, I would have checked the lower trailing arm bearings to see if they were still good, but at the time I had a bunch of other rust to fix on the rest of the car.

I think it might be time to take a road trip to New Mexico, Texas, or Arizona and pick up another beam. Just get it from ball joint to ball joint, and reuse your old spindles and brakes if they're still good. That's what I did on my wife's car, as the beam I picked was from a 72 going onto a 70. I'd already replaced the rotors and calipers, along with the wheel bearings and tie rods (how I found the bearing was shot). Everything bolted right up.