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cncwhiz
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2005
Posts: 226
Location: Gardnerville, NV
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 Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 11:15 am Post subject: front beam questions |
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I have this older off road beam. I want to put it in my 68 baja. I know that it is a kingpin and my car is ball joint. My questions is, if you look close it was cut and widened between the tubes. I am wondering if this was done to fit a ball joint car? If not, can I do this with this beam? I think that to correct the geometry I would have to machine spacers for the link pins to go back to square? |
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Dale M.
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 20384
Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 12:43 pm Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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You dont own a ruler.....Visually it looks like it might, but then again....
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“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.
"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ... |
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cncwhiz
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2005
Posts: 226
Location: Gardnerville, NV
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 5:47 pm Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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[quote="Dale M."]You dont own a ruler.....Visually it looks like it might, but then again....[/quot]
Well I don't know the deminsion. I am a lifelong machinist. I don't own a ruler. The front end was cut and rewarded by a blind man with a coat hanger. |
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Dale M.
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 20384
Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 7:22 pm Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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Personally, its butchered to apoint it probably should be replaced with new....
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.
"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ... |
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BFB
Samba Member
Joined: November 03, 2014
Posts: 1762
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| Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2024 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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I’m not sure what OP is asking he can do?
Also not sure why you say the beam is butchered? Because the welds are big? Looks like it’s been used and held up pretty well to me.
Ive never understood why people think a big ugly weld is going to be weaker than some pretty little dimes, sure TIG looks nice and has its place but have you ever tried to cut apart steel thats been arc welded ?? Those old stick welds are serious. One of the automotive frame guys i used to work with had the biggest bubble gum welds ( MIG ) youd ever want to see, but they’d hold up to 20+ tons of pressure pulling frames back into shape.
_________________
Forced induction can overcome a lot of obsticles that gets in it's way
"You are the Engineer and the Mechanic.
Build it your way not the way someone else does it. Their way might not work for you." - clonebug
An interesting thing happens in forums where everyone starts parroting the same thing and "common knowledge" takes over.
“ The monkey see monkey do mentality seems to run deep in VW people. "Gene Berg said it was so 30 years ago so thats the way it is" “ - bdkw1 |
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Q-Dog
Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2010
Posts: 8700
Location: Sunset, Louisiana
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| Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:00 am Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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OK, what are the things on either side of the center adjusters?
The welds don't bother me. From a purely structural standpoint I would have no reservations using it. But it wouldn't bolt up to a stock pan head without mods.
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Brian
'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
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cncwhiz
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2005
Posts: 226
Location: Gardnerville, NV
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| Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:20 am Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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| My question is, can I jig up the beam stretch it from whatever it is to 6" to fit my ball joint frame head? I have a few stock beams and I will cut and turn one of them but I want to experiment with this front end. I am not sure if there is a difference in caster between ball joint and king pin? My thought is if I change the beam center, I could machine spacers to make up the distance between the upper and lower trailing arms? |
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Crogg
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2023
Posts: 30
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 10:04 am Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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| I run link pins on my irs bugs. A link pin will fit nicely in a ball joint bug. You would need to weld a link pin beam head or buy the aluminum conversion blocks. I have done both. The conversion blocks set your beam foreward 2 inches but i am running 2 inch longer arms on that bug so everything is groovy there. You will need the empi quick steer also And even when i did not have longer arms it worked great. I did have to modify my steering to reach using a super beatle part. |
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ORANGECRUSHer
Samba Member
Joined: June 09, 2006
Posts: 2678
Location: West Coast (Michigan's)
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| Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:34 am Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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| cncwhiz wrote: |
| My question is, can I jig up the beam stretch it from whatever it is to 6" to fit my ball joint frame head? I have a few stock beams and I will cut and turn one of them but I want to experiment with this front end. I am not sure if there is a difference in caster between ball joint and king pin? My thought is if I change the beam center, I could machine spacers to make up the distance between the upper and lower trailing arms? |
No you can't because you can't even make sense of what you're thinking. If you have stock beam's' and your baja sitting there to measure and get this information from why would need to ask? Either it matches or it doesn't. And why would you want to use this beam if you have fresh beams to start with? You talk about stretching 6". Where does this number come from. Are you talking about widening? Are ball joint "beams" 6" apart? And those shock towers would most likely need to get removed on a full bodied car. It's just strange that you'd want to use something that is most likely gonna end up completely different in the end anyway. IMO this is just a lazy post for the sake of posting.
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc |
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BFB
Samba Member
Joined: November 03, 2014
Posts: 1762
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| Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 4:01 pm Post subject: Re: front beam questions |
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| ORANGECRUSHer wrote: |
| cncwhiz wrote: |
| My question is, can I jig up the beam stretch it from whatever it is to 6" to fit my ball joint frame head? I have a few stock beams and I will cut and turn one of them but I want to experiment with this front end. I am not sure if there is a difference in caster between ball joint and king pin? My thought is if I change the beam center, I could machine spacers to make up the distance between the upper and lower trailing arms? |
No you can't because you can't even make sense of what you're thinking. If you have stock beam's' and your baja sitting there to measure and get this information from why would need to ask? Either it matches or it doesn't. And why would you want to use this beam if you have fresh beams to start with? You talk about stretching 6". Where does this number come from. Are you talking about widening? Are ball joint "beams" 6" apart? And those shock towers would most likely need to get removed on a full bodied car. It's just strange that you'd want to use something that is most likely gonna end up completely different in the end anyway. IMO this is just a lazy post for the sake of posting. |
Haha! That’s hilarious
_________________
Forced induction can overcome a lot of obsticles that gets in it's way
"You are the Engineer and the Mechanic.
Build it your way not the way someone else does it. Their way might not work for you." - clonebug
An interesting thing happens in forums where everyone starts parroting the same thing and "common knowledge" takes over.
“ The monkey see monkey do mentality seems to run deep in VW people. "Gene Berg said it was so 30 years ago so thats the way it is" “ - bdkw1 |
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