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DJD74Thing
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2022
Posts: 4
Location: CA
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 Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2024 2:42 pm Post subject: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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I apologize in advance if the information I am asking about is already here somewhere.
I have a stock 74 Thing. I want to keep it stock. But I do like how it would look with about 2” lift.
I am looking for some kind of kit or parts for the suspension (not a body lift) to accomplish this but only if it is easy to return the car to fully stock.
Does anyone have the right answer for me? |
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Olli from NJ
Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2007
Posts: 346
Location: Milton,DE
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| Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2024 4:06 am Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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Are you still using the stock wheels and tire sizing? If yes, why not switch to 15" wheels and taller tires such as 205/75/15 ? How that will effect your gearing is a different topic. Most will say don't worry about it.
Olli |
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DJD74Thing
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2022
Posts: 4
Location: CA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2024 7:26 am Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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Thanks for your response. I don’t think that would achieve the look I would like. Taller tires would technically lift the car a bit, but they would also just fill up the wheel well versus expanding the relationship between the body and the wheels.
I was really hoping for some kind of easy change in suspension parts that would be easy to revert back to stock. . . But maybe it just doesn’t exist. |
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KAmes
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014
Posts: 894
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2024 5:52 pm Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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Well, for low effort here's about how much you can get from air shocks on completely stock suspension. Counter intuitively it rides softer when lifted.
Monroe MA803 rear, Monroe MA810 front, 205/75-15 tires.
Before:
After:
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Ark
Samba Member
Joined: August 23, 2006
Posts: 65
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
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| Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2024 1:41 pm Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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2" is a lot. On the back you can adjust move the torsion bars a notch or two. There's a lot to consider...like making sure you don't over extend and ruin your CV's but that is definitely a very easy, reversible way to lift the back.
Up front you can install a torsion bar adjuster. That's not really "easy" but you can theoretically install an adjustable version that would let you reset back to stock height if you wanted to.
Up front you can also try to find lifted spindles. I've heard of people willing to weld up 2" taller spindles but don't know of any off the top of my head.
KAmes air shocks are a great, super easy idea. KAmes, which ones are you using? |
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joosty_chin
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2007
Posts: 218
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| Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2024 2:22 pm Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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Like this?
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KAmes
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014
Posts: 894
Location: Illinois
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Heiferman
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2024
Posts: 198
Location: Georgia, USA
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| Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2024 2:40 pm Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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| joosty_chin wrote: |
Like this?
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What did you use to achieve your lift?
I built a baja prerunner Beetle years ago and used notched torsion arms and bus CVs in the back.
Up front I used an adjustable beam AND raised spindles. I regretted the raised spindles. They were poorly made but this was in 1987. Maybe they are better now.
An old buddy saw that prerunner in the background of a FBM ad for another Bug last year. I can't believe it is still around.
_________________
- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance |
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[email protected]
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2003
Posts: 878
Location: Clifton Park NY Saratoga County
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 13238
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2024 10:07 am Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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Notched spring plates in the rear, adjusted up one outer spline, weld in adjusters on the front beam.
But not as easy as air shocks.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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[email protected]
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2003
Posts: 878
Location: Clifton Park NY Saratoga County
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joosty_chin
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2007
Posts: 218
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2024 9:13 am Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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| Heiferman wrote: |
| joosty_chin wrote: |
Like this?
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What did you use to achieve your lift?
I built a baja prerunner Beetle years ago and used notched torsion arms and bus CVs in the back.
Up front I used an adjustable beam AND raised spindles. I regretted the raised spindles. They were poorly made but this was in 1987. Maybe they are better now.
An old buddy saw that prerunner in the background of a FBM ad for another Bug last year. I can't believe it is still around. |
Stock raised spindles for the front. 3x3 trailing arms and AtomWorks static spring plate adjusters for the rear. |
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Heiferman
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2024
Posts: 198
Location: Georgia, USA
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| Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2024 8:11 pm Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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| KAmes wrote: |
Well, for low effort here's about how much you can get from air shocks on completely stock suspension. Counter intuitively it rides softer when lifted.
Monroe MA803 rear, Monroe MA810 front, 205/75-15 tires.
Before:
After:
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Did the 205/75_15s rub at all with no lift?
_________________
- 1973 Thing, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance |
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KAmes
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014
Posts: 894
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2024 8:30 pm Post subject: Re: Easy lift for 1974 Thing? |
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| Heiferman wrote: |
| KAmes wrote: |
Well, for low effort here's about how much you can get from air shocks on completely stock suspension. Counter intuitively it rides softer when lifted.
Monroe MA803 rear, Monroe MA810 front, 205/75-15 tires.
Before:
After:
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Did the 205/75_15s rub at all with no lift? |
For the most part no. I drove it several years with those tires before the air shocks, and even now I don't always run them up. If say I drive down a steep driveway at an angle such that one tire contacts level road first, while the steering is turned, it sometimes rubs the fender lip. Not always. |
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