Arthur Barraclough's, much vaunted, modified, 1970 VW Type 2

[NASkeet]

Knowing how many of you like to learn, of unusual and uniquely modified 1968~79 VW Type 2s, I thought you might like to read an article (Simon Holloway, "Van of the Year: BWR 4H – Arthur Barraclough", Transporter Talk, Issue 18, August 1995, pp17~20), which is now featured on the British, Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club website, as follows:


http://www.vwt2oc.org

followed by:

http://www.vwt2oc.org/1995/voy/index.asp


The featured vehicle (Van of the Year 1995), a much travelled and much modified, 1970 VW "1600" Type 2, Devon campervan, with hightop roof, belonged to the legendary Arthur Barraclough, who sadly died in his mid-eighties, in August 1996, just a few months after I started corresponding with him, during which we exchanged ideas about a variety of topics, such as rear-window wipers, manual engine-starting handles, double-glazed windows, VW Type 4 engine transplants, retro-fitting vacuum servo assisted, hydraulic brakes, etc.

To the best of my knowledge, Arthur's campervan is now an exhibit, at the Peter Black Museum, in Keithley, West Yorkshire, England.

I first learned of Arthur and his campervan, when it featured in a magazine review of VW Vanfest 1995 (Neil Birkitt, "On the Scene: Vantastic Vanfest", VW Motoring, December 1995, pp60~64) and contacted the then membership secretary, of the Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club, who kindly put me in contact with Arthur.

I did not join the Volkswagen Type 2 Owner's Club, until November 1995, so it wasn't until a few years later, after Arthur had died, that a fellow club member, with whom I became acquainted, provided me with a copy of the August 1995, Transporter Talk article, about Arthur's campervan.

Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet[img][/img]

[Rocknrod]

That is a cool vehicle!

I'd like to see the front axle that they talk about.

The suicide cruise control is my favorite option.
_________________
1971 Westfalia with a high top.
http://71vwbus.blogspot.com/ - Pictures and words... Oh My!

[dembus]

Very interesting. I also liked the link to the Westy history. Very informative.
_________________
"Want a little peace of mind, grab the lowest branch and start to climb"
JJ Grey

69 Westy (R.I.P.)
68 Kombi
70 Westy
68 Beetle Sedan
69 Beetle Sedan
68 Deluxe
71 Deluxe
71 HT Westy

[nemobuscaptain]

Pretty cool, Nigel. I love those kind of busses. Waaay more interesting than all the show and shine busses.
_________________
Ohio Valley Tribe, Full Moon Bus Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/294422277314227/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FullMoonBusClub

RIP Bob Hoover https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=427791
Hoover Sermons: https://www.vwsage.com/images/vwsage/Bob%20Hoovers%20Sermons.pdf

[NASkeet]

[Randy in Maine]

Well he certainly got his money's worth out of a lot of things, including life.

Very nice.

[NASkeet]

This is a slightly edited transcript, of Arthur Barraclough's reply letter to me, following our telephone conversation in January 1996 and my subsequent letter to him, in early-February 1996, accompanied by various diagrams and listings, of the modifications I had made, to my British specification, 1973 VW 1600 Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

144 Otley Road,
Eldwick,
Bingley,
West Yorkshire,
BD16 3EZ

16th February 1996 (approximately 10½ years ago!)


Dear Nigel.

Thank you for your letter & photocopies, you lose me with your, knowledge & technicalities, my approach to problems is a more simple one.

I have a wiper on my rear window, I had it working in tandem, but removed one found I didn't need two. It is quite old, I first had it on a Ford Cortina shooting brake which I converted for camping thirty years ago. After that came my first camper.

My wife and I were planning our first overland trip to India in 1967. We'd tried out a Land Rover in Ireland, but it was too uncomfortable. Saw a VW camper somewhere in southern Ireland, so bought one of those. It returned from India in a fairly battered condition (road to India dreadful in those days). So in 1968, for our next trip to India, traded it in for another new Micro Bus and that is the one I still have today.

Been to fifty seven different countries, done a quarter of a million miles, rough miles. I don't use it a great deal in this country, use my car more. For long overland trips, essential extra instruments are oil pressure gauge, oil temperature gauge, ammeter (I don't have anywhere near 12 yards, 3 at the most), altimeter and rev counter. I need to know what's going on. If I break down in the middle of Afghanistan or crossing the Sahara, I can't call National Breakdown.

The whole van is double glazed. I don't get any condensation. Everywhere between the panelling and the outer skin, is lined with thick polystyrene. As for closing the sliding door, when it has to be done quietly, I close it from the outside, push it from the back and get in through the passenger door. No problem.

The new engine I put in was a proper 2 litre engine. I fitted that in 1982. I'd tried various modifications to increase the power. When I got over 8,000 feet, I was short of power and passes at over 13,000 feet were a trial, the engine couldn't cope. What do you think of your Minnow Fish? In August 1973, I called at Lochgilphead, in Scotland. The chap who made them, had a little garage & workshop there and fitted one for me. Total cost £43·57. I wasn't satisfied with it, took it off and sold it for £35·00.

I tried various things. Autocavan did me an upgraded conversion, which packed up on the Iranian Afghan border. That gave me no endless problems, so eventually I decided to put a two litre engine in. I had to cut off the old engine mountings and put new ones on. The most difficult job, was making the seal around the engine, which just squeezed in between the chassis members.

The extra oil cooler, is situated below the air intake on the nearside (Nigel's note: left-hand side, looking forwards). Behind it is a powerful fan which I can switch on from the instrument panel. It pulls the temperature down 10 degrees (Nigel's note: probably degrees Fahrenheit, noting Arthur's age of 83). Climbing slowly, in bottom or second gear, over some of those Himalayan passes, I need it.

I've tried "load adjusters" (Nigel's note: these are suspension dampers, with supplementary coil springs), but they are not good enough. In 1972, on my way to India again, I stopped off in Koblenz, Germany, where I swopped my rear torsion bars (Nigel's note: presumably of 26·2 mm diameter), for some heavy-duty fire engine ones (Nigel's note: presumably of 28·1 mm diameter) and some hefty Koni shockers.

On my first trip to India, I'd gone through 11 heavy-duty VW ones. At the front end, there was no such thing as stronger torsion bars, so I moved the centre blocks 3/8 inches and so lifted the front end 3 inches. Lengthened the rubber stops and fitted four hefty Konis on the front end. The beauty about the Konis, when they go, I can strip them down and replace the seals, etc.

I have put disc brakes on the front, put on a high roof, fit a free hot water system, no pumps, gravity fed. I ran a stainless steel tube right through the silencer (Nigel's note: engine exhaust-system muffler), so as soon as I start up, as the water gets hot, it starts circulating. In about half hour, I have 3½gallons of hot water. If I don't switch it off, it heats the water in the header tank and gives another 7 gallons.

I have been carrying out various modifications over the past 25 years, to make life more comfortable on long trips. I have a little "table" in the centre of my steering wheel, with pad and pen. When travelling and I think of something, I jot it down, then when I get back home, my jottings keep me busy.

I hate writing. I haven't written as much as this for a long time, my wife used to do all the corresponding, I did the work. Thank you again for your letter and list of modifications. I haven't room for the two servos. I'll have to rely on a heavy foot.


Yours sincerely.

Arthur Barraclough.


P.S. see you at Van Fest.


**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

I will explain the context of Arthur's replies, in a later posting.

This is a transcript, of the appropriate section of the 1995 Vanfest review (Neil Birkitt, "On the Scene: Vantastic Vanfest", VW Motoring, December 1995, pp60~64), which first drew my attention to Arthur Barraclough's campervan:

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Star of the Show was Arthur Barraclough's much-travelled and much-modified 1970 Camper. 2·0 litre engine features additional oil cooling and water heating, while the cockpit features all kinds of extras and upgrades, including double-glazed windscreen and cruise control!

Vanfest '95 offered the chance to many enthusiasts to see for themselves Arthur Barraclough's much-travelled 1970 Camper – voted 'Van of the Year' at the Type 2 Owners' Club AGM.

Originally a 1600 cc engined van, it had covered over 200,000 miles and is now fitted with its fourth replacement engine, a 2·0 litre 'Type 4' unit. This incorporates a unique water-heating system which uses the exhaust heat; it also has twin batteries and an auxiliary oil cooler. To prevent ingress of dust when travelling in arid climates, the engine draws its air from inside the van, and there is also a booster fan which 'supercharges' the air intake to compensate for high altitudes. The engine is even equipped with a starting handle in case of starter motor failure!

Up front, the van is double-glazed, with a twin-layer windscreen, following an incident when a vulture crashed through the windscreen, and all the other windows are twin-layer also. Inside the cab, there are many extras including special sun visors, door pockets and storage bins, a padded steering wheel, extra instrumentation (including an altimeter!) and there's even a home-made cruise control system.

To cope with the rough terrain (Arthur's van has ventured into nearly all of the world's major desert areas), the front axle has been extensively reinforced with four koni shock absorbers and it can be adjusted for an extra four inches of ground clearance.

The living area of the van features a Devon-style swing-out cooker with its own lighting, a remote opening device for the sliding door, and a fridge with ducted air supply and a solar-powered cooling system.

Arthur has travelled the world with his van – visiting 57 different countries in the last 25 years, including many remote areas such as afghanistan and Nepal, and he has crossed Death Valley and the Sahara. His favourite tale is of the time he had his bedding stolen by a leopard.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

This VW Motoring review, has more photographs than the Transporter Talk article, showing views of the engine compartment and the cab interior, towards the dashboard, in addition to an oblique, external view, from the front, right-hand side (i.e. driver's side, in Great Britain).

One can clearly see that the powerplant is a 1972~79 17/18/2000 VW Type 2 (said to be the 2·0 litre version), with twin Solex carburettors and paper-element type, air-filter housing. The supplementary oil cooler, can also be seen on the left-hand side and the ignition coil has been repositioned, on the fuel-tank compartment's removable bulkhead (i.e. firewall in USA parlance), together with what might be an electronic ignition module. A shovel is stored on top of the engine cooling-fan housing and a large fluorescent lamp, is suspended from the engine-compartment ceiling.

It's difficult to identify the various supplementary gauges on the dashboard, but there are several toggle switches in evidence at the top of the dashboard and some sort of parcel tray beneath.

Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

[oorwullie]

any more details on how he managed to break a chassis on a brand new bus?

[NASkeet]

[NASkeet]

On 16th February 1996, Arthur Barraclough replied:

« I have a wiper on my rear window, I had it working in tandem, but removed one, because I found I didn't need two. It is quite old, I first had it on a Ford Cortina shooting brake which I converted for camping thirty years ago. »

Although I cannot be sure, I suspect that Arthur is referring to the front windshield wiper system, of a British specification, Ford Cortina Mk. 1 estate car (i.e. station wagon or wagon, in USA parlance), which he supposedly salvaged and later reto-fitted to his 1970 VW Type 2.

I had mentioned earlier, my own cross-over-arm, pantograph rear-window wiper system, an adaptation of the stock, factory-fitted unit, salvaged from an early-1980s vintage, Vauxhall Astra Mk. 1 estate car, which I have since documented in detail, as follows:

Nigel Skeet, "1968~79 VW Type 2 Rear Window Wiper", Transporter Talk, Issue 25, October 1996, pp23~24. Also later published as VW Type 2 Owners' Club, Technical Information Sheet Topic 15: Rear Wiper Modifications, pp1~3.

Nigel Skeet, "A Clean Sweep", Workshop, VW Motoring, December 1996, pp85~86.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=294824

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=293542

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=293541

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1698841&highlight=#1698841


On 16th February 1996, Arthur Barraclough wrote:

« My wife and I were planning our first overland trip to India in 1967. We'd tried out a Land Rover in Ireland, but it was too uncomfortable. Saw a VW camper somewhere in southern Ireland, so bought one of those. It returned from India in a fairly battered condition (road to India dreadful in those days). So in 1968, for our next trip to India, traded it in for another new Micro Bus and that is the one I still have today. »


Arthur's VW Type 2 registration number, BWR 4H, incorporates the H-suffix, indicating that it was registered in Great Britain, sometime between 1st August 1969 and 31st July 1970, which is more consistent with it being a late-1969 model year (i.e. manufactured before 1st August 1969) or late-1970 model year (i.e. manufactured before 1st August 1970), rather than being a 1968 model year.

At the time I was corresponding with Arthur, I didn't think to ask him the chassis number of his VW Type 2, in order to determine the true model-year & model-type (i.e. Microbus, Kombi, Deluxe Microbus or Delivery Van)


On 16th February 1996, Arthur Barraclough wrote:

« For long overland trips, essential extra instruments are oil pressure gauge, oil temperature gauge, ammeter (I don't have anywhere near 12 yards, 3 at the most), altimeter and rev counter. I need to know what's going on. If I break down in the middle of Afghanistan or crossing the Sahara, I can't call National Breakdown. »

If one were driving at widely varying altitudes, then an altimeter or atmospheric temerature gauge, in conjunction with an ambient-air temperature gauge, might be useful in enabling one to adjust the carburettor(s) air/fuel ratio, to compensate for reduced air density. I have a VDO Cockpit -25 ~ +40 ºC ambient-air temperature gauge, with integral frost warning light, bought as New Old stock, for £15·00, which would adequately cover the required temperature range.

When driving off-road, an inclinometer, such as are found, on purpose-built Mitubishi Shogun 4x4 SUVs, might also be advisible. In addition to the gauges Arthur mentioned, I would also suggest a voltmeter, a cylinder-head temperature gauge and an inlet-manifold pressure gauge, plus corresponding break on fall/rise switches and warning lights and/or buzzers, where practical.

Arthur's use of no more than 3 yards of additional electrical cable, to incorporate the ammeter, into the electrical system of a right-hand drive vehicle, suggests that he was monitoring, only the total current supplied to the main cab-mounted fuse box, from the generator (i.e. dynamo or alternator) and/or battery, rather than the battery's charging & discharging current. The preferred option for rear-engined vehicles, would be a remote-shunt ammeter, connected by light-duty cables, to a shunt resistor, inserted in the battery's main, positive supply cable (i.e. not the one to the starter motor), between the battery and the generator.

On 16th February 1996, Arthur Barraclough replied:

« As for closing the sliding door, when it has to be done quietly, I close it from the outside, push it from the back and get in through the passenger door. No problem. »

During overnight stops with a campervan, it is sometimes necessary to make sorties to outside toilet facilities, so silent or at least low-noise closure, of the sliding door from inside, is a highly desirable facility. Many years ago, I retro-fitted to the rear of the sliding door, a home-made pull-close strap, comprising 25 mm (i.e. 1 inch) wide nylon webbing, held in a pre-formed loop, by a 25 mm wide, shaped strip of aluminium alloy.

The complete assembly, is held in place by the forward pair of four existing bolts, which secure the sliding-door's hinge link assembly. I chose to substitute a pair of 20 mm long, M6 pan-head, Philips screws, but mushroom-head, Allen socket-screws, would probably have been better. See the following picture in The Samba Gallery and magazine article, for more details:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=295020

Nigel A. Skeet, "Sliding Door Pull-Close Strap", Transporter Talk, Issue 24, August 1996, pp7~8. Also later published as VW Type 2 Owners' Club, Technical Information Sheet Topic 66: Silent Sliding Doors pp2~3.

Some North American specification, 1968~79 VW Type 2s, are equipped with what some owners describe as a (helper handle", illustrated as Items 15A & 16, on Page & Frame 75, of the official 1968~79 VW Type 2, Replacement Parts Catalogue & Microfiche:

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/Microfiche/t207500.gif

Item 16, is simply a duplicate of the front, interior, sliding-door lock, plastic handle, with square-section, blind hole (my own handle, with offset hole pattern is: VW part No. 214 843 641 for the handle & 211 843 645 for the press-in trim cap, whilst Just Kampers 1999 katalogue, lists VW part Nos. 211 843 642A for the handle & 211 843 429 for the press-in trim cap). Item 15A, is a handle mounting bracket, consisting of a flat mounting plate a 20 mm long, 9 mm square-section peg, having a pre-threaded M5 hole, onto which the handle (i.e. Item 16) fits. The square-section peg is orientated perpendicular to the mounting plate in one plane and at approximately 85º & 95º to the mounting plate, in the other plane, but whether the peg should tilt towards the front or rear of the sliding door, I do not know. The "helper handle" assembly, is affixed to the sliding door, by exactly the same means, as my home-made pull-close strap.


In the August 1995 issue of Transporter Talk, Simon Holloway wrote of Arthur Barraclough's campervan:

« Alongside the cooker is a very ingenious device for remotely opening the sliding door. »

In the December 1995 issue of VW Motoring, Neil Birkitt wrote of Arthur Barraclough's campervan:

« The living area of the van features ..... a remote opening device for the sliding door ..... . »


Owners of Westfalia Continentals like mine, Westfalia Helsinkis and other campervan conversions whose sliding-door, interior lock-handle, is obstructed by furniture, will be well acquainted with the bodily contortions, required to open the sliding door from within and so will appreciate the convenience of Arthur's remote opening device or something similar.

At one stage, I was investigating the possibility of opening the sliding door, by incorporating some sort of remote, lock-release lever and associated components, as used for the cab-doors, illustrated as Items 14 or 15 et al, on Page & Frame 71, of the official 1968~79 VW Type 2 Replacement Parts Catalogue & Microfiche.

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/Microfiche/t207100.gif

It requires 22 mm (i.e. 7/8 inches) linear movement of the horizontal link rod, to unlatch the sliding-door's rear lock, which is almost twice as much as a cab-door type, remote lock-release lever can provide, unless this is amplified by a double-pulley mechanism, akin to a block & tackle; albeit with ½ x mechanical disadvantage.

However, development of this home-made system was shelved, when I discovered on Page 75, of the official 1968~79 VW Type 2, Replacement Parts Catalogue, the components (i.e. 1 to 4A and 15A to 16 et al) of what appeared to be, an optional, factory-fitted, remote lock-release handle, which I later discussed in one of my magazine articles, as follows:

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/Microfiche/t207500.gif

Nigel Skeet, "Easy Door Opening or is it a Myth (sliding-door, rear, supplementary, door-lock handle)?", Transporter Talk, Issue 33, February 1998, p20. Also later published as VW Type 2 Owners' Club, Technical Information Sheet Topic 66: Silent Sliding Doors, p4.

it wasn't until several years later, that I learned this was actually the fixed "helper handle", akin to my home-made, pull-close strap; a fact of which I wasn't fully convinced, until Jim Hayden e-mailed me a picture, of one fitted to the sliding door of his USA specification, 1972 VW Type 2 Westfalia Weekender campervan and I more recently acquired a specimen of item 15A. so, it seems I shall have to resurrect my original development project!


..... to be continued

Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

[pugwash]

Last year I found that Arthurs bus had been sold to a member of the VWT2OC from the museum.

[static]

[nemobuscaptain]

Waiting anxiously for additional posts from Nigel....
_________________
Ohio Valley Tribe, Full Moon Bus Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/294422277314227/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FullMoonBusClub

RIP Bob Hoover https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=427791
Hoover Sermons: https://www.vwsage.com/images/vwsage/Bob%20Hoovers%20Sermons.pdf

[NASkeet]

[NASkeet]

In the August 1995 issue of Transporter Talk, Simon Holloway wrote of Arthur Barraclough's campervan:

« The front axle has to be seen to be believed. following a bent front axle in india, Arthur modified it and now has an incredible piece of kit which has FOUR Koni shock absorbers and is able to increase the height of the van by 4 inches. »

In the December 1995 issue of VW Motoring, Neil Birkitt wrote of Arthur Barraclough's campervan:

« To cope with the rough terrain (Arthur's van has ventured into nearly all of the world's major desert areas), the front axle has been extensively reinforced with four Koni shock absorbers and it can be adjusted for an extra four inches of ground clearance. »

On 16th February 1996, Arthur Barraclough wrote:

« I've tried "load adjusters", but they are not good enough. In 1972, on my way to India again, I stopped off in Koblenz, Germany, where I swopped my rear torsion bars, for some heavy-duty fire engine ones and some hefty Koni shockers. »

« On my first trip to India, I'd gone through 11 heavy-duty VW ones. At the front end, there was no such thing as stronger torsion bars, so I moved the centre blocks 3/8 inches and so lifted the front end 3 inches. Lengthened the rubber stops and fitted four hefty Konis on the front end. The beauty about the Konis, when they go, I can strip them down and replace the seals, etc. »


I vaguely recall, that many early model years of 1968~79 VW Type 2 Devon campervans, were based upon the Microbus, rather than the Kombi. According to my information, the rear-suspension torsion bars, of the 1968~71 VW Type 2 Microbuses and Fire Trucks (same as those of the delivery Vans & Kombis), were 26·2 mm and 28·1 mm diameter respectively, so the substitute torsion bars, would have been about 33% stiffer than the originals. The 1972~79 model-year vehicles, had 26·9 mm and 28·9 mm diameter torsion bars.

Unless one is seeking to increase a vehicles load capacity, it is not necessarily an advantage, to increase the suspension's spring (i.e. torsion bar or torsion leaves) stiffness. The principal purpose of the suspension, is that of vibration isolation; which means that as far as possible, to minimise the vehicle's vertical motion, whilst maintaining the wheels in contact with the ground, despite the changing ground level, owing to corrugations, ruts, bumps and pot holes. This is best achieved by using a relatively soft, long-travel suspension, with critical damping; a fact now recognised by much of the sand rail and dune buggy fraternity.

Given that Arthur's campervan, would probably have been quite heavily laden with camping equipment, clothing, food, water, petrol (i.e. gasoline, in USA parlance), spares and tools, I can appreciate him wishing to uprate the rear-suspension torsion bars, to Fire Truck, Delivery Van & Kombi specification. When touring in Europe, with four adults aboard and all our belongings, I estimated that our 1973 VW 1600 Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan (based upon the Kombi), would typicallyhave an all-up weight of at least 1·8 tonnes; corresponding to half maximum payload of 1·0 tonne. Even so, the vehicle seemed to sit quite low on its rear suspension, making it necessary to shorten the retro-fitted, OEM accessory, rear mud flaps, to avoid them dragging on the ground.

With this in mind and my intention to upgrade the campervan, with the slightly heavier, VW Type 4 style engine, plus the future possibility of towing a goods, baggage or canoe (i.e. kayak) trailer, I elected to retro-fit a pair of Monroe "Load Leveler" (part No. LL665), heavy-duty rear-suspension dampers, with associated co-axial, variable-rate coil springs; referred to by some people as "coil-over-shocks". I bought these by mail-order, from Demon Tweeks.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk


Demon Tweeks Direct, 75 Ash Road South, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL13 9UG, United Kingdom.

Tel. +44 (0) 1978 664466

Fax. +44 (0) 1978 664467

E-mail: [email protected]


Variable-rate coil springs, which are recognisable by their varying pitch between successive coils, are commonly used as standard, on estate cars (i.e. station wagons in USA parlance) and car-derived vans, because they confer increased spring stiffness, as the springs compress, owing to increased payload.

[Img]http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=294597[/Img]

[Img]http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=293711[/Img]

There were also OEM, factory-fitted, rear-supension "coil-over-shocks" (VW part No. 211 513 031M), which were adopted by Volkswagen, as a means of uprating the payload capacity, of the later model-years, of the 1972~79 VW Type 2 Delivery Van, from 1·0 tonne to 1·2 tonnes. These were still available in 1994, through my then local, franchised VW dealership, Maryann & Brading, in Rochford, Essex, England, but at about £500 Sterling per pair, they were too expensive to seriously consider. It's not clear from the illustration of Item 12A, on Page & frame 42, of the official 1968~79 VW Type 2, Replacement Parts Catalogue & Microfiche, whether the associated coil spring, is of the variable-rate or constant-rate type; the former being preferable, unless one consistently carried heavy loads, close to the maximum payload.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=293712

An alternative to the rear-supension "coil-over-shocks", are Monroe "Ride Leveler" or similar units from other manufacturers (e.g. Bilstein, Boge, DeCarbon, Gabriel, Koni, Spax, etc) which are pneumatic-spring assisted dampers, whose stiffness is altered, by adjusting the air pressure; either by letting air out or further inflating, using a foot pump, stirrup pump, garage air line or or on-board compressor. Ray White retro-fitted a pair of these, to his 2·0 litre, Porsche 911 engined, 1972 VW "1600" Type 2 campervan, which he used to tow his 16 feet long caravan.

Heavy payloads, impose greater wear & tear on a vehicle's suspension, which is further exacerbated by travelling over rough terrain, owing to increased stresses and greater frequency of bounce & rebound. Millions of cycles of cyclic stresses, result in materials' fatigue, which considerably reduces the ultimate failure stress, commonly leading to fatigue failure. Hence, it's hardly surprising that overloaded vehicles, suffer failed suspension systems.

When in the mid-1970s, Theresa & Jonathan Hewat embarked on their nearly 3½ year World-wide tour, in their 1972 VW 1700 Type 2 campervan (the Weathershield elevating roof, suggests either Devon or Richard Holdsworth conversion), it tipped the scales at about 3·0 tonnes, which is 0·7 tonnes overloaded. Whether this was typical of the overall vehicle weight, during their 143,305 km (i.e. 89,050 miles) journey, I do not know, but in their book of information, advice and guidance, for would-be travellers, they reported having to replace several suspension dampers (aka shock absorbers – a definite misnomer, because it's the spring which absorbs the shock and the damper which damps out the consequent spring oscillation), as did Arthur barraclough, who replaced a total of 11, on just his first trip to India; later adopting Koni dampers, which could be stripped down and overhauled en route.

So, if one needs to carry heavy loads, which are close to, or exceed the vehicle's rated maximum payload, it would be wise to tow an appropriately sized and load-rated baggage trailer, with over-run brakes. Avoid exceeding the vehicles towing limit, which for stability, should be no more than 85% of the towing vehicle's unladen weight (i.e. 85% of 1·3 tonnes, in the case of the 1968~79 VW Type 2).

Sometime ago, I purchased second-hand, at relatively modest cost, a genuine 1978 VW Type 2, Westfalia trailer-towing hitch, rated at 1·8 tonnes, but I have yet to attempt to fit it, so I don't yet know whether it's compatible, with the 1973 VW "1600" Type 2, longitudinal chassis members. The trailer-towing hitch's identification plate reads:


WESTFALIA–WERKE–WIEDENBRÜCK

Bez.: Kupplungskugel mit Halterung

Typ: 321 125

Bauj.: 1978

Prüfz F3189

Zul. Ges. gew. des Kfz. kg 2500

Für kfz. gem. b. Anbauanwg. ; Stützl. Kuppelpkt. 50 kg

Gepr. für 1800 kg Anhängelast


My intention is to fit both the traditional 12N & 12S, 7-pin electrical towing sockets and the more recently introduced, ISO, 13-pin electrical towing sockets, so that my vehicle will be electrically compatible, with almost any British or European, trailer or caravan.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=225160

As Arthur mentioned, there are probably no such things as stronger “torsion bars”, for the 1968~79 VW type 2 front suspension. In fact, the front “torsion bars”, are not bars at all, but rather, each is an assembly of nine equal-length (980 mm) & equal-thickness (3•2 mm) torsion leaves, but of three different widths. Each “torsion bar”, comprises three leaves of 31•1 mm width, four leaves of 23•0 mm width and two leaves of 14•7 mm width, forming a bar-shape, of symmetrical, stepped, cruciform cross-section, as tabulated:

Width (mm) 14•7     23•0 31•1 23•0 14•7
No. of Leaves   One Two  Three Two One

So far, I am aware of two 1968~79 VW Type 2, which have needed to have replaced, one or more broken torsion leaves. Sometime during the mid-1990s, I sold to a local owner, two torsion leaves (one each of 14•7 & 23•0 mm thickness) from one of two complete sets, I had earlier salvaged from a 1974 VW 1800 Type 2 Delivery Van. I also recently learned, that Carol & Paul Jarvis, in Lincolnshire, fellow members of the British, VW Type 2 Owners' Club, have been seeking one or more torsion leaves, for their 1971 VW 1600 Type 2 campervan, "Scooby", which is presently disabled and off the road.

Hence, if travelling on a long, off-road, overland expedition, it might be wise to carry either one or two spare sets of front torsion leaves; each set weighing about 5 kg, according to my bathroom scales.

It is conceivable that the torsional stiffness of the “torsion bars”, could be increased, by substituting wider torsion leaves, in place of some or all of the narrower ones, but this is unlikely to be a simple DIY task, which would probably entail cutting, welding, filing and grinding, to modify the shaped torsion-leaf receivers, inside the middle of the torsion-bar tubes and the outer ends of the hollow trailing arms.

Assuming such modifications were practical, I can envisage five possible torsion-leaf assembly configurations, of equally symmetrical cross-section, which would result in increased torsional strength & stiffness. Such configurations are not unprecedented, because those of early-model VW Type 1 Beetles, had square (or at least rectangular!) cross-section, whilst those of the late-model VW Type 1 Beetles, were of cruciform cross-section, similar to that of the 1968~79 VW Type 2.

Width (mm) 14•7 23•0 31•1 23•0 14•7
No. of Leaves   One One  Five  One  One
No. of Leaves Zero Three Three Three  Zero
No. of Leaves Zero Two  Five  Two  Zero
No. of Leaves Zero One  Seven One  Zero
No. of Leaves Zero Zero Nine  Zero Zero


Given the available alternatives for increasing the combined strength & stiffness of the front suspension, it is questionable whether the substititution of wider torsion leaves and modification of the torsion-leaf receivers would be worthwhile; especially considering the difficulties of reverting to the factory-standard specification, if desired. I imagine that some form of supplementary "coil-over-shock", pneumatic-spring assisted damper or some other component, of appropriate spring-rate & damping-rate, should be available from some source, for the 1968~79 VW Type 2 front suspension.

Interestingly, Red-9-Design, in Great Britain, have devised an alternative, substitute front suspension called EZ-Rider, utilising "coil-over-shocks", in conjunction with freely rotating, location bars, which replace the standard torsion-leaf assemblies. This modification was documented in an illustrated magazine article, about 3½ years ago:

"How To: The 'Low Down' on the EZ-Rider Conversion kit on Your Bus .....", Volkswagen Camper & Commercial, Issue 10, Spring 2003, pp52~54.

If the suspension-damper, top & bottom mounts, on the suspension housing & lower trailing arms, are strong enough for such a radical redesign, they should also be adequately strong, for supplementary "coil-over-shocks", etc.

http://red9design.co.uk

http://red9design.co.uk/busezrider.htm


Red9Design, 10 Jasmine Walk, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 6AL

Tel. +44 (0) 1386 421 179

Fax. +44 (0) 1386 421 179

Email: [email protected]

One suspension modification, which Arthur Barraclough doesn't seem to have implemented, is the substitution of a heavy-duty, front anti-roll bar (i.e. anti-sway bar or sway bar, in USA parlance), or retro-fitment of a heavy-duty, rear anti-roll bar; possibly with good reason! One adverse effect of anti-roll bars, is the increase in suspension stiffness, in response to single-wheel bumps. This is most likely to occur, under off-road conditions, where randomly located bumps, depressions and potholes, are all too common.

Because the two wheels are no longer fully independent of one another, so repond less well to rough terrain. It's conceivable that for off-road use, some 1968~79 VW Type 2 drivers, might remove the standard, factory-fitted, 16 mm diameter, front anti-roll bar, but for normal on-road driving, this would have the effect of reducing understeer and/or increasing oversteer.

Apart from the occasional farm track or uneven campsite, I don't anticipate using my 1973 VW Type 2 campervan, for any significant off-road driving. Hence my principal objective, is to preserve ride comfort, whilst also optimisiing tyre grip (i.e. cornering power), body roll, straight-line stability in cross-winds, plus maintaining a balance between oversteer & understeer characteristics, under conditions of constant speed, acceleration, braking and cornering. Recalling my past experiences of driving on some French mountain roads, whose camber sloped the wrong way on bends, I need some way of reducing the resulting body roll!

Sometime ago, I salvaged a 25·2 mm diameter (including paint-film thickness), front anti-roll bar & associated mounting hardware, from a British Ford Granada Mk. 2 saloon (i.e. sedan, in USA parlance), at one of my local car breakers' yards. Two of its virtues, are that it was relatively cheap to buy (paid £20 for a job-lot of three items, including the anti-roll bar!) and its size & shape, make it well suited, to being adapted for use with the 1968~79 VW Type 2 rear suspension.

I am presently experimenting, with a way of mounting the anti-roll bar, to the cylindrical, rear-suspension, torsion-bar, cross-tube, using home-made, 40 mm thick, hardwood saddles, in conjunction with angle-iron and M8 or M10 screw studding, nuts & washers. If that is successful, I shall also have to fabricate some appropriate L-shaped brackets, to link the rubber-bushed, anti-roll bar ends, to the rear-suspension, trailing arms.

Being of 25·2 mm diameter, the anti-roll bar will be particularly stiff (recall that all other things being equal, the torsional stiffness, is proportional to the fourth power of the diameter!), so it will need to be complemented by a heavy-duty, replacement front anti-roll bar, such as those of 22 mm or 24 mm diameter, from Sway-A-Way or Whiteline, in order to avoid inducing excessive oversteer. The balance between oversteer & understeer, can be fine tuned, by altering front/rear wheel-rim width, front/rear tyre size & sidewall stiffness (i.e. tread width, aspect ratio & load rating), front/rear tyre inflation pressure differential, front/rear positive & negative wheel camber, front/rear wheel toe-in & toe-out, front/rear payload distribution, front/rear suspension stiffness & damping rate, plus possibly a few other tweaks.

**************************************************************************************************************************

On 16th February 1996, Arthur Barraclough wrote:

« I have put disc brakes on the front. »

« I don't have room for the two servos. I'll have to rely on a heavy foot. »


It's a little surprising that neither Simon Holloway or Neil Birkitt, mentioned Arthur's substitution of front disc brakes. Judging from the flat-profile hub caps on his wheels, Arthur had probably substituted the complete front & rear, hub & brake assemblies, from a 1972~79 VW Type 2, whose wheel-fixing studs, are of 112 mm PCD, as compared to 205 mm PCD, of the original components.

Travelling through major mountain ranges as Arthur did, one needs good brakes which are not prone to fade when hot. Disc brakes are less prone to fade than drum brakes and uprating the rear brakes, with wider, larger diameter drums, would also reduce the tendency to fade. The later design of rear hub, also has the added advantage, that the rear drum can easily be removed for inspection and maintenance, without having to remove the high-torque, 46 mm AF, castellated hub nut; also avoiding the risk of contaminating the hub-bearing grease, with brake friction-material dust.

Having gone to so much effort, to modify his brakes, I was surprised to learn during our telephone conversation, that Arthur had omitted to retro-fit, vacuum brake-servo assistance; which although it makes no difference to the effectiveness of the braking system itself, does substantially reduce the required foot-pedal pressure.

Extremely few British (and probably European also) specification, 1971~79 VW 1600 Type 2s with front disc brakes, are also equipped with vacuum brake-servo assistance. To my knowledge, the only vehicles which were, are the late-model Delivery Vans, whose payload was uprated by 20%, from 1·0 tonne to 1·2 tonnes, through use of factory-fitted, rear-suspension, "coil-over-shocks".

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=293712

When our family's 1973 VW 1600 Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan, my father periodically complained of the high foot-pedal pressures, needed to operate the brakes and asked whether it would be possible, to incorporate vacuum brake-servo assistance. I must confess that on the few occasions that I had needed to decelerate rapidly whilst driving, I had almost felt the need to use both feet on the brake pedal!

Owing to the paucity of 1972~79 VW 17/18/2000 Type 2s (which have vacuum brake-servo assistance, as standard), in car breakers' yards, I was unable to obtain the necessary VW parts. However in 1988/89, I was eventually able to incorporate a pair of remote-acting, vacuum brake-servo units (boost ratio of either 2·2 : 1 or 3·0 : 1, dependent upon car model), of the type which were factory-fitted, to right-hand drive BMWs, suspending them in a home-made tubular steel cradle, straddling the central heating-system, hot-air duct.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=295484

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=295483

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=295482

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=295480

I also took the opportunity, to completely overhaul the hydraulic system, replacing all the zinc-coated steel pipework, with Kunifer-10 (a marine grade, corrosion resistant alloy, comprising 90% copper & 10% nickel, produced by IMI – Imperial Metal Industries) and substituting Automec silicone brake fluid. It was these braking system upgrades, I described to Arthur Barraclough and later documented in Transporter Talk and VW Motoring, as follows:

Nigel A. Skeet, Tech Talk, "Fitting Remote Vacuum Brake Servos, Kunifer­10 Pipework & Silicone Brake Fluid", Transporter Talk, Issue 66, August 2003, pp12~15.

Nigel Skeet, "Silicone Transplant", Readers' Letters, VW Motoring, November 1999, p56.

My letter to VW Motoring, was prompted by the following technical article, mentioning silicone brake fluid, which had been published in the previous issue:

Peter Noad, "Fluid Dynamics", VW Motoring, October 1999, pp66~69.

Although my British, right-hand drive, 1973 VW Type 2, had dual-circuit brakes, it did not have a brake-circuit failure warning system! Hence, whilst I was otherwise upgrading the braking system, I also retro-fitted the appropriate 3-terminal brake-light switches (VW part No. 113 945 515G) to the hydraulic master cylinder, modified the electrical circuit and retro-fitted a transistorised, brake-circuit-failure warning light unit (VW part No. 113 919 233B), which fitted into a pre-moulded, uncut, D-shaped hole in the instrument panel, to the left of the heating & ventilation-control levers. At that time, I was also able to obtain the moulded nylon, 3-way connector blocks and associated rubber boots, so the installation is neat & tidy, as well as being reasonably water-proof.

In fact, there are two pre-moulded, uncut, D-shaped holes in this position, near the top and bottom of the right-hand-drive instrument panel, so I might fit an early-type, push-to-test, brake-circuit-failure warning light (VW part No. 111 919 233B), in the spare location, but use it for either a handbrake-on warning light or an engine-detonation warning light.

Whether I shall undertake any further braking system modifications or upgrades, remains to be seen, but when the front discs eventually require replacement, I might replace them with Rossini Performance Brake Discs (i.e. grooved & cross-drilled) discs, which are available from Car Parts Direct (or Fittapart Car Parts Centre – classic-car parts) in Great Britain, for the 1972~79 VW Type 2; costing about double that of the stock items.

http://www.carparts-direct.co.uk

[Img]http://www.carparts-direct.co.uk/catalogues/rossini_brake_discs.cfm[/Img]

Car Parts Direct
Manager, Simon Davis
160 Burton Road, Derby, DE1 1TN, England.

Tel. +44 (0) 1332 290 833
Fax. +44 (0) 1332 202 944
Email: [email protected]

Fittapart Car Parts Centre
Manager, Martin Mosley (Classic and Kit Car parts)
1 Southwell Road West, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 4EH, England.

Tel. +44 (0) 1623 658 041
Fax. +44 (0) 1623 421 257
Email: [email protected]

One possible upgrade about which I read in 1994 and might be worth considering, is an after-market accessory, anti-skid device, called ABS BRAKESAFE, described as being quick and easy to retro-fit to existing vehicles.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1836858#1836858


..... to be continued

Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

[steponmebbbboom]

linky no more worky?

[NASkeet]