Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: The Ball Joint Beam

[Mal evolent]

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: The Ball Joint Beam

If you have followed this series from the start you know that I recommend a '69 or later standard Beetle ( not super Beetle ) for people who want to build a simple, inexpensive Baja Bug.

The '69 or later standard Beetle comes with a ball joint front end. This can not be modified for more travel, but in can be modified in useful ways.

For the remainder of this series we will concentrate on modifications that can be done by typical metal fabricators with readily available materials and welding equipment.

The Bently manual image:

An unmodified bare ball joint beam:

A Glorious Modified Ball Joint Beam: Thing spindles and arms, hook and rod stops, rod up front, adjusters and reinforced towers:

A spindle and ball joints up close:

note that one ball joint points up and one points down. Later on, we will explain why this is a problem

Lift:
The ball joint front end can be modified for more lift three ways:

• Cut and Turn or
  
• Adjusters; and
  
• Raised spindles
  

Any method alone can provide almost 3". If you combine two methods you can get almost 6" of lift. If you do this without making the beam wider, invest in a roll cage.

Hook and rod:
If you make only one modification, make this one.

Widen the beam:
You can do this while installing adjusters, or doing a cut and turn

Brace the shock towers

Swap the left and right lower trailing arm and install the lower ball joint downward

Remove the swaybar to let the wheels work more independently off road. Your insurance company may not like this. Jeep owners can set theirs up with a quick disconnect.

Torsion bars: Thing AKA Type 181 torsion bars are about 20% stiffer than Beetle bars.

Lift Illustrated:

Unlifted car. note that the axles are pretty much in line with the bottom of the pan:

lifted car. note that the axles are lower than pan:

Cut and Turn:
A front end with a 1/4 inch cut and turn:

the bolt on the front was at a 45 degree down angle. now it's a few degrees below horizontal. the metal fabricator:

• scribed a line on the tube
  
  
  
  
  
  
• cut the center of the tube out
  
  
  
  
  
  
• repositioned it with the line in the cut out part 1/4" above where it was
  
• welded it back together
  

getting about 2" of lift for his efforts. you can cut and turn 3/8". good luck getting the spindles on.

Adjusters: adjusters are a variation on cut and turn. you can fine tune the lift. you can also disassemble an adjuster while driving over rough terrain.

Why I don't do adjusters:

A front end with 4 adjusters. why 4? will be explained later

Raised spindles There are two paths to raised spindles:

• Modified spindles
  
• Thing AKA Type 181 spindles
  

Modified spindles are made by cutting off the axle from a forged spindle and welding it back on lower. As my flight instructor was fond of saying -
"You go ahead. I'll watch"
and you lose the speedometer cable hole.

Thing spindles are vast hunks of forged steel with:

• Much bigger ball joints.
  
• Both ball joints point down
  
• There is a lovely speedometer cable hole
  

Which is why I have a set waiting to go on my car. Good for about 2 7/8" lift. You need Thing trailing arms to go with Thing spindles. Thing ball joints are bigger than beetle ball joints, and use a different eccentric for camber adjustment.

[Adventurer]

AWESOME. once again great job, This thread also belongs in the "FAQ, Information, References, PLEASE READ FIRST" sticky.
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1972 Standard Beetle 1600dp Class 11 Look-alike....SOLD !

IVVW member

[greg mgm]

Excellent post!!!! Great info.

[MarkZee]

Great info. A few questions; are thing arms longer? Do thing balls & sockets pivot a greater angle before crashing? Do thing spindles increase the track width? Regarding swapping / inverting lower arms; the eyes / cups are angled -not in line with the arm. (mine are )- Inverting them will increase the socket / stud angle at full extension. The stud and cup may crash sooner than when not inverted.

Im trying to figure out a combination of parts & mods that will give my bj beam more travel without breaking.

[plotch]

What greg mgm said. Plus a vote for sticky. Thanks for the three chapters so far.

[Mal evolent]

link to the Thing spindles post added. When I put mine on I will write it up as I go.

there is info about flipping the bug ball joint in the Thing spindle post. Apparently them Thing boys use bug spindles to lower Things. weirdo freaks.

[Lotrat]

Nice work. Some of those photo's looks familiar. I like those popped ball joints. Rusty ball? Torn boots? Those should have been replaced long before they broke.

Also important to keep the swaybar to cut up to put inside the tie rods.

[The Phil]

[Mal evolent]

[Lotrat]

It's all free game if it's on the internet. Pillage on!

[shred625]

Only thing I can see missing is gusseted spindles.... great job!
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~ Jack Handey

[dirtkeeper]

Great info

This adjuster shown is probably not suitable for offroad use. (but can be installed without taking the beam off the car or cutting all the way through) The other type with the bolt and nut adjuster seem like they are stronger. That said , my upper adjuster broke after many years of mild abuse.

to answer MarkZee
thing arms are not longer
I think the thing ball joints do have a bit more travel and are beefier
the thing spindles make the track width an additional 1" on each side

[Bashr52]

Great write up! One thing to mention though is you do NOT need Thing arms to run the Thing spindles. They will work on bug arms. All you need to do is flip the balljoints and install the correct ones for a Thing (bigger diameter). You also need the Thing specific caster adjusters. I just put Ghia spindles on my Thing arms in order to lower it and have discs.

[Mal evolent]

we don't want to flip the ball joints. we most assuredly do not want to lower our cars. we are off roaders. we want ball joints facing down and nosebleeds when we climb into the cab
_________________
73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[Dave24]

Most excellent thread/post!!!. Thank you!.
I recently converted our baja's BJ beam to thing arms/spindles... Great setup, far better, IMO, than aftermarket spindles (not ALL a/m spindles, but the "cheap" versions).

[69bajaguy]

[cmiller95]

im running a stock front end and im gunna be rebuilding it soon (seen better days!). I truly dont trust my driving skills (or lack of) and was wondering if i should put a hook and rod on while im at it. From some the reading ive been doing everything time you come to a stop you feel and hear a clank! from the hook hitting the rod. I know im gunna wind up in a ditch when it starts getting icy outside and i dont wanna blow out a ball joint. Any advice would be appreciated

Thanks, Colton

btw: I love the threads mal evolent
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Swing axle: Eating tires since 1938

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[Mal evolent]

if you hear a clank every time you come to a stop your torsion bars are had, dad.

I have read that people go high speed fire roading and never hear a clank.
_________________
73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[manther]

I think he is talking about people complaining about the clanking sound of the hook stops.

[tdonaldson]