BumpStop questions

FullFender · Samba Member Joined: October 25, 2014 Posts: 647

I have a 67' bug with 165r15's in the rear and I lowered it in the back 2 outer splines. There is little to none camber. Is that normal? At the moment it is riding on the bump stop. Should I cut the bump stop down a bit? I also plan on going down another spline. Thanks.

Northof49 · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 7:21 am Post subject:

Every spline should lower the car around 2 1/4" (with diminishing returns from parallel to the ground). You've lowered it significantly already (roughly 5"), evidenced by the swing arm resting on the bump stop. I'm surprised you don't have significant negative camber already. In any event, unless you want to have no further upward suspension travel, you need to alter the bump stop. No point backing off the torsion bars further and have it just riding on the bump stops. Can you fabricate a repositioned bump stop so that you still have a bump stop, but leave some axle travel?

It is quite likely that at some point you will reach the limits of travel of the swing arm upwards, the swing arm meeting with the hard limit. That is an event the rubber bump stop is meant to avoid.
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1958 Karmann Ghia owner

FullFender · Samba Member Joined: October 25, 2014 Posts: 647

I will most likely trim the bump stop as needed. We accidentally lowered the other side only 1 spline...could this be the reason for little camber? We tried driving it for 10-15 minutes to even the camber out but that didn't do anything.
Thanks for the reply.

Northof49 · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 1:34 pm Post subject:

Pardon me if you know this, but they put different numbers of splines on the inner and outer ends of the torsion bars for a reason. It allows fine incremental changes in ride height based on the offset between cranking one end up and the other end down. You don't need to make such course adjustments as 1,2 and 3 spline drops.

I would watch out for excessive drop producing a metal on metal bottoming out, excessive negative camber resulting in extreme wear of the splines on the brake drums, dry wheel bearings because of the bearings being higher than the transmission, and inner axle fulcrum problems due to extreme angles, all from the lowering.
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1958 Karmann Ghia owner

FullFender · Samba Member Joined: October 25, 2014 Posts: 647

If I cut the bumpstop will that help the camber? If not is there something else I could do to fix the camber?

EVfun · Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 6:21 pm Post subject:

"help the camber" What do you mean? Riding at or near stock height helps the camber, by keeping it to a small number near zero. The others here are trying to explain to you that if you tuck the tires up at a funny angle you are going to be fixing others things on a pretty regular basis. The outer bearings tend to run dry and have a short life. The splines in the brake drums tend to get ripped out leaving you stranded. The fulcrum plates inside the transaxle, that allow the axles to move up and down, don't last very long running continuously at angles much greater than they where designed for.
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FullFender · Samba Member Joined: October 25, 2014 Posts: 647

At the moment I am not so much worried about the camber as I am worried about why it doesn't seem that low and it is already riding on the bump stop. I am 13 yrs old and this is my first Vdub so that is the reason for all the misunderstandings on my part. I will post pictures for reference.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

SkyDawgVW · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:22 am Post subject:

Get some of these:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1659665
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1961 SWR Kombi

Miklo · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 6:38 am Post subject:

Two outter splines should have done more than that.

Your Beetle is a 67 correct? Is the z-bar still complete and assembled on the rear suspension?

Or you're running baywindow bus stoppers... Wink

Sure, you can shave them down with a belt sander or such... no cutting.

... or just get a pair of what SkyDawgVw posted above and retain more suspension travel/comfort.
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✠Miklo✠
'55 Type1 "Ozma"
'66 Type1 "Charlotte" RIP
Antelope Valley's Mobile Air-Cooled Guru

Northof49 · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:58 am Post subject:

It looks close to perfect at it's present ride height. Very close to factory setting. I'm not sure why it would be riding on the bump stops at that ride height.
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1958 Karmann Ghia owner

arizonabuckeye · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 4:30 pm Post subject:

Maybe a PO had raised it by a couple splines? Guess that wouldn't explain the bump stop issue though...

FullFender · Samba Member Joined: October 25, 2014 Posts: 647


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