Beating a Dead Horse

[gunslingertom]

I have searched exhaustively and found information by the tons about converting a swing axle transmission to an IRS transmission.
But what I want to know is, can you convert just the axles? In other words, can I install IRS axles with inner and outer CV joints to my swing axle transmission? My rig is a sand rail with wishbone type trailing arms.

[B Ramsey]

Not without redesigning your rear suspension. Nothing will keep the wheel from moving in and out, side to side. Almost all mid engine setups are swingaxle and there isn't really a good reason to change it.
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Go outside and do something.

[gunslingertom]

[Axitech]

Change your upper shock mount location.
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He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36


The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.-Thomas Jefferson

[gunslingertom]

[B Ramsey]

[Tha Driver]

Change your springs to shorter/stiffer ones. Adjust the ride height so that the axles are level. Run less air pressure in your new tires - yours are worn in the middle & that's caused by over inflating.
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~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

[gunslingertom]

So I'm going to change my springs to hopefully lower the car and soften the ride. Any suggestions on spring rates? As light as this is, I'm thinking 100 lb spring rates, but then I was also thinking a variable rate spring might be the way to go.

[Axitech]

B. Ramsey. I guess I deserved that, I was posting in a hurry and trying to get the guy some info before going out of town for a day or two. Moving his upper shock mount will effectively lower the vehicle. He's using coilover shocks, no torsion bars evident.
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He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36


The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.-Thomas Jefferson

[gunslingertom]

No takers on this one?

[DHale_510]

You need to know what your current spring rate is, your travel, and your load needs are before you can decide on a new spring rate. The buggy isn't exactly a factory ride.
You can get a pretty good measure of your spring rate [well wheel rate actually] with a yardstick and a 200# girlfriend sitting on the back of the car. If both sides compress an inch, you have 100#/" spring rate.
Often there will be an engraved value on the top of a chromed spring and the spring rate may be calculated from the diameter [about 3"?], wire diameter [about >375"?], number of coils [14?], and overall length [10"?].
Spring travel is the sum of the spaces between the coils. Maybe 6" on yours. Wider spaces make stiffer springs. Fatter wire makes much stiffer springs.
Your current springs look pretty soft, the wire gauge and coil spacing look more motorcycle like than car like. Stock VWs weighed about twice as much as buggies, about 2000# with driver, and used about 75#/" spring rates with about 5" of up travel. I would guess you have 50#/" springs now. Your travel is pretty much the same, your load is less but maybe you want the stock stiffness anyway.
It will be hard to adjust height with your setup by swapping springs, they are not premade in small height differences and the square ends do not lend themselves to cutting and resetting onto the perches. Rather expensive "coil over" type shocks have adjustable perches just to readily adjust the spring height. Maybe you could fit adjuster sleeves on your shocks if they are Bilsteins, maybe not if they are just painted yellow standard shocks.
My swing axle buggy seemed just fine on the street with stock more or less 75#/" torsions and those big tires. The wide wheels and tires put a lot of leverage into the suspension and this softens the wheel rate up from the spring rate.
Dennis

[gunslingertom]

[griffs68]

those rear shocks/ springs are very stiff. if I were you i would look at changing them out with true coil overs and a proper spring weight

[gunslingertom]

[Third]

Basically, negating the need for any rear torsion springs.

Just pivots at the torsion arm and the suspension is actually done via the shocks and coil sets.

In a nut shell, you have the required setup for it.

[dustymojave]

Yes, Third is right. You DO have "True Coilovers".

And they are the "real deal" unlike the cheapo EMPI coilover shocks that so many think are so cool, but actually work like something the dog left in the back yard.

What you have may not be properly set up for the car. And maybe there are better coilover shocks for your car. There are air shocks for the job that use nitrogen gas to replace the springs. Setting up what you have is probably best handled by someone who knows about shocks and spring rates and can work more closely with you than we can on a forum.

No1clyde is really sharp on this subject. Maybe you can talk him into helping you on this.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[gunslingertom]

[dustymojave]

I think your brackets were not done right. Or the brake kit was made for a different vintage swingaxle. The axle spline on a long spline swing axle is the same as the spline on an IRS axle... Or on a small nut Bus reduction swingaxle, or a Thing IRS, or a Porsche 924 and 944.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[gunslingertom]