Over-extended front suspension!

[Rtu0894]

Somewhat new 'rail' owner with front suspension question. It's mainly street driven with occasional mild off road action. I recently realized that the front end sits basically full extended at rest. Meaning, if you jack it up at the frame, there is very little suspension drop, if any. I don't know what the front end came off of, maybe a bus. Light rail, long wheelbase equals no weight up front! So, I read 2 hours worth of threads on lowering. I originally thought it was the same principle as the rear, how nice that would have been... instead of welding in adjusters...
how crazy would it be to remove one of the center locking set screws and leave it out so it feels rotates essentially using only one torsion bar(leaves)?

[Rtu0894]

[SamT]

The front torsion is a back of leaves, just remove a couple from each tube and that will lower the spring rate.

Before that you may check the shocks. If they are fancy gas ones they can be too stiff for a light buggy. Also Greace the jerks in the beam. It should move pretty good when you bounce on it. That's a ball joint bug front beam.
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=546712

[Rtu0894]

Didn't know removing a couple leaves was an option. Seems legit. Thanks!

Shocks are totally shot. Measuring them for replacement was how I noticed my new suspension issue

[Rtu0894]

Now that I think about it... won't that affect the trailing arm mounting rigidity? And rotation inside the beam?

[cbeck]

I think when you remove leaves, you shound cutoff the cuontersunk part of the leaf and tack to the remaining leaves so they will tighten securely with the grub screw.

[Dale M.]

Another option is to remove full leaves pack in either upper or lower tube and replace with thru rod....

For shocks, DO NOT PUT GAS SHOCKS ON... Get a NOS plain oil shocks it will ride a lot softer....

Dale
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"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[Rtu0894]

Thanks for the replies. I'm leaning toward trying a thru bar. Anyone have any experience with these? I'm hoping it won't be too sloppy afterwards. Also, geometry speaking, is there a preferred position? Top or bottom?

[Vanapplebomb]

Put the thru rod on the bottom. The ball joints are stronger in compression than they are in tension. Don't tighten the nuts on the thru rod. Just run them down just enough to take up the play, no more.
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1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[Rtu0894]

Vanapplebomb,
I clicked on the link in your reply, I'm still learning about the whole vw world but I'm pretty sure I have the same tranny as the one in the first few pictures in the link. The blue one. In the vw transmission line, where does this one fall in line with reliability and durability? Sought after or bottom of the pond variety?

[Third]

Good old Type 1 bug transmission...

(IRS in the pic)

Have a look thru here:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143138

[Vanapplebomb]

Exactly. It's as 72 AH irs transmission with a 4.12 ring and pinion from a standard bug. As far as bug transmissions go, it isn't quite as strong as the 75 and newer ones, but it certainly is a step up from early tunnel case transmissions, and most certainly the split cases. If we are honest, the tunnel case bug transmissions actually are quite impressive for what they are. You can have an aweful lot of fun with a stock one if you have some common sense in your feet. That said, at the end of the day it still has a small first gear, small spider gears in the diff, small pinion, and a wimpy reverse gear. An 002 bus box is a step up with a bigger pinion, larger spider gears, and most had an improved gear stack that was Later fitted in 75 + bugs. The 091 is a step above that again with an even larger pinion and larger spider gears, and a bigger stronger gear stack. All still had the wimpy reverse gear. The watercooled Vanagon 091/1 or 094 had the biggest first, improved shift linkage, a beefy constant mesh reverse gear, and transmission fitted to the 2.1 engine had four spider gears vs two that all earlier transmissions had.
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1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[dustymojave]

That front suspension on your rail is a standard VW Bug ball joint front end. 1967 or newer. If it has 4 lug brake drums, it's probably a 1968 or newer front end.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
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