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johnshenry Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 9359 Location: Northwood, NH USA
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 5:42 pm Post subject: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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Am I confused or are the proper rear bumper brackets for splits only 2 leaves and don't have that 3 leaf of steel in the middle? Or is that what the fronts are, and rears always had 3 leaves? _________________ John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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johnshenry Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 9359 Location: Northwood, NH USA
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:44 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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Well at least I know where I got this recollection from. My old '50 sunroof, I had made a custom bumper brake light bracket that I am now trying to re-create. When I got this split, it has a 2 leave rear bumper bracket, but they were bolted together, which we know is wrong. So the question is, was there ever a 2 leave rear bracket on splits??
I remember well after this picture was taken, I scavenged the middle leave from somewhere, took these apart and welded them together. So I'm thinking that they were always 3 leaves on the back....2 on the front. _________________ John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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Martin Southwell Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2010 Posts: 971 Location: Bath, England
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 3:02 am Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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In my experience I've never come across anything other than 2 leaf 'bumper irons' on the earlier cars, with the 3 leaf being available later. Early cars had brackets which came in two parts, which weren't welded together. I suspect that was what was fitted to the car in the picture, hence the nuts & bolts to keep them together.
When fitting 3 leaf brackets, you see how stretched the wing/bracket grommet becomes, and doesn't look correct. It was always pointed out to me that when fitted, for example to strengthen the bumper for fitment of a tow bar, in the event of a bump, rather than the brackets deforming to absorb the energy, this energy is transferred into the bodywork, often causing tertiary damage/deformation elsewhere within the bodywork. As such 2 leaf irons are a preferable fitment. |
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D. Haviland Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2009 Posts: 536 Location: Burlington, Vermont
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:51 am Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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As far as I know, 2. My zwitter, which for whatever reason, had had the rear bumper cut off at the brackets. I'm thinking in a theft while it sat in a field in the early seventies. Anyway, those cut brackets which are shown in pics from the seventies when it was found and when I purchased it were of the 2 piece variety. |
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Splitdog Samba Split Personality
Joined: February 16, 2004 Posts: 4124 Location: Planet VW
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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I have some that have been in a box of old parts since the mid 70's. 2 sets. 2 in front, 3 in rear. I doubt these were aftermarket. Maybe a later version from VW? _________________ CH³NO²
Z = z² + C
Der Blitzkrieg Kafers
#notacallooker |
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johnshenry Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 9359 Location: Northwood, NH USA
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 6:48 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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My oval has 3 leaves in the rear bars. I know at some point they were 3x in the back. Based on the comments above, maybe splits were 2 though. _________________ John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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rod_vw Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2006 Posts: 416 Location: Shropshire, UK
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Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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The illustration from a 1950 parts list indicates that both front & rear were only two leaf. BUT it's only a diagram not a photograph.
Looking at the same illustration from a 1952 parts book you could say that the front brackets have three leaves but again it's only a parts book drawing.
In the 1952 book it does give a different bracket for the front and rear from Chassis number 1-397 023 (Oct 1952) _________________ Rod,
Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/historicvwclub/
1946 Beetle (Back on the road after over 50 years! Last major outing - Hessisch Oldendorf 2022)
2016 T6 Selfbuild Camper and a LWB MAN TGE in build. |
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FRK Samba Member
Joined: December 09, 2002 Posts: 2652 Location: Orange county, CA
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Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 11:34 am Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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As far as I know the split came with two on the rear. Not sure when they went from two to three but my July '53 oval i had had three. I don't know how many the Zwiter should have. My survivor '50 11g has two on the rear. I can take pictures of them later today if you like. _________________ 64 Ghia
55 Kab
50 11G
50 11A
49 11
48 11
RVA Car Club |
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sled Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2005 Posts: 6171
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Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 12:16 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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My 51 has two leaves in the rear. _________________ drive your split. |
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johnshenry Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 9359 Location: Northwood, NH USA
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Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 12:20 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Bumper bracket leaves |
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Great thanks all. That settles it.... _________________ John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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