'69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

[dustymojave]

And what will happen then when the suspension bottom out?

I would expect it to bottom the shock before the rest of the suspension.

With more total wheel travel than stock, the shocks need to have more total travel.
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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.

[Dark Earth]

[Dark Earth]

After notching the spring plate 3/8", the spring plate angle on the stop is 14.30° below level.

I set the angle finder on the upper stop (12.1° above level)

The distance between the upper shock bolt hole and lower shock bolt hole is 16 3/4". (I plan to raise the lower shock bolt hole 3/4" so the upper and lower shock bolt holes will be 16" apart with the spring plate on the lower stop)

I used the spring plate tool to jack the trailing arm up exactly one inch between the upper and lower shock bolt holes to 15 3/4". (Going any further than that felt sketchy) It measured 9°.

That means 1" of shock travel equals 5.3° of spring plate travel since 14.3° - 9° = 5.3°

The upper spring plate stop is 12.1° above level and the lower stop is 14.3° below level totaling 26.4° of spring plate travel. Since 5.3° of spring plate travel is 1" of shock travel, 26.4° of spring plate travel is 4.98" of shock travel. After I raise the lower shock bolt hole, the shock bolt holes will be 16" apart with the spring plate on the stop (shock extended). Subtracting 4.98" of shock travel leaves 11.02" with the spring plate against the upper stop (shock collapsed).

The Bilstein 24-000345 shocks I bought are 16.2" extended and 10.84 collapsed. 16.2" - 10.84" = 5.36" of travel.

Once I get the rear suspension put together and the tires on, I'll jack the trailing arm up to full compression and check the actual distance between the upper and lower shock bolt holes. It does look like these shocks will work with the 3/8" notch though.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Dark Earth]

The shock mount is a separate piece recessed in and welded to a bracket on the rear trailing arm.

After making some reference marks, I cut the shock mount off with a cutoff wheel. I sanded the bracket down flush. There was still a remnant recessed in the bracket which I split with a die grinder and rolled out with pliers.

Using all-thread, nuts, and washers, I straightened the shock mount.

I cut the shock mount down to 1 13/16". I made another mark at 1 9/16". The shock mount is recessed into the bracket 1/4" with 1 9/16" sticking out.

I tacked the shock mount to the bracket, installed the trailing arm on the car to make sure I had 16" center to center, removed the trailing arm again, and did the final welding.

Using a rear axle bearing spacer and some all-thread, I pressed the steel pivot bushings out.

All that remained in the arm were the rubber bushings and outer sleeves.

The rubber bushings popped out easily.

The outer sleeves stay in the arm when using urethane pivot bushings.

I lubricated the urethane bushings with super lube and pushed them in by hand.

After applying super lube to the inside of the urethane bushings, I used all-thread to press the steel bushing in.

Now I just have to finish the other side.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Dark Earth]

I used this method to install the urethane snubber ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbbR3Y2NFZ8

... and it worked like a charm.

The trailing arm has four holes to bolt to the spring plate. One of the holes is threaded and the threads were damaged, so I bought a M12 x 1.50 tap.

I bought three M12 x 1.50 x 40mm bolts, one M12 x 1.50 x 20mm bolt, seven hardened washers, and three M12 x 1.50 nuts for each side. I anti-seized the bolts and torqued them to 70 ft/lbs.

I anti-seized the pivot bolt and torqued it to 87 ft/lbs.

The trailing arms are back on the car.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[tobiism]

Nice fabrication and Welding work on that shock mount! Did you weld anything on the torsion housing to stop the trailing arm bolt from backing out?
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"There has never been a genius without a hint of madness."
-Albert Einstein

[Dark Earth]

[tobiism]

[Dark Earth]

[tobiism]

[Vanillagurilla]

Why not just peen the bolt like the factory did? That's why those groves are on the head of the bolt.

[oldschool5er]

Pic shows a bolt set up like Tobiism was showing except it was done 37 years ago. So the method is tried and proven for the reason he said. If you have ever had to try and take a OE pivot bolt out that has been fretting against a pin or bolt retainer it will convince you. Stock Peening does fail which was why we went this way in the beginning.

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HRE in Westerville,Ohio

Full machine shop with all types of CNC. Rapid prototyping available, CNC Plasma cutting, 3D printing and Laser engraving.

[Dark Earth]

[veeweeman]

Aren't you done yet

[Dark Earth]

[Dark Earth]

I bought an inner wheel bearing ( # 113 501 283 ).

I bought a bearing grease packing tool.

You just clamp the bearing in place and pump grease through the bearing with a grease gun.

I'm using Super Lube for the rear wheel bearings.

After packing the bearing with grease, I drove it in, tapping the outer race with a hammer and brass drift.

The next step was to install the snap ring.

I bought a new seal ( #113 501 315 G ) ...

... and installed it

The inner spacer is concave on the inside diameter on one side and flat on the other.

I greased the spacer and seated it into the seal and against the inner bearing with the concave facing out.

I pumped some grease into the void in the trailing arm.

I bought new "conversion" stub axles so I can run 100mm VW Bus or Thing CV joints in the beetle trailing arms.

I slid the stub axle through the inner spacer and bearing.

A long spacer goes between the inner bearing and outer bearing.

I slid the long spacer over the stub axle and pushed it in until it touched the inner bearing.

The outer bearing ( # 113 501 277 A ) has a floating inner race.

I packed the outer bearing with grease and installed it. I also installed the o-ring ( # 113 501 291 B ) around the bearing

I installed the emergency brake cable on the backing plate and temporarily bolted it in place.

I installed a new seal in the bearing cover. It's the same as the inner seal ( #113 501 315 G )

The outer spacer is beveled around the outer diameter on one side and flat on the other.

I greased the outer spacer and installed it into the bearing cover seal with the bevel facing inward.

I removed the bolts holding the backing plate, and installed the bearing cover. I torqued the bolts to 43 ft/lbs

Now I just have to finish the other side .
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Bock]

Looking good. Everytime I do bearings I tell myself I need a packer. I really need to get one before I start the next job.

[Dark Earth]

[jimmyhoffa]

Hey just in case you are still thinking about IRS bolt lockers I made a pretty sweet version of that bolt-and-tab kit that you definitely have the skills to replicate or outdo me. Those welds look good.

I took a 17mm Allen key and cut it up and made those tabs, so not only is it stouter in general, you can get a spanner on the hex part to bump them into alignment.

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1974 Chenowth 2RL #1244 Street Legal
My other car isn't ridiculous.

[cbeck]

So jimmy, just how many pivot bolts do you have?
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My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779