Cut & turn front beam

[MjrBummer]

Hey guys,

I was thinking of cutting and turning my front beam on my 61 Baja and cutting off the bump stop to give myself a few more inches of lift up front. I was figuring that was the quickest, easiest, cheapest way. So to you guys who have done the same, what are you running for shocks? I can keep them from over extending easily enough, but I don't want to cruch them on impact. I had thought of turning the bump stops too, but that wouldn't gain me any travel. I could extend the towers too, but I don't want them poking through the fenders if I can help it.

Also, is there anything else you guys would suggest doing while I've got it out. Adding gussests and such?

Thanks,
Bill

[cbeck]

Hook and loop for front travel?
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My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779

[MjrBummer]

First time hearing that term in regard to a VW. Can you elaborate?

Is thiswhat you’re referring to?

[cbeck]

Yep.
_________________
My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779

[Vanapplebomb]

You will have to be careful when you do it to not over do it. On a stock car, you will run into trouble pretty quick with the right hand tie rod hitting the tunnel, and the left hand rod ends will start binding not long after.

It is pretty easy to do though. Just cut/weld one tube at a time. Makes life a lot easier than having to jig together the two halves if you cut both tubes at once.

Also, unless you are going to limit travel to roughly stock, you will need longer shocks. Rear shocks for a VW bus work well. They have about 9” of travel, which is more than you will likely need, but it is better to have too much than not enough. This requires you to lengthen the shock towers.
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1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

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

[TDCTDI]

Removing the rubber off the stop & making it a bit shorter would give you more travel & give you the same hard stop that those of us with the hook & rod limiters get to enjoy.

More travel not only causes interference with the passenger tie rod to tunnel but can also lead to interference with the inner fender well upon full compression (landing). It touches just enough on my car that it has left a 1/4” divot in the panel.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[earthquake]

Don't do more them a 1/4" if you do it, any more then that the ride get rough if you drive it on the street. I would cut the stops off, do a 1/4 Cut & turn and use limit straps, hook stops make the ride too abrupt. I only put a bottom hook stop on my ball joint front beam to limit Jounce to protect my ball joints and my car rides around on the stops on the street and you can feel it.

eQ
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74 CLASS 11 LOOK-A-LIKE
69 DUNE BUGGY
79 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT II
05 SCION XB SERIES RELEASE 2[#437]
95 Chevy C3500 dually
98 Ford E150
Link to Kelly J. Nolte 3/20/53 - 11/6/08
https://time-zonelabs.blogspot.com/p/about-kelly.html
DEATH TO CHINGERS!
[From a military recruitment poster in the novel "The Stainless Steel Rat" By Harry Harrison]

[joemama]

Get the book "Baja Bugs and Buggies" by Jeff Hibbard. It will tell you all you need to know, with pictures. Well worth it.

[mr_bill]

front beam...cut & turned 9/16" with FOX Class 11 front shocks, & rear has a Sway-A-Way "center-adjuster" & 27mm Sway-A-Way torsion bars & again FOX Class 11 rear shocks. Both front & rear shocks have rez. FIRM ride on the street.........GREAT ride across the desert
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see ya' on the trail........

"Mr Bill"
Dos Perros Motorsports
Orange, CA
1972 Class 11x/Stock Bug
'60's era "vintage" Tunnell-Buggy

"...no one here....get's out ALIVE...."

Motor = electric
Engine = internal combustion

www.facebook.com/groups/DosPerrosMotorsports
www.alrchapter132.org
www.DAV.org

[mr_bill]

65+ mph on SOGGY LAKE (dry-lake) in Johnson Valley
_________________
see ya' on the trail........

"Mr Bill"
Dos Perros Motorsports
Orange, CA
1972 Class 11x/Stock Bug
'60's era "vintage" Tunnell-Buggy

"...no one here....get's out ALIVE...."

Motor = electric
Engine = internal combustion

www.facebook.com/groups/DosPerrosMotorsports
www.alrchapter132.org
www.DAV.org

[heywebonya]

If you have the beam out, might as well add adjusters. How much is your time worth? I am as cheap as the next guy, but you will be forever regretting not adding them since you are not sure of the exact lift you need.

My 2 cents.

Good luck and have a great day!
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If I knew what I was doing; I wouldn't be building a buggy!

[Vanillagurilla]

Easier to buy a beam that is already setup with adjusters and rebuild it with your parts. This one is $265, stock width, with adjusters and shock towers for 8in stroke shocks.
https://www.mooreparts.com/steel-front-beam/

[dustymojave]

I've shown this before, but here is my Bug with the stock bump stops trimmed to allow 10.25" of travel:

They have 1/4" cold rolled bar stock welded on as the contact faces. Of course, new upper shock mounts were built to allow that much travel. But using the stock lower mounts on the stock trailing arms, I used 8" travel shocks.
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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.

[within.1]

I see this is a older thread but if your still seeking info i have cut and turned many front ends over the last 40yrs.if you do cut it do not go over a 1/4 then thats in the area of too much because the bottom of the shocks will hit the bottom tube if ya cut and turn the stops til the shock comes close but dont hit this works but then it dont have much travel unless you add new shock rails, what i do anymore is buy 3inch drop spindles this will lift the car 3inches and still have the same oem shocks etc its much easier then cutting and turning but it does cost.hope this helps.

[within.1]

Sorry i meant the only way can cut and turn them without the shock hitting the bottom tube and still have decent travel is add new shock towers but dont cut the stops completely off just cut and turn the stops just enough to where the bottom of shock dont hit the tube at full travel.i seen guys cut the stops off and i also seen the whole wheel do a 180 up under the buggy from being no stops,but 3in drop spindles is way to go imo.