Baja Buggy rehab

[pyro273]

Brand new member here. I'm helping my kid rehab a baja buggy and it's a Frankenstein and I'm really looking for some advice and guidance. All my experience is with Detroit muscle so this is a new area for me. The current issue is the front end which appears to me to have a stock VW beam with stock king link pin trailing arms (hopefully this make sense) with a old Bosch rack and pinion from what appears to be from 1967. One of the tie rods is bent but they are custom (generous description) so I'd have to remake them but they are too long as the tires rub on the lower trailing arms lock to lock and the tie rod end on the unbent one sort of bends down. They have a clevis at the R&C end and all of the tie rod kits I've seen that match this are way too long since the assume a R&P length of 14" while mine is 23" and don't look beefy enough for off road abuse.

Obviously the geometry on this thing is all screwed up so I want to replace the trailing arms and tie rods with something that is matched while keeping the beam and current rack an pinion but I really don't know if that is going to be possible. I'm happy to send pics since but I just don't know what options I have.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,

Pyro

[rayjay]

Convert it back to stock. VW's suffer from bump steer and there is hardly no way to make it ideal but stock works well enough.

And you said the R&P is from 1967 but what car ? It' doesn't really matter though. Stock will be the best solution.

You should buy the book, Baja Bugs and Buggies by Jeff Hibbard. Read it from one end to the other. You will be hours and $$$ ahead. Good luck

[Dale M.]

If converted to R&P you are sort of at the mercy of who ever built it originally.... Since none of us know what was actually done or how it was done its pretty hard to advice you....

Might be better to go back to stock steering box and tie rods, all that you may need to do that is easily available....

Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

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

[pyro273]

Thanks for the book advice, I'll definitely check that out. The question is "what is stock'? This is what I have to work with. It's a tube chassis with 1970ish Beetle (and other) parts. Maybe I should have said sand rail?

My guess is that they ran the steering the way they did because the stock steering would interfere with the pedal cluster location. I've seen steering kits from off road suppliers that appear to mount the R+P on the beam but my guess is that they won't work with the link pins and spindles I have which I have been told are stock but I have no idea as to year of Beetle.

[rayjay]

I see a bunch of stupid in that pic. All the steering. The brake MC reservoir , the crappy wiring job, ,,,, Get rid of it all and use stock stuff which has won a lot of races in the desert.

I do think I see a gusset kit on the front spindles so that might be a good thing.

I have a saying - "Don't try to outsmart the factory engineers unless you actually are smarter". The person that did the steering doesn't fit my criteria.

The appropriate R&P would have the tie rod mounts right in the center. The one you have could work good with an a-arm front suspension.

BTW, you have a linkpin front end which is 65 or 66 and older. Post a pic of the back of the car.

[cbeck]

That wasn't what I meant when I said chain drive
_________________
My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779

[pyro273]

I agree, lots of stupid. So, for the steering, the R&P goes along with the tie rods and I keep the beam, linkpins and spindles? Where do I mount the stock gear box; on the beam? Then custom make the tie rods to fit? Or can I use something like this?

Sorry if these are stupid questions but I never seen what a stock setup looks like but I'm sure the book will make things clear.

Here are pics of the back and the spindle

[Dale M.]

This is probably what front end should liik like when you are "done"...

Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

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

[rayjay]

The trailing arms have either had a reinforcing kit welded on or else they are full custom. A common custom trailing arm is called 3X3 for 3" longer and 3" wider. You will also need to identify what CV joints you have. Could be bug - type 1; bus which is T2, 944, or 930. Show a good pic of the transaxle.

[pyro273]

Pic of the transaxle

Dale M., I agree but the clutch pedal is right inline (blocking) with where the steering column would go but the assembly can go down a little less than 1/2" to be flush with the floor pan. Is that really all of the clearance there is in these things between the column and pedals? Do I have the right pedal cluster?

Also the tie rods look to be a straight and level connection to the spindles and if I mount the box on the beam as shown they will have to go some inches back and down to reach my spindles so I am missing something here?

[rayjay]

Early IRS trans with removable RH side plate. Looks like normal T1 CVs.

[pyro273]

Thanks, rayjay! This is the I'll need when it's time for the clutch.

[rayjay]

So is the front battery box just a tool box ?

[pyro273]

It's the battery. And, it look like one or both of the link pins on the passenger side are bent as the wheel has definite outward lean to it so I have more issues than steering and tie rods. I imagine replacements aren't going to be hard to find but I can only imagine what I will find inside the beam as I sure it hasn't been serviced in many years. How hard are those to rebuild?

[cbeck]

Somebody "modified" your tie rod holes in your spindles, no more stock rod ends for you. If you cannot find replacements for the ones you have, you might be changing spindles. Those rod end holes look huge. Check your beam and see if it is bent before you start buying parts. If i was spending your money.... 6"beam w/adjusters, 8"travel shock towers, 2.25" × 1" arms, and a more common style rack. It's only money, can't take it with you.

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

[pyro273]

cbeck, too funny, that's about what I was looking at for brand new stuff at some of the off road vendors online I'm contemplating just ripping the whole front end off and starting fresh instead of ripping the bandage off slowly...

My only issue is the pedal assembly. I can't find a race setup that doesn't use hydraulic for the clutch but the setup on your pic looks like it might work; it looks like one of the options I was connsidering.

Nice ride BTW and that goes for the one you posted as well, Dale M.!

[Dale M.]

[liquidrush]

Pyro, I'd replace the front beam all together with a complete unit and be done, especially if it needs king and link pins. I think it'll save you a lot of headaches in the long run. It looks like you have plenty of room for a regular steering shaft, the one on mine is just a round steel shaft that I welded ends on and connected it to the steering gear with a factory rag joint As far as the wiring goes, I'd strip every inch of it and start over. Run everything inside of split corrugated loom and fasten them with routing clips. I'd also replace every light and use LED's, they don't draw anything current wise. On mine I made a bar that bolts on between the front shock towers and put my front lights on it so they're not out off to the sides and have a good place to mount. You can get a factory pedal cluster pretty cheap and place it where you need it to be. On mine the cluster is bolted to a plate that I decided where it needed to be by simply sitting in the seat and having my wife move it around, mark it and welded it in place. I can't see your clutch and throttle cables but it's a good idea to run them in tubing. I made a clutch cable tube out of some that I found on line, welded stands to it and bolted it in place. Make sure you have the bowden tube, lots of them don't have them. My throttle cable tube is just brake line tubing. You're at the right place for information, there's a wealth of it here for you.

[cbeck]

I see liquidrush also likes spending your money Our flaps sells rebuilt beams spindle to spindle, paid 350 for the last one 6 or 7 years ago..
I took a different route with my throttle cable, used eye bolts to guide the cable. Missouri gumbo can't clog a tube that isn't there.

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

[liquidrush]

Mine had eye screws for both cables when I got it. I just don't think it's right having exposed cables. Both of my tubes have rubber caps on the ends to prevent crap migration into them and it works well. And yes, I'll spend your money, just ask me how!