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unclebilly Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2019 Posts: 42 Location: AB
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Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 6:54 pm Post subject: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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My car is a bit of a Frankenstein.
It seems to have the right bits for the most part but it’s a bit of a mystery what some of them are.
I was trying to ID my beam tonight and found some rust holes I didn’t like.
What beam is this? The drums are 4 bolt.
Should I be worried about this rust? The passenger side is worst.
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Q-Dog Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2010 Posts: 8687 Location: Sunset, Louisiana
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Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 7:38 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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Later model ball joint beam. Weld some patches on it and drive it. What year is this car supposed to be? _________________ Brian
'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle |
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unclebilly Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2019 Posts: 42 Location: AB
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Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 7:47 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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It is a 60 but the engine and trans are 70... |
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joemama Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2006 Posts: 1635 Location: La Crescenta, California
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Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 10:02 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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Sounds like the body might be a '60, but the pan is later. Ball joint front end came out in '66, and IRS rear in '69. Seems like its not just the engine and trans that are '70. |
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Dale M. Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006 Posts: 20365 Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 6:57 am Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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VIN number on pan will tell you what year pans is that will validate the BJ front end.... VIN on pan probably does not match VIN in spare tire well...
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)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ... |
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unclebilly Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2019 Posts: 42 Location: AB
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:48 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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Well it’s definitely a newer pan... it doesn’t have IRS so I have the worst of both worlds. |
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joemama Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2006 Posts: 1635 Location: La Crescenta, California
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 4:55 am Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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When you said the trans was a '70, I assumed IRS.
Well, dont automatically discount the ball joint/swing axle set up. I have a fiberglass buggy thats on a '67 pan, so same thing. While I eventually changed the swing axle to IRS, if I had it to do over, I would have left it alone. I used this buggy all over Glamis, took it to car shows, explored trails all over Big Bear, towed it behind a motorhome and drove it all thru Yosemite, my wife picked the kids up from school, and it worked great. Its a very simple, trouble free combination. |
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Dale M. Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006 Posts: 20365 Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 8:04 am Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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unclebilly wrote: |
Well it’s definitely a newer pan... it doesn’t have IRS so I have the worst of both worlds. |
For a general purpose buggy(street/off road/occasional auto X) the is noting wrong with what you have... Please explain "worst" comment.... I have had buggies with full BJ/IRs and now only one with SA/K&L and quite frankly and don't find either much superiors over the other for general purpose.... Only exception is BJ/IRS was a bit better in hardcore Auto-X car....
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 ... |
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unclebilly Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2019 Posts: 42 Location: AB
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:00 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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Based on what I have read, LinkPin / IRS is the most desirable setup. I have Ball Joint / Swing Axle.
The car is used 90% off road on our farm (my 10 year old drives it instead of the quad or his dirt bike most of the time).
I am not going to patch this beam - you can see daylight through the uprights, I will replace it.
Should I get a widened beam or keep it stock width?
It is worth upgrading to a link pin setup? I would probably use the adapter plates that HBB recommended against in the suspension sticky above (the car isnt going jumping).
The beam repair / upgrade will be a winter project and we will continue to use it 'as is' until then. |
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Stauffenberg Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2008 Posts: 342 Location: Denver
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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Sounds like you should get a stock replacement as you said its only being used on your farm. If you go wider in the front you have to go wider in the rear which would mean going to IRS and then you're spending a lot of money on a farm bug lol people want link pin and IRS because you can get more travel out of them for things like jumping |
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Mike E. Samba Member
Joined: April 22, 2019 Posts: 110 Location: Torrance, California
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:21 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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unclebilly wrote: |
Based on what I have read, LinkPin / IRS is the most desirable setup. I have Ball Joint / Swing Axle.
The car is used 90% off road on our farm (my 10 year old drives it instead of the quad or his dirt bike most of the time).
I am not going to patch this beam - you can see daylight through the uprights, I will replace it.
Should I get a widened beam or keep it stock width?
It is worth upgrading to a link pin setup? I would probably use the adapter plates that HBB recommended against in the suspension sticky above (the car isnt going jumping).
The beam repair / upgrade will be a winter project and we will continue to use it 'as is' until then. |
VW never produced a bug with a link pin front end and an IRS rear end. All of Baja bugs and buggies you see with a Link pin front and IRS rear were modified at one end or the other. Changing either end, or both ends is a doable project and there are advantages to all of the different options. Weigh all your options along with the intended use of the car and decide what works best for you. The ball joint beams have different diameter tubes and they are spaced apart differently than the link pin. It is not a simple swap the beam deal. Have fun with the car and enjoy |
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cbeck Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2014 Posts: 2494 Location: high ridge, mo
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 5:14 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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If you use it in the woods, keep it skinny. _________________ My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779 |
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unclebilly Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2019 Posts: 42 Location: AB
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2020 8:41 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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The pan was built in Oct 65 so I’m guessing it’s an early 66.
I thought I found a good beam but it was rusted through like mine. I’m just going to patch mine up on the car. |
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dustymojave Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007 Posts: 5802 Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 1:43 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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You can do external patches on the shock towers out of 1/8" plate. You can do a wrap reinforcement around the perimeter of the tower with 1" x 3/16" strap. But when you're welding to the beam tubes, the weld heat can destroy the trailing arm bearings. And your reinforcement SHOULD be welded to the beam tubes. You can remove the bearings (carefully to not destroy them with that) while welding.
Bearings can be replaced with urethane bushings. But having just put a set of current urethane bushings in my own beam, I DO NOT recommend the current ones. They're very soft rubbery junk, not the solid nearly hard ones that used to be sold. Delrin bushings are probably OK. _________________ 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$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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unclebilly Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2019 Posts: 42 Location: AB
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 8:35 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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Instead of patching mine, should I replace the beam with a new one? If yes, who makes a stock BJ beam that isn’t lowered and is stock width? |
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dustymojave Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007 Posts: 5802 Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 11:09 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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https://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/6286.htm
Only $340
Maybe I should sell the one I have in my back yard?
Caramba!
_________________ Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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don1357 Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2017 Posts: 384 Location: Palmer Alaska
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 11:15 pm Post subject: Re: My beam is rusty and I don’t know what it is... |
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unclebilly wrote: |
Instead of patching mine, should I replace the beam with a new one? If yes, who makes a stock BJ beam that isn’t lowered and is stock width? |
In reality either way works fine. If you like to weld things go to town, or just spend $50 on a barebone beam and move everything over. |
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