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harley-big-dog
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 13
Location: Midlands
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 Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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Nice 1 fellas... i got torqued up today & Lb'ed in them spring plate bolts next job tomorrow is rebuilding the rear hub and brakes 
Peace to the world   |
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Campy
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2005
Posts: 4933
Location: Chico, CA
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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The later model RGBs had longer spring plate bolts, thus, the thicker lock washers could be used. Don't use these thicker washers on the earlier RGBs with the shorter spring plate bolts (the bolts can't be screwed into the housing as far, which is needed for the shorter bolts).
Going back over thirty years, I have never had a problem using wave washers.
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Don't worry; be happy. (Baba) |
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daveintactown
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2021
Posts: 6
Location: Tacoma, WA, USA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:37 pm Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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| I'm installing my rebuilt transaxle in the 63. Discovered I need to compress the springs to reinstall. I'd like fresh bolts, anti seize, and it to go in nicely. Can anyone advise to best fresh swing arm bolts, other than NOS, specifications and procurement. Thanks. |
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Eric&Barb
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 24757
Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2022 7:40 am Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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| daveintactown wrote: |
| I'm installing my rebuilt transaxle in the 63. Discovered I need to compress the springs to reinstall. I'd like fresh bolts, anti seize, and it to go in nicely. Can anyone advise to best fresh swing arm bolts, other than NOS, specifications and procurement. Thanks. |
Just take one of your old bolts to a fastener supply shop and have them match it. Tacoma screw products is a good one in your area. In our experience you are better off getting longer bolts and drill and tap the holes deeper for them. See the link we posted on page one.
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In Stereo, Where Available! |
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Clara 
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2003
Posts: 12400
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| Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 4:55 pm Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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| daveintactown wrote: |
| I'm installing my rebuilt transaxle in the 63. Discovered I need to compress the springs to reinstall. I'd like fresh bolts, anti seize, and it to go in nicely. Can anyone advise to best fresh swing arm bolts, other than NOS, specifications and procurement. Thanks. |
I've generally used original bolts, no improvement in new, IMO.
Long ago I got a bench driven wheel, and clean the bolt threads. I bought a set of taps and dies, and as needed use them to clean up threads. I check that the bolts go in by hand, that's what I want. Personally, I like grease, have nothing against anti-seize, I just find grease is good. My bus loves grease.
hope that helps
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BonTonRoulet
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2020
Posts: 362
Location: Mississippi
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2022 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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Over the course of a few days some 30 years ago I fought the 4 bolts that mount the reduction boxes to the spring plates.
I took up that fight again today, 30 years older.
Jack
Big Clamp
New bolts....30mm length
Various other implements guaranteed to frustrate
And then it hit me.
Light bulb moment.
Work smart not hard BTR.....
I had a spare new 30mm bolt so it's head was quickly ground away with the grinder to the shape of a pencil point.
Thread the headless bolt as usual into the forward hole of the reduction box, pointy side out.
Seated outboard of the rear corner of the bus push against the spring plate with my foot and pull and move the axle assembly around until the pointy headless bolt finds it's hole in the spring plate.
Now we're in the right spot!
Rotate the entire axle assembly to get the rear 3 bolt holes lined up and thread them in.
Remove pointy headless bolt and replace it with a new bolt.
Torque up and done!
Maybe someone else will find this useful. 
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Never argue with an Idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience. |
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Who.Me?
Samba Member
Joined: July 14, 2014
Posts: 2211
Location: UK (South)
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 1:37 am Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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| BonTonRoulet wrote: |
Work smart not hard BTR.....
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Neat idea. Did you have the brake assembly including the drum attached to the RGB?
The brake assembly makes the task at least twice as hard, but removing and refitting the brakes makes the job at least twice as long.
Your trick would be a real time saver if it helps installation with the brakes on.
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Andy
Looking for info on my truck's history. Are you from Campbell California or nearby. Do you recognise it? ... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=636786 |
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Bruce Amacker
Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007
Posts: 1786
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 6:19 am Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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Stock bolts are 25mm long, I'll have to look into 30mm length. Chase the threads first if you have a tap (not a common thread), I think it's 12x1.5 IIRC. Use a big c-clamp from the face of the brake drum to the spring plate to flatten it against the RGB, then a large punch to align the holes. Make sure the bolts thread in several turns by hand before applying force. Factory did not use the locking plates, only wave washers, I use the locking plates from WW but I've had success with only washers also. Spec is 72-86 ft-lbs. Don't forget the brake line retainers and to fold the lock plates over.
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'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263 |
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BonTonRoulet
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2020
Posts: 362
Location: Mississippi
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 7:20 am Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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| Who.Me? wrote: |
| BonTonRoulet wrote: |
Work smart not hard BTR.....
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Neat idea. Did you have the brake assembly including the drum attached to the RGB?
The brake assembly makes the task at least twice as hard, but removing and refitting the brakes makes the job at least twice as long.
Your trick would be a real time saver if it helps installation with the brakes on. |
Subject is my '66 Microbus with the big nut boxes but that probably doesn't matter as the spring plates are the same throughout the years. The brakes were completely built up with the one exception of the E brake cable and the thin horseshoe clip that retains the E brake cable to the backing plate. I was able to dislocate the forward brake shoe enough to get that little dude in with a pair of hemostats while pulling the tension on the E brake cable return spring. I remember that being really fun 30 years ago!
So yes, the brakes were completely built up, even the hydraulic lines were connected up prior to mounting the reduction boxes to the plates, the drums were removed but that only saves you some weight when wrestling it all....and in this case, the pointy bolt doo dad trick took every bit of the usual wrestling out of the job. Saving time is one thing, avoiding impending frustration that wastes time is a whole 'nother matter!
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Never argue with an Idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.
Last edited by BonTonRoulet on Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:42 am; edited 2 times in total |
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BonTonRoulet
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2020
Posts: 362
Location: Mississippi
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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| Bruce Amacker wrote: |
| Stock bolts are 25mm long, I'll have to look into 30mm length. Chase the threads first if you have a tap (not a common thread), I think it's 12x1.5 IIRC. Use a big c-clamp from the face of the brake drum to the spring plate to flatten it against the RGB, then a large punch to align the holes. Make sure the bolts thread in several turns by hand before applying force. Factory did not use the locking plates, only wave washers, I use the locking plates from WW but I've had success with only washers also. Spec is 72-86 ft-lbs. Don't forget the brake line retainers and to fold the lock plates over. |
Bruce I've gained a lot of tips and knowledge from your contributions these past couple years using the "search" function of this site, so a big Thanks is in order for that.
I went with 30mm bolts M12x1.5x30 after chasing the threads in the boxes after a complete reduction box rehab had the right tools right specs etc. bit conflagrated over dry bolts, anti seize on bolts or thread locker on bolts. I went with a light wipe of anti seize and 72 ft. lbs. Keeping that little brake line bracket from rotating around into garbage as I was tightening the rear upper bolt was a minor issue. Measuring the components of the depth of the threaded hole in the box being about 28mm, then the thickness of the spring plate and the split heavy lock washer being right at 9.6mm, was going to leave only about 16mm of a 25mm bolt in the threads in the box. Going up to a 30mm length gives me about 21mm of thread contact. Going to 35mm was going to cut it too close I think, with only a couple of mm to spare in the hole before things either tighten up or bottom out. Perhaps going up to 35mm length and adding a flat washer under the lock washer at the backside of the spring plate may have been the ticket.
But here's the deal with my "pointy bolt doo dad trick"....it takes every bit of the fight out of lining up the 2 major components being the reduction box axle system and the spring plate. No need to fool around with a punch to line up holes, hope you have them right then fight with them and perhaps cross thread things that turn into a fiasco you don't deal with til...30 years later! Honestly, once the pointy bolt doo dad in the forward reduction box hole easily found it's spot in the spring plate, it was game over for the fight it was ready to give me. It all went together like butter once easily in the correct position. No more need for the job to be harder than putting panty hose on a bobcat in a phone booth again. With the pointy bolt doo dad it's a really easy task, and hopefully someone else will find it useful down the road.
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Never argue with an Idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience. |
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otis_bartleh
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2009
Posts: 1106
Location: Burlington, WA
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2022 10:06 am Post subject: Re: Reduction box to spring plate question? |
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| BonTonRoulet wrote: |
| ... No more need for the job to be harder than putting panty hose on a bobcat in a phone booth .... |
HAHAHAHA!! That just made my morning better, thanks!
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-Adam
'59 Mango Bus
'11 Golf TDI 6-speed
'69 Bug |
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