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Spanner67
Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2012
Posts: 1
Location: North Dakota
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 Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:16 am Post subject: The idiot book/look.... |
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| There are some of us out there...not me...er...well...some of us that know nothing about machining/narrowing/lowering, etc. But do have some welding skills. Is there current information on how to get kits to do the adjustable beam instead of ordering one? All sorts of other questions. Narrowing two inches seems simple enough....but...Does the idiot book simplify some of these issues? Where can a person get one of those? |
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VWsArent4Hippies
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2005
Posts: 3081
Location: The Bull City
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| Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:14 am Post subject: |
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| technowar wrote: |
| Glenn A wrote: |
| technowar wrote: |
| I know this is a lame question.. How did you cut the beam? |
I gave up on cutting old beams. It's easier to build a new one using the old one for the centerpin mount.
But a grinder with a cutoff wheel and a sawzall will work. Plazma cutter helps too. |
Mind asking how you can make a new beam from the old beam? |
Buy new tubing and sideplates. Then use your centerpin housing and center blocks from your old beam. |
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technowar
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2009
Posts: 129
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| Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| Glenn A wrote: |
| technowar wrote: |
| I know this is a lame question.. How did you cut the beam? |
I gave up on cutting old beams. It's easier to build a new one using the old one for the centerpin mount.
But a grinder with a cutoff wheel and a sawzall will work. Plazma cutter helps too. |
Mind asking how you can make a new beam from the old beam? |
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Glenn A
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2006
Posts: 986
Location: NY
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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| technowar wrote: |
| I know this is a lame question.. How did you cut the beam? |
I gave up on cutting old beams. It's easier to build a new one using the old one for the centerpin mount.
But a grinder with a cutoff wheel and a sawzall will work. Plazma cutter helps too.
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| mannys66 wrote: |
| In all my years, I have never given one thought about a blow up doll's feelings, until today......I feel sorry for it. |
60 Double cab
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technowar
Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2009
Posts: 129
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| Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| I know this is a lame question.. How did you cut the beam? |
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Glenn A
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2006
Posts: 986
Location: NY
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| Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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| don.ville wrote: |
Can I do the above and use the bushings that Wagenswest sells for a 67 beam? |
Nates Bushings will fit in the tube after You remove the bearings or bushings. If your beam had bearings You would also have to pull the bearing race off of the trailing arm. There are four of them.
I think the area where the bearing sits is wider. You may have to narrow the beam a bit by cutting off that end piece,
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| mannys66 wrote: |
| In all my years, I have never given one thought about a blow up doll's feelings, until today......I feel sorry for it. |
60 Double cab
65 EzCamper
66 Double cab
62 Kombi
2017 Golf R |
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don.ville 
Samba YardMan
Joined: February 07, 2008
Posts: 2898
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
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| Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 5:15 am Post subject: |
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| rizzag wrote: |
******this only works this way on early beams with bakelite bushings(63 and earlier i believe) later beams(64 to 67) with needle bearings have a ledge behind them and can not be knocked in the beam******
just didnt want someone with a later beam getting into something they cant finish or worse.
jeff |
Can I do the above and use the bushings that Wagenswest sells for a 67 beam?
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67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
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cage66
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2005
Posts: 2039
Location: reno,nv. cultwagen.com
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| Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:54 pm Post subject: Re: Narrowed Beam Tutorial (Super long post) |
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| NAES wrote: |
| Now you take a drill the same size as the hole in the trailing arms and dimple the leaves. Use a new bit as it tends to get wasted and use alot of oil. If your worried about the threads use some tape on the bit but it is not necessary to do. |
Are you drilling the dimples with the arms in?
If so you can also get a bus lug nut and drill a hole in the middle them screw it in where the grub screw goes and use it as a guide. Then there is no way to distort the threads |
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NAES
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003
Posts: 2177
Location: AREA-52 Southern Killafornia
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| Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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Theres a thread for a needlebearing beam out there. Way better than mine
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Barndoor Mafia
Box On Wheels
SBS #00 |
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The Milky Barndoor Kid
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2004
Posts: 84
Location: under the bus
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| Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:07 am Post subject: |
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Very good thread,thanks for taking the time to show us how to do this 
Q) I have a 67 bus but I can't push in the bakelite sleeves in because of the needle bearings,are there any other was of doing this narrowed beam to a 67 bus?
thanks
karl |
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DubStyle
SBS Hit Squad
Joined: July 26, 2003
Posts: 6250
Location: SBS headquarters: Missery
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| Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 4:35 am Post subject: |
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Buy the material and have a local Machine Shop cut you some new ones.
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Anthony
SBS #1
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"The original & best lowered Split Bus website/club" |
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15window
Samba Member
Joined: June 22, 2003
Posts: 89
Location: SoCal
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| Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2004 1:28 am Post subject: |
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NAES,
Great thread and really appreciated, I have an early beam that I wanted to narrow but my bakerlite outer bushes are shot, any idea where or if you can get new ones, can't seem to find any in the UK.
Many thanks
Alex |
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Long-roofs
Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2002
Posts: 2365
Location: Millwood, Wa
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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A barndoor beam would be the same depending how narrowed you go, like the later buses. The problem for me is I didn't get trailing arms or spindles with my 2/55 bus. All I have is a beam and torsions, only 4 bars for each tube. That's why my bus is getting a '67 beam.
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Skim
Rants Master
Joined: April 15, 2001
Posts: 17095
Location: GFK 31 Year Vet
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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very informative. Im suprised I missed it. Now since a barndoor beam is alot different, Im wondering how difficult it would be to narrow one.
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GFK
Samba since before the towers collapsed. Still here.
1953 Kabriolet
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DubStyle
SBS Hit Squad
Joined: July 26, 2003
Posts: 6250
Location: SBS headquarters: Missery
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:02 am Post subject: |
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Up for you Narrow'd Fanatics!
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Anthony
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SBS #1 on FB
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MoneyMike
Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2003
Posts: 416
Location: West Cochina!
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| Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2004 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Ferret Dont Flair It! |
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NAES
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003
Posts: 2177
Location: AREA-52 Southern Killafornia
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2004 1:53 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I still have some extra questions:
- You are only pushing in the bakelite parts 1 1/8 inch in order to cut off 1 inch. Will you not destroy the bakelite parts while welding since it is only 1/8 inch removed from the hot welding area?
- If I want to push it in further, how can I get it back out?
- How do you prefent the beamtube from distorsion so the arm would block instead of rotate freely?
- Do you happen to have a picture of the ring you welded on the cutted area?
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Didn't think the weld heat would be an issue so I never considered it.
To get the bushings to come back out you would have to use some kind of puller that doesn't put a bunch of stress on one area of the bushing. I guess I wouldn't recommend a cotter pin puller as my tool of choice. I would probably remove the bakelite bushings If I was concerned with the heat in the first place
Distortion? From the weld? I'm unclear what you mean but since the bakelite bushing is keeping everything round there has never been any issue on the beams that I have done.
Sorry, I don't have a pic but all you need to know is that you send the welder up on a high heat to get the good penetration. You will be grinding the face down and only utilizing the benefit of the weld that has penetrated and formed a bead on the oter side of the shock tower. But in my opinion, this was an unnecessary step. I just wanted to do it as a measure of safety but still I'm not sold on the idea.
Good Luck on your beam. Don't worry about it, it''ll all work out fine as long as you take your time and do a little bit at a time.
Making it adjustable kinda went without saying. I was only addressing the narrowing part. Get to work on your dropped spindles while your at it. If you don't want to do it yourself, get em done and do it all at the same time. nothing more frustrating than pulling the front beam out or spindles off time after time.
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Barndoor Mafia
Box On Wheels
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diy570
Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2003
Posts: 1062
Location: Maggie Valley, NC
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| Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2004 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| also if you are gonna tear it this far down, you might want to consider making it an adjustable beam while you are at it. for an extra hour or so of work its well worth it. |
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Peter - Belgium
Samba Member
Joined: December 22, 2003
Posts: 765
Location: Brussels - Belgium
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| Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2004 3:56 am Post subject: narrowing the beam. |
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Very good and usefull post!!!
I still have some extra questions:
- You are only pushing in the bakelite parts 1 1/8 inch in order to cut off 1 inch. Will you not destroy the bakelite parts while welding since it is only 1/8 inch removed from the hot welding area?
- If I want to push it in further, how can I get it back out?
- How do you prefent the beamtube from distorsion so the arm would block instead of rotate freely?
- Do you happen to have a picture of the ring you welded on the cutted area?
Thanks,
Peter
Belgium. |
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campingbox
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000
Posts: 10249
Location: Petaluma, CA
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| Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2004 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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See the two verticle pieces of metal between the two beams?
The early ones (shown) have these, later ones do not. |
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