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Comparison of BJ and 181 Spindles/Trailing Arms
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mackaymanx
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:14 am    Post subject: Comparison of BJ and 181 Spindles/Trailing Arms Reply with quote

I have some comparison pics of the BJ and 181 lower trailing arm and spindles.

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=56811

You can see the difference in offset of the spindles from the ball joint centrelines.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

You can see how the centres of the balljoints are the same for the BJ and 181 spindles
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Standard ball joints, you can see the limited surface area that the lower ball joint(top one in this photo) has to work on.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


BJ and 181 lower trailing arms
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


181 trailing arm has thicker wall thickness, upper BJ trailing arm has same thickness as lower 181 arms
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


BJ, modified BJ and 181 ball joint socket in lower trailing arm.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


This shows the difference in the shock absorber mounts, but the axis and centre line of the shock absorber remain the same. The 181 stud is longer and the boss machined back closer to the ball joint to accommodate the longer sleeve on the 181 shocks. The 181 stud has a larger thread.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



I can see no difference in the geometry of the 181 and standard ball joint trailing arms. I have easily modified a lower bj lower trailing arm to accept a 181 ball joint.


Last edited by mackaymanx on Wed Feb 07, 2018 10:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Ian Epperson
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow! Excellent comparison pics! Do you mind if I put this in a page in Veewiki?

Probably at:
http://veewiki.com/TheThing/ThingOnlyParts/FrontEnd
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ztnoo
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mackaymanx has some great shots of some good looking front disk brake caliper mounts over at Shoptalkforum. Nice workmanship.
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=104463&sid=1ede23154c8528399eecb9e0847c51ea
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mackaymanx
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ian use what you can, I've read some conflicting reports on the trailing arms and decided to make some comparisons. I got a 2nd hand set for my manx off another buggy owner(Apoligies to the purists). From what i've been able to work out the top trailing arm are directly interchangable and the lower with a minor modification.
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tripicana
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i used thing spindles with type1 trailing arms. i just swapped the lowers from side to side and pressed in the thing balljoints from the bottom.
this picture shows type 1 trailing arms on my beam.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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Bashr52
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just built an adjustable beam for my thing. I will be swapping to Ghia discs as well. Everything on the beam is stock Thing parts, including arms. I just installed ghia/bug balljoints into the thing arms, with the lower one flipped the right way. No problems at all. Should save anyone head aches if they are going this way as well. You can keep the beefier Thing arms.
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EMPIImp69
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Will Thing front backing plates bolt directly on 66-67 Type 1 front spindles? thx
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Hebster52
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 2:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tripicana wrote:
i used thing spindles with type1 trailing arms. i just swapped the lowers from side to side and pressed in the thing balljoints from the bottom.
this picture shows type 1 trailing arms on my beam.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I would not swap the trailingarms from one side to the other... The end where the balljoints are fitted is in an angle and becomes totally wrong if you flip them...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Only correct way to fit Thing balljoint is to do as Mackaymanx did. I've done just the same now too.
Ready to be fitted into my -66 beetle.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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mackaymanx
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 10:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Comparison of BJ and 181 Spindles/Trailing Arms Reply with quote

Photo links updated.
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 7:32 am    Post subject: Re: Comparison of BJ and 181 Spindles/Trailing Arms Reply with quote

Help me understand.

What did you do to the front end or are you just showing Type 1 vs Type 181 trailing arm differences?
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