help extending frame head.

[Dkwautounion]

I have a 1971 baja bug. I want to convert it to a link pin front end and extend the front end a little bit. I'm going to buy a replacement link pin frame head from wolfsburg west. does anyone have any tips or pictures on doing this ? How is the front end extended? I will document this thread with the progress for future reference. I've searched and cant find anything with detail.

[TDCTDI]

For a Baja bug application, you would be better off building a cage to support the beam instead of converting the pan head.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[Dkwautounion]

I keep reading that, but to be honest, I've never done anything to that magnitude. I was thinking of just spending the 150 for the frame head and still tieing the cage into the beam. I feel it would help me with fitment of the front beam. if that makes sense.

[TDCTDI]

If you are extending the frame head then you are probably going to widen the beam & get longer trailing arms, this will quickly devolve into a full cage car & you will need to eliminate the frame head anyways due to passenger side tierod or steering rack interference. Just lop off the old frame head, cap the tunnel & position the front beam however much further forward that you'd like. You can weld brackets to the pan to use as a reference point to ensure that the new one is where it should be.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[dustymojave]

TDCTDI is giving good advice here.

One note if you DO decide to go with the frame head replacement:
The frame head is an upper skin wrapped over and welded to the tunnel. The tunnel itself continues all the way to the front panel of the frame head. You need to remove the original upper skin from the tunnel. Then there is a front plate. That will need to be removed also. You can leave the bottom skin and weld the new upper skin further forward on the tunnel than the original. Then add the front plate.

But make DAMNED SURE the new parts are square before welding anything. The suggestion to temporarily weld on brackets to locate the beam while you build up the permanent support is good advice too.
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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.

[Vanillagurilla]

I used a bi to link pin adapter that pushed the front out 3.5in, then I welded it to the panhead and cut the pan head down to the top bolts and still didnt have enough clearance for tie rods. I ended up buying a tubing bender, tieing the beam to the cage, cutting off the panhead, playing the hole and tieing the beam to the tunnel.
Before with the spacer

After I caged it in.

[terryly]

I did much the same as Vanillagurilla used a ball joint to link pin adapter. then tied it into the cage and cut off the frame head and also tie to that. still have the adapters if interested
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Calgary Alberta Canada
Terry Lytle

[Dkwautounion]

thanks everyone . I've decided to cut the frame head off and tie the cage to the beam