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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3152
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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 Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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| 73sedan wrote: |
Airkewld PROBuilt beam 3" narrowed with 2-1/2" drop spindles on my boys '60. Drum brakes. Easy install. Came with the TRW steering box and shocks. Looks amazing. Fit and finish was superb. Easy to adjust. Car is wearing OG steelies. Love the tucked in look.
Went 3" to cover the extra 3/4" the drop spindles take up. Was told even with a 4" beam no adjustment to the sheet metal would be necessary but we thought 3" was enough.
Thanks Airkewld |
Great to hear my friend. Let's see some pics when you can! Did we go with gas, oil or adjustable shocks on your PRObuilt beam?
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tb03830
Samba Member
Joined: December 02, 2009
Posts: 1045
Location: Leavenworth, KS
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| Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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Standard oil shocks of stock height. I am not racing or going off-road so stock is fine with me
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"Sic Vic Pacem, Para bellum - Pray for peace, prepare for war."
1964 Convertible Bug - 1600cc SP engine with a stock H30/31 Carb and SVDA Distributor - Swing Arm Highway Flyer Tranny, Gene Berg's Temperature Dipstick, 2.5" drop spindles, 2" narrowed adjustable front end. Chromed OEM fan tower. |
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73sedan
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2013
Posts: 68
Location: Miami
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| Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Airkewld wrote: |
| 73sedan wrote: |
Airkewld PROBuilt beam 3" narrowed with 2-1/2" drop spindles on my boys '60. Drum brakes. Easy install. Came with the TRW steering box and shocks. Looks amazing. Fit and finish was superb. Easy to adjust. Car is wearing OG steelies. Love the tucked in look.
Went 3" to cover the extra 3/4" the drop spindles take up. Was told even with a 4" beam no adjustment to the sheet metal would be necessary but we thought 3" was enough.
Thanks Airkewld |
Great to hear my friend. Let's see some pics when you can! Did we go with gas, oil or adjustable shocks on your PRObuilt beam? |
Gas shocks. Work fine on the car. Using Coker Firestone 145/15 up front and Firestone 165/15 at the rear. I'll try to post a picture.
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Miami Palmtto Bugs |
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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3152
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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| 73sedan wrote: |
| Airkewld wrote: |
| 73sedan wrote: |
Airkewld PROBuilt beam 3" narrowed with 2-1/2" drop spindles on my boys '60. Drum brakes. Easy install. Came with the TRW steering box and shocks. Looks amazing. Fit and finish was superb. Easy to adjust. Car is wearing OG steelies. Love the tucked in look.
Went 3" to cover the extra 3/4" the drop spindles take up. Was told even with a 4" beam no adjustment to the sheet metal would be necessary but we thought 3" was enough.
Thanks Airkewld |
Great to hear my friend. Let's see some pics when you can! Did we go with gas, oil or adjustable shocks on your PRObuilt beam? |
Gas shocks. Work fine on the car. Using Coker Firestone 145/15 up front and Firestone 165/15 at the rear. I'll try to post a picture.
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Looks nice!
_________________
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Win a FREE Chassis Rebuild - https://airkewld.co/WinAChassis
Learn from a PRO on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Airkewld
FAQ - https://airkewld.co/FAQ
View our Industry Leading Products - https://www.airkewld.com/Products-s/2322.htm
We made a iPhone Ringtone with a Classic VW Turbo Engine - https://airkewld.co/RingtoneTurbo
YouTube Channel - https://airkewld.co/SubSamba |
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grandpa pete
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2008
Posts: 6426
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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The bad
If you loosen the wrong screw you end up tearing the front end apart
The top threaded stud STAYS in place ; Loosen the nut on it.....then adjust up or down with the lower bolt pushing the threaded stud which ever way you need
Loosening the TOP treaded stud will release the hold on the springs and the front end will have to come out to put it back together
ASK ME HOW I KNOW !!!!
NOTE ; After fighting with the beam install I found that using a 2x4 with rachet straps lifted the beam into place
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63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery |
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williams63
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2006
Posts: 216
Location: NH
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| Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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| my 63 sits low but I have no idea what beam is in it. or if it has drop spindles. what would the measurement from end to end be for a stock beam? after 10 years of walking by it sitting in my garage im now just starting to buy parts for it and hope to start pulling it all apart this fall. |
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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3152
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| grandpa pete wrote: |
The bad
If you loosen the wrong screw you end up tearing the front end apart
The top threaded stud STAYS in place ; Loosen the nut on it.....then adjust up or down with the lower bolt pushing the threaded stud which ever way you need
Loosening the TOP treaded stud will release the hold on the springs and the front end will have to come out to put it back together
ASK ME HOW I KNOW !!!!
NOTE ; After fighting with the beam install I found that using a 2x4 with rachet straps lifted the beam into place
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I am sorry to hear this Pete. Who made the beam?
_________________
TheSamba members-only discount - Samba24
Win a FREE Chassis Rebuild - https://airkewld.co/WinAChassis
Learn from a PRO on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Airkewld
FAQ - https://airkewld.co/FAQ
View our Industry Leading Products - https://www.airkewld.com/Products-s/2322.htm
We made a iPhone Ringtone with a Classic VW Turbo Engine - https://airkewld.co/RingtoneTurbo
YouTube Channel - https://airkewld.co/SubSamba |
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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3152
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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buguy
Samba Member
Joined: November 17, 2003
Posts: 4915
Location: Port Orange, FL
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| Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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Here is the one I built back in 2004/5. I narrowed it 5". I figured since I was using CB 2.5" dropped spindles that would give me a solid 4" working narrow. And with Empi 5 spokes....a bit less than that. Really dont remember what I used for bushings. Obviously some sort of urethane. Avis adjusters. You can see by my weld I was a little parinoid, so I went back over it a couple times just to be sure. Running shockless on the fronts. A little bouncy, but I can live with it. No caster shims, and a self set alignment. Shes a little twitchy on the hyway, have to go easy on correcting steering inputs. If I were to do it again, I wouldnt turn the adjusters to make it a little lower before welding it in. There are times I would like to move it up, but the way I welded them in, I really cant get it too much higher. Should probably put some shims in it. I bought a Miller 175 mig just for this project. Running 135's up front, and 165 in the rear with GR-2 shocks and I think 2 outers (been a while).
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buguy
Samba Member
Joined: November 17, 2003
Posts: 4915
Location: Port Orange, FL
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| Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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Getting ready to do another one. Im thinking I will do 4" on this one to keep the shock towers. Most likely some drop spindles and adjusters, but probably wont go any more than the spindles give me. This is for my wife and she doesnt want anything too crazy. This pic is a few months old. It is all built now (just have to undercoat the wheelwells) and I am just finishing up painting the smoothies. I sprayed them white centers and matching blue outters. I just grabbed some white we had at work and it was way too white and didnt match the white on the car. So I am going to re-shoot the white part and get the tires on. It will be getting hubcaps, and some 155/80's that came on the car since they are like new. If she drives it, it will get some whitewalls. If not, it will be in the classifieds.
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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3152
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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MRImiester
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2011
Posts: 2
Location: Kaufman,TX
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| Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 8:05 pm Post subject: Re: Narrowed & Adjustable Beams - The Good the Bad the Ugly |
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I have a 1963 Beetle. It was lowered when I purchased it. I believe it is a 6" narrowed beam. It measures 28" from tube end to tube end. It has 135s on 5-spoke wheels and dropped spindles. I want to change to wider tires. Probably 185/60-15. I don't like the way it handles with the skinny front tires. What would be a the correct beam width to use with the wider tires and still not rub? I have added 1/2' spacers to both sides, which helped with the rubbing, but not the handling.
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