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Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop?
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Serpent7
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 30, 2017 7:20 pm    Post subject: Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop? Reply with quote

I have a '73 Thing and I have never Indexed/lowered an IRS Type 1 before. I want to lower it approx 4.75" and after some research found out this is the best (cheapest) way to do it. I'll be turning the inner spline 2 notches, but I have a few questions...

What should I expect for a first timer doing this?

What specialty tools do I need to complete the job?

How hard is this to do? (I've already done dropped spindles and I disk brake install on the front.)

How long should it take to do both sides?

Any advise before I get started?

Finally, would you recommend a first timer doing this by himself?



Thanks!
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GI Joe
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 01, 2017 1:27 am    Post subject: Re: Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop? Reply with quote

Pepto Pink? 👍🏾

I'd highly recommend you have another set of capable hands available to assist, for your first time. The preload on the spring plates is pretty high, and they are dangerous to release. There is a special tool produced to help control the release of tension, and also "homegrown" methods explained on the interwebs. Some searching will get you what others have used.

This thread has a chart that explains the settings and results of various combinations of inner and outer splines.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=571554

Good luck!
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Serpent7
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:24 pm    Post subject: Re: Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop? Reply with quote

Thanks, GI JOE! Anyone else wanna chime in? The more info. I have, the better...
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oukno
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:32 am    Post subject: Re: Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop? Reply with quote

Just look at a few posts on here
This sh!t is rocket science if you can work on any part of one of these tinker toys you can work on other parts!
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doublecanister
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 10:58 am    Post subject: Re: Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop? Reply with quote

just throwing this out there,

I dropped my 73 Thing's ride height by about 3inches (no more than 4) by
just changing the tires.

I had 205x70 r15's and I believe I went to 185 x 60 R15's.
I used a tire formula I found online for figuring out wheel and tire total height to come up with the tire size I went with.

using the formula it's not that much of a change but ride height I noticed it at the front windshield when standing next too it, before on the 205x70's I couldn't see over the roof, then with the change it dropped the roof level
and it was about 3 inches.

It really didn't affect the speedo either, tested with GPS and it was right on.

Good thing I've not gone lower, with that rear sway bar on it now, the center section sits about 3inchs lower than the pan, sure helped the ride and handling though.

The reason for the tire change, my right foot kept catching when getting out of the THING and my dad couldn't get his leg up high enough to get in, but that tire change sure helped all that.

T

"the formula" I used:
Here's the formula for determining the diameter of a tire based on the
Standard size designations:
Diameter (in inches) = (2 * tire-width * aspect ratio / 25.4 ) + wheel rim size
The division by 25.4 is to convert mm to inches.
Using 205/60-15 as an example:
Tire width = 205 mm
Aspect Ratio = 60 (sidewall height is 60% of tire width)
or 0.6 * 205 = 123 mm
Wheel rim dia. = 15 inches
So the diameter of a 205/60-15 tire is = (2*205*0.6/25.4) + 15 = 24.69 inches
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911pickup
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 4:00 pm    Post subject: Re: Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop? Reply with quote

How did you drop your ride height by 3 inches by going from a 205/70 to a 185/60?
The diameter of a 205/70 is 26.3"
The diameter of a 185/60 is 23.7"

The difference is 2.6" which needs to be divided by 2, since the diameter loss is a combination of top and bottom when the wheel/tire is mounted on the vehicle.

The ride height difference works out to 1.3"

Have I missed something here?

As for your speedo, I suspect that your mph was way out with the 205/70 and the 185/60 brought it back close to stock height.
The difference between a 205/70 and 185/60, at 60 mph, is 6 mph.
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doublecanister
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 9:42 am    Post subject: Re: Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop? Reply with quote

911pickup wrote:
How did you drop your ride height by 3 inches by going from a 205/70 to a 185/60?
The diameter of a 205/70 is 26.3"
The diameter of a 185/60 is 23.7"

The difference is 2.6" which needs to be divided by 2, since the diameter loss is a combination of top and bottom when the wheel/tire is mounted on the vehicle.

The ride height difference works out to 1.3"

Have I missed something here?

As for your speedo, I suspect that your mph was way out with the 205/70 and the 185/60 brought it back close to stock height.
The difference between a 205/70 and 185/60, at 60 mph, is 6 mph.



Hey 911pickup,

Answer is simple, magic! Very Happy

Actually I had selected a few different tire sizes trying to guesstimate the best one to go with.
I got new 15inch rims (the old chrome ones were bent and had a bad wobble at 45+mph) and with the new tire size and it dropped it right about where I ballparked it would.
It was about the perfect amount too for entry and exit.

I will have to check my tire size for exacts, (they may be 195's) but that was a from memory tire size.
I had to get a different size for the spare to fit under the hood with the 15in rim, that could be the spare size.

I'll check it this weekend and let ya know.

But, I used that formula I posted and a ruler, I measured the way it 'was sitting" [on the old chrome rims and 205's] and subtracted the differences from the various sizes I calculated and that helped me pick a size to go with.

I'll look, I know I posted that stuff on the samba (I think I did) a few years ago, if I find the post i'll re-post or put the link in here.

T
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doublecanister
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 8:13 am    Post subject: Re: Indexing the rear, inner spline 2 notches for a 4.75" drop? Reply with quote

hey 911

I may have made a calculation mistake when I figured this out, I don't remember. The drop I noticed was at the windshield height right after I did this.

and you're correct, it calculates to about a inch difference on the tire.

I did this just now:

195x65r15 Width in MM: 195mm (2*195*0.6/25.4) + 15 = 24.98 ~25inches

205x70xr15 Width in MM: 205mm---(2*205*0.7/25.4) + 15 = 26.3 inches
( I may have used 0.6 here instead of 0.7 for the aspect ratio when I first did this).

like you noticed: the difference is about 1.3 inches.
if you add 1/2 inch for vehicle weight compressing the tires a bit: I got 1.37 inches which is close to 1 & 1/2 inchs.

But my THING now sits at the windshield at about 59 3/4 inch from the floor.
at 63 inchs I cant see over the window.

SO best guess was a to 2 1/2 inch 3 inch drop in ride height.

Hey whatever it did, it fixed my 'foot drag' issue so I'm happy! Laughing

T
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