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can I use 1972 rear trailing arms on a 1973 181 thing as replac
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photoron2
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Joined: December 22, 2017
Posts: 3
Location: Loganville Ga
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:06 am    Post subject: can I use 1972 rear trailing arms on a 1973 181 thing as replac Reply with quote

Hi all,
I have a sand rail that has a 1973 181 front beam and rear end. I have come across a 1972 pan that was set up for disc brakes all around and never finished but all the initial work is done and would like to use the brakes on the rail. the Front beam seems like a direct bolt on replacement. The question I have is in the rear trailing arms. Can I remove the whole trailing arm, cv (which are new) and the disc brakes to attach to the torsion plate (thing 181 since the frame is welded to the torsion arm?
Or will I just have to use the original 181 trailing arm and bolt on the disc brake set up to it, if it will. I have not removed the brakes to see if the bolt pattern is the same?
Just thought I would get the experts opinions before I started the swap out if it can be done.
Thanks
Ron Holt
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Bashr52
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Joined: July 16, 2006
Posts: 5666
Location: On an island in VA
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 5:00 am    Post subject: Re: can I use 1972 rear trailing arms on a 1973 181 thing as replac Reply with quote

Yes, arms are the same, but you will have an issue with the stub axles. If you are using a Thing trans and axles, they have the bigger 100mm CV joints, beetles were smaller. You could change the output flanges on the Thing trans for the ones on the bug trans (if the roller you found has one) and use the beetle axles, change out the stub axles for Thing parts, or just swap everything from the 72 pan onto yours.

Or just pull the disc kit off the rear of the 72 pan and bolt it onto your current setup. Thing bolt pattern would be wide 5, 72 bug would be 4 lug.
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photoron2
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Joined: December 22, 2017
Posts: 3
Location: Loganville Ga
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 6:06 am    Post subject: Re: can I use 1972 rear trailing arms on a 1973 181 thing as replac Reply with quote

Thanks for the information Bashr. The transmisssion on the roller has larger cv bars than the one on my rail already. the difficult part in all this is when you purchase a vehicle and have no information on what was pieced together, except that they thought this was what they did when it was made.
The rear of the doner had be really well done and I am hoping to transfer as much of the doner as possible, but need to leave the core beam as it is welded in place and the torsion bar as it had connections welded to the exoframe also.
I am hoping with your informaton to disconnect the wheel drums, brakes and the trailing arm and replace with the ones from the doner. It will be delivered this weekend and I can get to side by side comparison on what I can get away with or just do the bolt on. It would be nice to use all the rebuilt aspects of the work that was done by the previous owner (that got bored with the project)
Thanks for the reply
Ron
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photoron2
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Joined: December 22, 2017
Posts: 3
Location: Loganville Ga
photoron2 is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 6:09 am    Post subject: Re: can I use 1972 rear trailing arms on a 1973 181 thing as replac Reply with quote

I didn't do something right with the image but if you hit my gallery button you can see the doner I am using for the parts.
Thanks
Ron
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