Jimmy V’s 54 Oval Project

[VW_Jimbo]

Thank you, to both of you.

Don, just the control arms will be used. I am not going to change the beam. The OG steering box will get rebuilt. Plus I have already rebuilt the king and links from the OG one, so those are going onto the new arms. I am just happy to have found arms! That was a hard to find part!

Down side is that the later beam has needle bearings in the tubes. Way better that the Mylar ones in the earlier tubes. And as mentioned the steering dampener. But, I do not plan on making this a daily commuter. It will be for cruising up and down PCH every sunny weekend. I do this now in the 70 Bug and love it! But I bet the 54 will be a better experience! Well maybe, it’s been fun blowing people’s minds when I pull off the line and fly down the street! This Bug will not be so fast, maybe 114 less horse power!

Here is the new to me arms in the tubes, with the rebuilt axle assemble on those. I did not push the Link Pin in all the way. Still need to clean things up!

Looks like it ought to work!

Any experience or thoughts?
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Volksvr6gti]

looks nice. As for those trailing arms I believe SoCal imports sells them. They are supposed to be refinished ones for about 40$ each.

[sunroof]

I don't know... We will all find out together!

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[VW_Jimbo]

So, called a few buddies that have worked on Bugs longer than myself. Good times remembering back to when we wrenched together!!! Anyways, long to short. 54 is the cut off year for the change in the front trailing arms. VW started to machine an lubrication channel for longer arm life into the ends of the arms. I can see it on the faces of the arms. From top to bottom. Late, late, early.

Looks like my Bug already had a change of arms at some point! Go figure! Can you see how flat the original arm face was where it rides against the link pin shim stack? Pretty cool to see and now, know!

Not going to spend anymore time searching for earlier arms. Anything below mid 55 is really hard to find. Plus I am unwilling to shell out another grand on the car on a part. If a used beam pops up, sure I will grab it and install those arms, but I am no longer looking. Later arms are going to the blasters, along with a shit load of parts!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[66brm]

Another later mod was the pinched in end where the leaves sit, stops the leaves walking if anything loosens
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Aust. RHD 66 Type 1
Aust. RHD 57 Type 1 Oval

[Busstom]

Hi Jimbo, you're probably aware already, but there are some pressed/notched washers that go against those grooves in the trailing arms, followed by an o-ring which meets the first shim on the link pin bush, these help hold the grease in the link-pin bushing side of the business.

Thanks for showing that early arm, I've never seen those.

See the contents of a new set, here https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111498051GR

Exploded view, here
https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/wolfsburg_new/front_axle/front_to_65/front_to_1965.cfm?type=1

[VW_Jimbo]

[VW_Jimbo]

[Volksvr6gti]

Jimbo, I just got to pulling apart my stock beam on my 56. I just got the trailing arms off and they look just like your early ones that you were saying stopped at 54. Mine do not have that pinched end where the torsion bars stop, they are a perfect square like your early ones. Mine also do not have the step down where the link pins go, they are flat and smooth like yours. I wonder if those dates are correct or not. Anyone else with a 56 or later might be able to comment about theirs

[VW_Jimbo]

[66brm]

The trailing arms changed in 1960 along with the shim number to accommodate the change to orings.pre 60 uses 10 shims each link pin after 60 uses 8
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Aust. RHD 66 Type 1
Aust. RHD 57 Type 1 Oval

[Volksvr6gti]

You are indeed correct on my beam Jimbo. The number on the bump stop and the number on the body stamp do not match. Must have swapped at some point.

[Dan22]

The beam number and the body number do not match ever. They are a unique series. You can see the beam numbers vs body and VIN in the technical section.
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1-0900722 die langsame grüne Schildkröte
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=765074

[Volksvr6gti]

[VW_Jimbo]

Looks like I am getting shut down. My fucking home owners association finally is telling me to “stop”. The neighbors in back of me are complete assholes, so I get why. It is what it is. Right?

On the up side. The HOA did not say I had to stop having a hobby! So, there is that. So, my new hobby will be rebuilding parts to old cars. Going to go out and buy a sand blast cabinet. Then run the shit out of it. Figure that will get me through the next several months. Maybe by then I will have a plan for the body work that still needs to be done. I am so close! Or maybe I will plan to take “a vacation” and work 24-7 for 1 month, at home, working on the Bug. They could levy their “penalty fee” for the month against my disobedience. Probably be cheaper than securing a new work sight location, setting it up and moving into it! Heck, I would also need to purchase insurance. Yep, going to push the boundaries!

So, finally got a new direction! I can stop pushing emails and get back to the Bug! Hopefully I can land a sand blast cabinet this weekend and get it set up!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[1958ghia]

That is ridiculous! There should be posted "quiet hours" in your HOA paperwork, and as long as you are working on your bodywork/car outside of those quiet hours, they can't say shit! It is no different from a construction site across the street that operates during normal business hours building a house exactly like the one your neighbors are living in....

[sunroof]

This is the first I have ever heard of a HOA. Don't know if we have such a thing in socialist Kanada. I am amazed that in the Land of the Free a HOA could even exist.

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[nshaddox]

Total bummer dude. Was just thinking it’d been a while since we’d seen an update. I’m sure you will find a work around.

[VW_Jimbo]

[VW_Jimbo]