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Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock
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c21darrel
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 1:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

My local Ace has an excellent supply of metric nuts, bolts, fasteners....Amazing what they have for a little tiny hardware store.
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John Ghia
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 08, 2018 8:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

What I have done on a few Ghia's is flip the sway bar and mount it on top of the lower arm. It rides great and clears everything. Only thing it affects is the droop, but it's not like your going rock crawling.
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 7:23 am    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

John Ghia wrote:
What I have done on a few Ghia's is flip the sway bar and mount it on top of the lower arm. It rides great and clears everything. Only thing it affects is the droop, but it's not like your going rock crawling.

That's an interseting and innovative method of mounting the sway bar to gain extra clearance - thanks for suggesting another option.

BTW, driving over speed bumps in a slammed car = modern urban rock crawling.
Thought you knew.

Wink
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xzener
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

Ok, so my entire front end is more or less brand new. The only stock items are the control arms (which are original to the car) and the spindles, but even those are NOS late model. Since finishing the suspension, it seems VERY stiff. Even without shocks, I can't budge the suspension up/down. After adjusting the height one more time, and lowering the Jack, the front end settles into position. Then it's stuck there, I can quickly bounce the front end, but I think it's the tire rubber. I've given advice to others, saying it just needs to be broken in... But I guess I need to hear it from someone who has done the same. Are completely rebuilt front ends normally stiff like this?? Thanks!
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TDCTDI
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

Is the suspension bottomed out? Were the ball joints installed correctly? Is it a narrowed front end? Shorter springs are stiffer.
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

The narrowed springs I purchased from Air-cooled.net claim to be 10% less stiff to compensate for 2" being cut off, but I'm sceptical. The ball joints we're professionally installed by Wolfgang. Maybe I should lift it back up and see if that makes a difference. The adjusters are at the mid point of adjustment, so no where near as low as it can go.
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 5:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

Since it was a narrowed beam, I take it that you used urethane bushings?
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 3:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

Yes they are, buy used synthetic grease quite liberally. Those should be the least of the problem. The ball joints were very stiff, but everything seemed to move well with the through rods and air shocks.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

Remove the clamping stud for the adjusters & see how they move. You can narrow it down to the balljoints, or the bushings.
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xzener
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:12 am    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

I'm certain it will drop to the floor, but will give it a go. Thanks.
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:18 am    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

My advise to remove the adjuster studs is strictly so that you can cycle the front suspension by hand to see where the issue is at.

Jack the front end up, support front end with jackstands, remove adjuster studs, try to cycle front suspension by hand or with floor jack to see where it's binding. You may need to remove the spindles to ascertain whether the binding is in the trailing arms/bushings or if it's in the ball joints.
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GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


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Last edited by TDCTDI on Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:28 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:25 am    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

xzener wrote:
The narrowed springs I purchased from Air-cooled.net claim to be 10% less stiff to compensate for 2" being cut off, but I'm sceptical. The ball joints we're professionally installed by Wolfgang. Maybe I should lift it back up and see if that makes a difference. The adjusters are at the mid point of adjustment, so no where near as low as it can go.

The adjusters for a lowered application are usually set so that one can drop the car, you may need to set at max height just to get back to stockish setting.
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GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 9:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

Aearon wrote:
I am running Rivieras with 195\50 R15's on all four corners. I have air shocks in the rear which have a slow leak. I am interested in getting the car level or with a slight rake without raising the rear way up but I am thinking I dont have the room to lower. I know those are big wide tires but I do like the look. I am not rubbing at the moment but fear if I lower it with those big guys I will. Any suggestions?
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Don’t know what you eventually did but I ran that same wheel and tire combo on my 71. Drop spindles alone make it rub around bumpy corners. It’ll actually flip the fender lip out. Major issue. Even 145 Klebers on stock dimension wheels rub.

I don’t really like the narrow look but I’m thinking 2” narrow beam and I can use the drop spindles so I don’t need to change ball joints. With the wider rims and the spindles it would only be 1/2 narrower each side. Clearance questions still remain as no one has really spelled out what worked for them.

All I can tell is what has not worked for me.
The drop spindles have been removed.

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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 9:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

c21darrel wrote:
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Drop spindles at a minimum. Its sitting higher than stock, why, i dont know. To look good it will also take an adjustable beam....depending on desired wheel/tire combo, narrowed too.


My stocker looks pretty much the same in the front. What I see is the rear sag.
You’ll want to adjust your arms to around 20 degrees relaxed. That should bring them to stock height.

I had to move one of the splines one notch and the other spline two notches. I just don’t remember if the inner went two or the outer went two.

Love your wheels thought. Wanna sell em?
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 9:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

c21darrel wrote:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Drop spindles at a minimum. Its sitting higher than stock, why, i dont know. To look good it will also take an adjustable beam....depending on desired wheel/tire combo, narrowed too.


My stocker looks pretty much the same in the front. What I see is the rear sag.
You’ll want to adjust your arms to around 20 degrees relaxed. That should bring them to stock height.

I had to move one of the splines one notch and the other spline two notches. I just don’t remember if the inner went two or the outer went two.
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 10:24 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

xzener wrote:
Ok, so my entire front end is more or less brand new. The only stock items are the control arms (which are original to the car) and the spindles, but even those are NOS late model. Since finishing the suspension, it seems VERY stiff. Even without shocks, I can't budge the suspension up/down. After adjusting the height one more time, and lowering the Jack, the front end settles into position. Then it's stuck there, I can quickly bounce the front end, but I think it's the tire rubber. I've given advice to others, saying it just needs to be broken in... But I guess I need to hear it from someone who has done the same. Are completely rebuilt front ends normally stiff like this?? Thanks!


So how is this going? I’m undergoing the same research and I’ve read about some people that have had problems with the urethane bushings vs the bearing or what looks to me like cardboard found in factory beams. Where the control arms hard to insert?

I’m upgrading the engine on mine and I need to do something better for the stance and the wheels and tires.

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xzener
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

Don't know yet... Been busy prepping engine tin for paint, painting, removing fans, etc. More or less gone in a totally different direction other than the front end. I'm done with it... For now.

On a side note, a 2" narrowed beam may help. 17X7" fitting nicely. (Ignore the pile of tools, and the fuel hose used to get the sway bar clamps on... Don't ask)
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 12:11 am    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

I’m actually envious of your position. You have the wheels and tires already so you can test everything out. Just pull both the adjuster grubs to free up the centers and pull the shocks. You should then be able to “freely” move the entire suspension throughout it’s entire range to see where things absolutely have to stop.
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 8:32 am    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

xzener wrote:
...(Ignore the pile of tools, and the fuel hose used to get the sway bar clamps on... Don't ask)
Are you kidding? You can't drop a bombshell like that on us and expect us not to loose our minds waiting for the whole story. That statement is akin to yelling "Hey y'all, watch this" then going back inside the trailer. Make with the goods brother Smile
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xzener
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:26 am    Post subject: Re: Ghia Suspension:Lower, Narrow, Adjust - Custom & Stock Reply with quote

ROTFL!! Laughing I needed that, thanks Evil_fiz.

Ok... If you must know, I'm sure anyone who has installed one of these sway bars can attest, I only had enough strength in my hand for one side (bushing clamps) with the channel locks. So, when I got to the passenger side, I simply slid the old fuel filler hose over the channel lock grips, grabbed a hose clamp and went to town with the 1/4 inch socket. It worked perfectly... I got the bushing clamps on with ease. I destroyed the hose clamps obviously, I think I went through 3 of them after it was all said and done. But as all of you classic VW enthusiasts know, there are always used spare hose clamps laying around.

So, if you have no friends... around... Installing a sway bar CAN be done by one person. Very Happy
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