Author Topic: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?  (Read 4032 times)

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Offline eurotrash

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4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« on: April 19, 2008, 03:26:42 PM »
so the beam is out of the 63 and i'm debating how much narrower to go....does anyone have any pros or cons going 4", 5", 6" narrower? thanks in advance

Offline Bruce

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2008, 07:53:04 PM »
Besides the fact that it looks really stupid, the narrower you go, the less you can turn.  If you think you'd like to do a U-turn with a 6" beam, forget it. The inside rear of the tire rubs on the inner fender.

Then there's the shock absorber issue.  A beam you propose won't have a shock.  The sellers tell you that a shock is unnecessary.  This is complete BS.  And illegal.  If a cop discovered you had no front shocks, you'd be walking.

Offline Chris W

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2008, 08:13:42 PM »
I had a 4" narrowed beam with shocks, and I was not able to bust U turns anywhere like Bruce said. My car rode pretty good with drop spindles and a adjustable beam, but as you go narrower I believe you will get less flex from the torsion's (could be wrong) and the ride will suffer.

What wheels are you going to run?

Offline silas

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2008, 08:43:55 PM »
but as you go narrower I believe you will get less flex from the torsion's (could be wrong) and the ride will suffer.

What wheels are you going to run?
you're right about the torsion bars. the shorter they get the more spring tension (less flex) there is.

eurotrash...it all comes down to the look you're trying to achieve, the wheels you want to run, and the driveablity you want to achieve.

Offline eurotrash

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2008, 09:19:28 PM »
well i don't really care about u turns...i don't make them now so i don't think i'd make them with a narrowed beam. the reason for the narrowed beam is more for function as backwards as that sounds....i have 2.5" dropped spindles going in with stock 4" inch steels running 135's. i'm not concerned with stiffer, or rubbing....i have that with the mk4 i have now....thanks for the pros and cons....keep them coming...i'm leaning towards 4 right now 6 might be too much but either way if i get a vi i'll just swap the beams  ;)

Offline Chris W

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2008, 09:25:20 PM »
4" narrowed would look good, it would tuck nice and you can still run shocks.

Here is my old car with a 4" narrowed beam, CB disc, drop spindles on 5" BRMS with 125's.



Offline dirtydeedss

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2008, 10:38:58 PM »
Besides the fact that it looks really stupid,
thats your oppinion, Im running a 6" and can do a u turn on a 2 lane road.

Offline eurotrash

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2008, 11:13:06 PM »
how's the ride? to cops pay attention to you? i'm figuring if i went that narrow i could just take a couple bars out to soften it up?

Offline dirtydeedss

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2008, 10:41:50 AM »
rides fine for how low the car is, the beam sits 1.5" off the ground.  Never been pulled over and I drive the car daily. and do pull up beside cops in intersections.

Offline Bruce

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2008, 11:58:40 AM »
....i have 2.5" dropped spindles going in with stock 4" inch steels running 135's.
Then a 2" beam is all you will need.

Offline eurotrash

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2008, 11:36:34 PM »
2" isn't enough for me i gotta go more...... ;D

Offline Bruce

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2008, 11:58:24 PM »
The narrower you go, the more unstable the car becomes.  Stay in the right lane.

Offline KOOL-AID MAN

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2008, 01:16:39 PM »
I have a 2 inch narroed beam set on the lowest setting and it rides pretty ruff, but it doesn't really bother me cause i'm going for looks, and a bouncy ride is kinda fun. I kinda wish i would have gone narrower tho cause i really like the look of a tubbed front end. just my opinoin....

tom

Offline Stevie

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Re: 4/5/6" narrowed beam?
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2009, 10:24:06 AM »
i have a 3 inch
when i had stock wheels they sat pretty far in.
Looked killer rubbed a bit on full lock but i also removed the steering stops
was running drop spindals with disc's adjusters about half way down beam was about 1.5" off the ground and was quiet stiff but i had some pretty firm shocks

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