Steering/ Shocking Questions

[kirin]

Hey guys.
So heres the dealio... I'm trying to build up my bug to be a great weekend cruiser/good handling machine. The front end is being dropped slightly and the rear is definatly going up a bit. I want to make this thing handle as well... as possible. So my ideas.. Sway away torsion bars in the back sounds like a good way to start along with a sway bar.. Now I'm trying to figure out what shocks should I get? I want to have a nice ride but also a firm one.. So are the KYB Gas-adjust.. truly adjustable?
Now I also want to run a smaller diameter steering wheel... I'm thinking of putting on a quick steer kit reducing travel by 1.5 turns. Anybody done this before? Bad idea? Good Idea?
Thanks I look forword to your input
Kirin\"Trying to achieve go not slow to burn some vtec civics not in a striaght line\"Jacobsen

[Bruce]

Need more info.  What year?  K&L or BJ?  Or Super?

KYB gas-a-just shocks are not adjustable.  If you have them in the rear, they are OK, but don't even think of installing those evil shocks up front.

[kirin]

K 62 bug.
King link pin front with swing rear...
Keep on forgetting nobody knows my car.. and its not Rainas:p
 

[Hansk]

No rear sway bar with swing axle. Camber compensater is what you want.
Did you say you want to raise the rear? You want to keep some negative
camber on the rear(lower) HD rear torsion bars might be good idea.  Stock shocks is the most I'd do on the front for shocks. Caster shims too.
Want quik steer? Check out the new droped spindels at air speed.
Also their front sway bars.

[James Buchan]

Maybe some limit straps out back too - airspeed can get custom leangths.

[kirin]

I can get a adjustable sway/camber compensator for the swing..
Adjustable sway bar up front
disc brakes with dropped spindles with adjustable beam
plus caster shims
plus quick steer kit
stock shocks up front
outback
kyb gas adjusts
(Sway bar as above)
Airspeed brace with limiting straps
and urethane tranny mounts...
And I' should be a rocking.. Oh yeah I'm going to be replacing the torsion bars and the bushings(my bugs rear end is saggy!)
Sound good?
 

[Hansk]

YA!!   now it's just tires.............HMMMmmm......what ever the hot and sticky tire is these days.  

[kirin]

Hi performance summer tires.
Awesome in the rain and autocross.
Watch out lowered super beetles seabert is coming to town:P
-Kirin

[mike]

K 62 bug.
King link pin front with swing rear...
Keep on forgetting nobody knows my car.. and its not Rainas:p

and what's wrong with Raina's car?      

[silas]

correct me if i'm wrong, but i thought quick steer kits were to correct tie rod angles and steering geometry on very narrowed beams. (3+ inches narrowed). it doesnt really sound like you need one. how about a bumpsteer kit for tierod to body clearance instead.

[kirin]

Nothing is wrong with Raina's car. Just somebody thought I owned. Everybody likes Rosie better then Seabert anyway  

[Stephan Schmidt]

hey kirin, DO NOT RAISE THE REAR OF YOUR CAR.  why do you think autocross cars are lowered?  lower center of gravity in the corners.  you want to keep the rear at stock height and lower the front a bit...but with an autocross car, don't go with a huge rake.  keep the front and rear level.  its not going to help your car corner better if you have the front lower than the back.  also, with the swingaxle tranny you have to be very careful with autocross.  the rear tires are known for tucking underneath the car, causing severe body roll and not to mention ruin something very bady.  my friend autocrosses his car using mostly type 1 and porsche 914 parts on his car.  he went with IRS just because its advanced technology compared to the swingaxle trans when it come to handling.  it sounds like you are trying to build a german looker out of a nice pre 67 car .  it can be done. limiting straps and some nice kumho 195/50/15's all around should do the trick for you.  as for shocks, I'd suggest gas adjusts in the rear and KYB's GR2's in the front.  I know some people prefer the factory black oil shocks, but when it comes to handling you want to be as stiff as possible.  the close ratio steering rake isn't very nessesary on a factory length beam, but hey..I've never tried it so I don't know.

good luck with everything kirin.

Stephan

 

[dannyboy]

you could also get ahold of greg ward in oz
he has lots of experience with getting swings to handle
but i do beleive he was running a bj front beam
 

[kirin]

I'm not trying for a huge ass rake. I just want to be able to crawl underneath my car when its sitting level I can't do that now. I'm not into slamming my car because I don't want it to be a drag queen  What I'm going to fall into or what rather my car will look like will be considered cal-look. But I'm making a emphasis on cruising/being able to have fun on curves then being able to go fast on a straight line.
Swing axle has its limitations but so does IRS(Which is btw a incorrect term..)
Definatly on the straps..
I think if your going that fast to tuck a rear wheel under your doing something wrong and on most autocross courses I assume the back end would break loose before it tucks. Pipes on here autocrosses his bug and he had no wheel tuckage but he does have negative camber. I'm going to to try and get my rear wheels as striaght on if possible with hint of negative power. I'm building up a car I want to drive daily.. and one that can show civics with v-tec conversion's on the autocross course that 40 year old cars have some pretty serious potential...
Watch out boys with Coffee can exhausts and paint cans. Torque:P
-Kirin

[mike]

Nothing is wrong with Raina's car. Just somebody thought I owned. Everybody likes Rosie better then Seabert anyway

not much of rosie should be seen right now anyways... who thought you had her?