Narrowed And Adjustable Beams

[Chris]

I have a 65 beetle with an adjustable beam which is cool but I was wondering if it is still going to requiring narrowing if I want to lower it or if someone can tell me the width so I can measure to see if it has been narrowed already, maybe a dumb question but I never said I was smart.    

[Geoff]

The only reason you would need to narrow your beam is to fit wheels without rubbing when lowered. The reason they rub is usualy due to adapters or droped spindles being used,They push the wheels out and they may rub.

Sometimes there are wheels with a positive offset that cause rubbing and a narrowed beam will cure it but for the most part one is not needed.

[silas]

i'm not sure about the measurements of a stock beam.

how much you want to narrow will depend on the type of tires you run, and their offset, and how far into the wheel wells you want to tuck to achieve \"the look\". i would suggest getting drop spindles if you dont allready have them. they will drop the car and retain the stock steering and wheel geometry and ride. spindles usually push the tires out 1/2\" on each side, which will require some more narrowing. disks usually push the wheels out another 1/2\" each side.