Author Topic: 3" Narrowed Beam Question? (Read 3771 times)

AirCooledRules · « **on:** March 03, 2007, 09:58:09 PM »

I have purchased a 3\" Narrowed + Adjustable beam for my 1960 beetle in the classifieds.

Now i have to narrow the Tie Rods + The torsion springs. Has anyone done this before, or are there already shorter ones available for purchase somewhere.

My concern is the strength of the suspension components after heating and welding?

Chris · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2007, 10:26:16 PM »

what are you going to heat and weld?

You need to narrow the tie rods so your going to cut and drill and tap? How much heat do you plan to expose them to? How do you intend to cut your torsion springs?

dirtydeedss · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2007, 11:05:39 PM »

for the torsions just cut 1.5\" off each end and drill new dimples on the ends. I belive you use a 9/16 drill bit. and for the tierods cut the end off with the right hand thread 1.5\" and re-thread the end.

AlanU · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2007, 11:14:42 PM »

Good idea to buy longer beam bolts. I think Empi has them if I recall correctly. Also buy 2 sets of caster shims and place them on the bottom beam \"tube\"

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2007, 11:31:47 PM »

sweet, cut and tap sounds perfect.

By mid march my beetle will be a runner with a mean stance, im excited.

AlanU · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2007, 08:59:15 AM »

DO NOT CUT THE LEFT HAND THREAD SIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!! or you'll have a real hard time finding a tap.

Put the steering box in the exact location and your set to go.

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2007, 12:03:00 AM »

Im super excited, i took the beetle out of storage today. i have it hooked up to the tow bar outside right now. Taking it to the shop with me in the morning.

Hopefully by the end of the day i will have the stock beam out, see how much time i get to work on it.

As far as the caster shims, if i dont have them how will it effect the ride. or are the neccesary ?

I will get some, but not sure if i will be able to before this has to go back together, unless i need it then i will have to make it happen i sopose.

Thanks.

silas · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2007, 08:11:36 PM »

Quote

Im super excited, i took the beetle out of storage today. i have it hooked up to the tow bar outside right now. Taking it to the shop with me in the morning.

Hopefully by the end of the day i will have the stock beam out, see how much time i get to work on it.

As far as the caster shims, if i dont have them how will it effect the ride. or are the neccesary ?

I will get some, but not sure if i will be able to before this has to go back together, unless i need it then i will have to make it happen i sopose.

Thanks.

caster shims on a raked car are essential. stock caster angle is slightly + (cant recall exact spec). after lowering the front you want to install caster shims to regain that slightly + caster angle.

lowering the front of the car without installing caster shims will give you - caster. this will effect handling greatly (wobble, wander, unstable at speed). imho, it would be unsafe to drive.

my personal experience was this....when i installed drop spindles on my car, i backed the 2 lower beam bolts a little more than half way out and the 2 top beam bolts a little less than half way out....i got the big pry bar under the bottom beam tube and pryed the beam out far enough to get 1 set of shims between the bottom beam tube and the framehead...then i tightened up all the beam mounting bolts and i was good to go. i also used my protracter/angle finder to measure the degree pre an post lowering to reference where i was at.

allthough i've never done it...i cant see why you wouldnt be able to swap the stock length lower beam mounting bolts for longer ones and install 1 or 2 sets of shims with the beam allready in the car.

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2007, 03:45:57 PM »

Perfect, sounds good. Ive got the stock beam out of the car now, tomorow i will match the 2 up and start swapping everything over.

Friday ill head to CIP and pickup some caster shims and longer bolts, aswell as probably some bushings here and there.

Im super pleased with the way everything came apart, pretty much like butter, didnt break a single bolt, didnt have to use air, everything came off with just a ratchet and wrenches.

Also the car is super solid underneath, even the battery tray. ill have some pictures up tomorow evening.

Im still shitting about cutting the tie rods and torsion springs, i guess ill see if i can conquer that tomorow and start bolting it back in.

Another question, since i still have the big meats up front (195s on 5-spokes), should i just leave the beam at the highest setting for now ? i believe its 1.5\" drop at the highest. Will that look pretty good or should i drop it down lower and turn the rears aswell ?

if anyone has pictures of lowered beetles and knows what the drop is please post.

dirtydeedss · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2007, 04:09:09 PM »

low as it can go

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2007, 04:29:18 PM »

exactly but im not sure what i can clear with my 195s right now? i havnt really done anything like this yet.

Ill get some 145s later.

thrasherbill · « **Reply #11 on:** March 07, 2007, 09:43:14 PM »

It's an adjustable beam right? Install it at at the highest setting then lower it till either A. you like how it sits or B. you run out of clearance, whichever comes first. With those tires and a 3\"narrowed beam I have a feeling the tire will hit the headlight bucket long before you see tire to fender lip interferance.

AlanU · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2007, 10:49:45 PM »

I'm running 185/55/15 kumho 712's on my 65.

I coulda easily put 195/50/15.

I'm sorry but for a street car I dont feel comfortable using 135 or 145s. The difference between a 185/55/15 and my 135's is night and day. I can stop on a dime with my larger footprint tire. I once had to do a panic stop with the 135's and I slid a good 3/4 to full car length.

With my car at its lowest point I was still able to fit a set of 205/50/15's with no rubbing. I sold that setup and currently I'm running my kumho's with 15x6 fuchs.

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #13 on:** March 07, 2007, 11:06:07 PM »

im getting way to excited. Tomorow i will hopefully have the narrowed/adjustable beam put back together.

Next week i can drive it home.

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2007, 03:57:17 PM »

Put back together, yeah right.

Got new grease fittings today, will be taping them in monday, i ran out of time.

Got the stock beam completely apart, and completely cleaned the torsion springs and have them sitting on a bench clamped and ready for the saw.

Havnt touched the tie rods yet, instead i installed the new starter (Thanks stephan), she turns over now, just need some quick start and an oil change.

Monday will be fun.

hopefully mid week il be riding in style.

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #15 on:** March 12, 2007, 03:46:20 PM »

Update hmm, torsion springs are installed in the new beam, i have 1 knuckle in place and tomorow i will be bolting the new beam in place.

I set the adjusters in the middle, so im not sure how much of a drop that will be. i guess ill see.

I also tapped and screwed in the new grease fittings. Its looking good.

P.S. when you feed the springs back in to the new narrowed beam, did you use them all ? because no matter how hard i try, one side of the half springs do not fit back in. there is no room for them ?

silas · « **Reply #16 on:** March 12, 2007, 11:58:45 PM »

Quote

P.S. when you feed the springs back in to the new narrowed beam, did you use them all ? because no matter how hard i try, one side of the half springs do not fit back in. there is no room for them ?

the should all go back in.

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #17 on:** March 13, 2007, 12:41:29 AM »

Yeah it only makes sense, but they dont fit. ill take pictures tomorow.

kirin · « **Reply #18 on:** March 13, 2007, 09:35:00 AM »

Depending on how you cut them... If they ended up \"Kinda flared\" Yeah that would be a problem and you would probably have to fill them flat on the end or taper them slightly.

If not arrange them, grease them, put a rubber band around it and drive it home. Well thats how I did it anyway.
-Kirin

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #19 on:** March 13, 2007, 04:08:00 PM »

Hopefully i will have this semi done tomorow. Im hoping to have it dropped on the ground tomorow and rolling. But i will have to make some changes before i start driving much as i dont like how this beam is comming together. These are the issues.

1. One set of half leafs from each the bottom and top had to be removed because they did not fit.

2. The longer lower beam bolts that i bought from CIP to compliment the caster shims are way to long, the shims push the beam out maybe 5cm and the bolts are about 1\" longer then stock, so i have 6 washers on each bolt right now which is not cool.

3. The body to beam bolts are a little off centre for some reason even after everything is bolted in and only 1 fits, the second one does not. I have not played with it yet to see if i can work something out.

4. I had to drill out the shock bushings as they would not fit onto the knuckle (they do now)

5. 1 more day to go and hopefully it will be done.

any advice is appreciated.

thrasherbill · « **Reply #20 on:** March 13, 2007, 07:05:19 PM »

1. It looks like there is a lot of crap between the springs. If that is grease, take them out, clean them thouroughly, and regrease each spring individually with a light coat of grease and reinstall them into one trailing arm to hold them together at one end (and it makes a good handle) and use rubber bands or zip ties to hold them together at the other end. Then slide the whole spring pack into the beam. They all came out, they all should go back in.

2. Cut the bolts down.

3.\"everything is bolted in and only 1 fits\" this makes no sense. If everything is bolted in then more than one must have fit. If only one fits, then everything isn't bolted in. Don't try to do them all at once. Install the top 2 loosely first, then pull the bottom of the beam away from the framehead and slip the castor shims in and then install the bottom 2.

4. Was there still part of the old shock bushing stuck on the stud? I've seen that happen before.

5. Good luck.

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #21 on:** March 13, 2007, 07:49:39 PM »

1. There isnt much grease at all, i cleaned them all individually in the solvant tank and reinstalled them, i hadnt even added any new grease yet, this is just what was on the trailing arm. They will not fit.

2. I dont understand why these are recommended, i think ill go back to stock, but may cut, ill see tomorow.

3. with the everything bolts except 1, i didnt explain this properly, i meant to say, under the hood in front of the gas tank, the 2 do not line up they are a little bit off, which doesnt make sense. i will fiddle with that tomorow aswell.

4. There was not any of the old bushing on the stud, the shocks i removed are pretty good shape KYBs that came off in one piece and are still good. Either way i drilled the bushing out and they fit fine.

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #22 on:** March 14, 2007, 05:02:31 PM »

Its alomst done, ive got the car dropped on the ground now and everything is finished except the tie rods. I adjusted the beam pretty much in the middle because i wasnt sure how it would look and didnt have the time to play with it. Its not slammed to the ground but has a nice rake and i will be probably turning it down aswell as the rear soon.

I dont have a tap big enough for the tie rods so im going to have to take them to a machine shop it seems to get cut and tapped. ill take some photos of the slam tomorow.

Stephan Schmidt · « **Reply #23 on:** March 14, 2007, 06:21:34 PM »

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #24 on:** March 14, 2007, 06:32:37 PM »

AirCooledRules · « **Reply #25 on:** March 15, 2007, 01:08:01 PM »

Its off the hoist, its a little toe'd in because i have not shortened the tie rods yet, i will have to send them to a machine shop to get done.

I have 4 threads left on the adjusters and this is what it looks like.

NOTE: this is not the final ride height.

Author Topic: 3" Narrowed Beam Question? (Read 3771 times)

Stephan Schmidt