Author Topic: UBC Students Project needs your help! (Read 3661 times)

RickyG · « **on:** July 27, 2010, 11:47:37 PM »

Hey guys,

We are building an electric VW capable of 400km on a charge.Our goal is to finish the car in a week and drive across Canada some times in August. It'll be the first electric vehicle that will drive across Canada in less than 2 weeks without a single drop of gasoline. We will be making history and you can be part of it too!

Since we are not really VW mechanics, adjusting rear torsion bar to increase the ride height has been rather difficult for us. We've been trying to do this for the last 3 weeks but we kept on bump into parts that we can't take off because we didn't have the right tool. We bought the spring plate removal tool, but we don't have a hex wrench to remove the trailing arm and a snap ring plier to remove the circlip. I heard it was suppose to be easy from VW guys but it's giving us quite a bit of trouble.

Because of this tight time frame and most of our team members have coop jobs during the day, I was wondering if any of you is willing to come out to give us a hand. We can buy a 6 pack or two and offer lunch at our sponsor's restaurant (Awesome Thai food). The car is located in Steveston in Richmond.

Thanks in advance.

Alp · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2010, 10:23:01 AM »

come on guys help these guys out!! 44 views and not one offer of help? I would but I am as clued out as they are with Beetles (and most other things).

beetlemandan · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2010, 07:24:14 PM »

special tools are: 1 floor jack, 1 4' length of chain, and 1 strong back and 5 hours of time

maybe someone can donate these guys a pair of coil over shocks and save them the grief?

Bruce · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2010, 08:04:53 PM »

Quote from: RickyG on July 27, 2010, 11:47:37 PM

... we don't have a hex wrench to remove the trailing arm and a snap ring plier to remove the circlip.

You don't need to remove the trailing arm pivot bolt to change the ride height. Same goes for the big circlip holding the bearing in the TA.

You can make your own circlip pliers by grinding the tips of a pair of cheap needle-nose pliers.

Jeremy · « **Reply #4 on:** July 29, 2010, 12:31:44 AM »

How about some adjustable spring plates? What year of car is it? Unfortunately CIP is listing out of stock on both.

http://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D4011

http://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D4010

RickyG · « **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2010, 08:12:47 PM »

The reason we are taking out the circlips is to replace the bearings.

as for adjustable spring plate, we still need to do the same procedure.

We got the spring plate off finally yesterday, but weren't able to put it back onto the frame stop. Now I know why torsion bar design went obsolete, it's such a pain in the ass to work with.

and the best part is, we still have the other side to do.

Geoff · « **Reply #6 on:** July 29, 2010, 08:47:55 PM »

You can also notch the bottom of the spring plate to make it go on easier

Bruce · « **Reply #7 on:** July 29, 2010, 09:38:16 PM »

Quote from: RickyG on July 29, 2010, 08:12:47 PM

We got the spring plate off finally yesterday, but weren't able to put it back onto the frame stop. Now I know why torsion bar design went obsolete, it's such a pain in the ass to work with.

It's only tough to do when you don't know what you're doing, and don't have any equipment. All of us have done this adjustment, it's not hard.

Do you have a floor jack? If so, you're most of the way there. Now find a 4-5' length of chain. Wrap the chain around the bottom of the jack and bolt it onto the top shock mount. Now you can use the power of the jack to easily twist the torsion bar.

85fastlane · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2010, 08:58:51 PM »

Quote from: Bruce on July 29, 2010, 09:38:16 PM

It's only tough to do when you don't know what you're doing, and don't have any equipment.

Well that's the problem, they weren't sure what they were doing.

Anyways, how'd it go the rest of the afternoon Ricky? Get the other side done? Get wheel bearings in? The push is on! I wanna see this thing do a 1/4 pass in a week!

el_flechador · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2010, 11:35:37 PM »

Try youtube, i am not saying people at UBC are not smart but.................... just well qualified

splitworld · « **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2010, 07:15:20 PM »

I have always wanted to do this, did they make it across Canada? This would be a great project for a Squareaback. I'd love to try and help you guys out but I really don't know a whole lot about that rear suspension.

GMB · « **Reply #11 on:** August 25, 2010, 03:51:38 PM »

Have we come so far that now university students don't even have the common sense to refer to a manual? Are these guys future engineers? oooooh that's scarry stuff!

Gary.

vwboop · « **Reply #12 on:** August 25, 2010, 04:09:00 PM »

The other day the guys dropped off the tool they borrowed in the Electric. Very Cool!

So weird not hearing a beetle pull in or out of the driveway

finkmobile · « **Reply #13 on:** August 31, 2010, 10:15:38 AM »

I saw a story on this beetle on the Weather Network this morning, pretty cool!

pittwagen · « **Reply #14 on:** September 07, 2010, 09:17:21 AM »

Well, they made it to the East Coast and all for about $64 in electricity. Not bad!!

http://news.sympatico.cbc.ca/local/bc/electric_car_ends_coast-to-coast_trip/af26f22c

buddy boy · « **Reply #15 on:** September 07, 2010, 09:33:38 AM »

awesome !!

vwboop · « **Reply #16 on:** September 07, 2010, 10:22:47 AM »

WTG Ricky!

Geoff · « **Reply #17 on:** September 07, 2010, 10:30:41 AM »

Awsome!

Jeremy · « **Reply #18 on:** September 07, 2010, 04:09:51 PM »

That's pretty cool.

Air cooled · « **Reply #19 on:** September 08, 2010, 08:33:20 AM »

Congrats to the UBC team. Here's an article on their cross Canada journey

http://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=23925