1966 Beetle Suspension Improvement

Hi. My '66 Beetle rides like crap. The shocks are no doubt toast--for all I know they could be the originals --so I'm going to be replacing them. But is there anything else I should consider to improve the ride, espcially in the rear end department? Thanks in advance. Roy

Reply to
Roy
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Yes !

cant remember what it's called ! LOL

I'll get back to you tomorrow !

Rich

Reply to
tricky

Sway bar or "camber compensator".

AKA "Life Saver"

Basically, it goes a long way toward preventing rollover accidents. (BTDT)

Speedy Jim

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Reply to
Speedy Jim

if you spend your time and money on bringing EVERYTHING back to 100% shape, the difference in ride quality will blow your mind. There's more to it than just shocks.

On the same note, no matter how much money you spend on aftermarket add-ons and special parts, you still won't make it run right if you ignore the basics. Start from there, and see if you like the suspension the way it was in 1966, the last time it worked the way it was designed to work.

Jan

Reply to
Jan

My 66 Bug felt a little tipsy in hard cornering until I put wide tires on the rear. As I recall the ones I have are (on custom rims and) 2x as wide as the stock wheels. If you don't mind the look, wide rear tires really help swingaxel Bugs.

Tony

Reply to
Anthony W

Yes, I know. That's why I was asking what else I should look at. I simply can't bring EVERYTHING on the car back to 100% right now. Budget and time don't allow. But I would like to start moving in that direction, and eventually get to 100%.

So if you or anyone were to prioritize suspension/ride-related-things to bring back or replace on a '66 that hasn't had much of anything (save the tires) replaced in decades, where would you start? In other words, I'm talking about 5-6 things I could do to best improve a crappy ride (mostly over bumps and small pot holes on crappy St. Louis streets :) ). Thanks again! Roy

Reply to
Roy

Let me write everyuthing down I can think of right now:

For the rear, in the order of importance more or less:

Talking about swing axle std bugs, the bushings in the rear torsion bar housing wear out and develop quite a bit of slop. Replace those, both inner and outer on each side of the car. Use graphite or maybe baby powder for lubricating the new rubber bushings. It's a bit of a pain to do, but well worth your time. The parts aren't expensive, just stay with the "std" and "german" parts if you can. Ignore urethane and other aftermarket "performance" parts.

Adjust toe-in to factory spec.

Replace worn shocks with new stock type oil shocks, or very mild gas shocks if you like a harder, stiffer ride. Match the front shocks with rear shocks as close as you can, bearing in mind the front is extremely lightweight. (Can't use stiff gas shocks). For stock ride height daily drivers, stock type shocks all around work great. Make sure the mounting bushings and rubbers all fit snugly, with no play.

Use 5.5" wide rims and 185/65 tires with somewhat round shoulder profile. Same for the front.. it makes the steering a little heavier, but the thing will ride like a train at speed and take corners like a different car. Idea here is also to keep the track width the same front & back.

In the rear, you cannot effectively adjust Caster, since the whole axle is pivoting from the inner end. You should set ride height so that the tops of the tires lean inwards just a little, as if you had a lot of weight on the rear seat.

Replace rear wheel bearings. Those rarely go bad though.

Use new rear axle seal kits during assembly. Some kits come with crappy metal shims, use originals if they are ok. This procedure prevents oil leaks inside the brake drum. Clean the drain hole.

Install Camber Compensator (eliminate factory Z-bar if so equipped) Or axle travel limiter straps.

Install rear sway bar (ONLY if you install beefier front sway bar)

For the front, important stuff first, nice to have goodies at the end:

Check that the whole tire moves freely up and down, i.e. the torsion arms don't bind. I would pull them out, wipe them clean and inspect for weird wear marks. This requires popping the ball joints off the spindles hub and removing the spindles. Remove the upper ball joint sleeve from the spindle, it is cone shaped and has an off-center hole in it. Replace with new or recondition it. Lube it when you put it back on, you want to be able to turn it when it's all assembled.

Once they are out, have new ball joints pressed in. (Did US 66 come with ball joints? I don't know link pin axles so well, look for info on how to r&r those)

since the arms are now out... go ahead and inspect the bushings/bearings that support them, inside the axle tube. Scoop out as much of the old grease as youu can.

Assemble the abovementioned parts after reconditioning/cleaning them, then press new grease into both axle tubes, until clean grease comes out of tube ends (while the arms are in place). Grease has enough room to squeeze out between the seal and the arm.

Doublecheck that they move freely.

Replace wheel bearings, tighten to spec.

Replace tie rod ends, inner and outer. They come pre-lubricated (like balljoints).

Have the front wheel alignment done by a pro shop, now that all parts move freely and there's no rust to deal with. They can adjust camber and caster by turning the upper ball joint sleeve: the off-center hole for the balljoint sleeve makes the whole spindle tilt in every which way when the sleeve is turned. (BJ nut should be loosened a little first). This takes a big, very thin open end wrench.

Have the shop also check that the whole front axle is sitting straight,

90 degrees to the centerline of the car. Check mounts for rust.

Re-lube and adjust steering box. It is supposed to have faint free play in the middle position, and no binding in the extreme positions. Sometimes they are too far worn, and need to be replaced.

Replace steering damper.

While you are there replacing the steering damper, with the gas tank removed: replace steering shaft rubber doughnut and the rubber fuel line under the tank. Perfect opportunity for peace of mind.

Replace front shocks, inspect shock towers on axle for rust damage.

Replace front sway bar rubber mounts and clamps (if your car has a sway bar).

Install a sway bar if you don't have one. This may necessitate a rear sway bar too. (Drive carefully until you learn how the car behaves when cornering)

In addition, replace brake fluid (every few years), and r&r the brakes as needed: hoses, lines, cylinders, shoes.. Use new parts, your life depends on them. Do one whole axle at a time, never just one wheel.

You may want to put extra weight in the trunk (front) for increased highway stability. Plus it looks better when the front is lower ;) Do not use sand. It gets wet and goes everywhere, and causes rust. Use something solid and secure it in place. I've used up to 60lbs (steel bar) in the spare tire well. Heavier steering, but no longer vulnerable to wind gusts :)

I guess this would be a good start? Enough for a weekend project, hmmm? :D

Jan

Reply to
Jan

Thanks so much, Jan. That is awesome information. Just what I needed!

Roy

Reply to
Roy

you're welcome :)

Jan

Reply to
Jan

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