bouncin like a mofo

[kafer36]

i have a 1967 t1. 4in narrowed with adjusters and drop spindles. i just got done puting it back together and it bounces like crazy.any help. it bounces like a car with bad struts. i would like to stiffen it up.

[admin]

What kind of shocks are you using?  If you haven't replaced the shocks, and your original ones are worn out, you'll have a very "bouncey" front end.  The leaf springs are providing the bounce, but the shocks will limit the rebound effect.  When you installed your new narrowed beam, it most likely came with new leaf springs.  The new leaf springs will be very "springy" until they wear in.  Add the new springs to the old shocks and you've got the symptoms you've described.

Everybody has their own opinion on shocks, but I really like the KYB's I put on my convertible.  My 64 convertible had leaf springs removed in order to lower it.  (Not the best way or a way I prefer to lower a Bug.  It road like crap with massive bump steer.)  I replaced the missing leafs, king and link bushings, and installed a set of dropped spindles.  The dropped spindles were part of a kit I bought with disk brakes.  Once I added the KYB's, the front end of my car floated down the road like a Cadillac!  It was sweet!

Scott Faivre

[kafer36]

no shock towers. i no this a hugh deal in the vw world but i can not see how theses guy with 30K in there bugs can run a 5" narrowed beam and stil be streetable? i just want to stiffin it up a bit. also what bushings are you talking about??? i've looked all over the beam and all i see is the boot for the torsion bars on the beam.

[admin]

Your 67 and my 66 are both ball joint front ends.  My 64 convertible is a king and link front end.  Sorry if that threw you for a loop. 

So without shock towers, you're kind of up a creek without a paddle.  No shocks will make your car bounce like the homies in Compton! 

I would think you'd have to craft your own shock mounts or live with the lousy ride. 

Maybe someone with more experience on narrowed front ends will be able to chime in and offer some help.

Scott Faivre

[YankeeBug]

no shock towers.

I think you've answered your own question there.  But you do raise a good question.  How do those guys with those high dollar cars get shocks on there?

André

[QuickKafer]

For whatever reason, I don't know why I didn't remember this earlier, but...

When guys get real carried away with narrowing their beams for wider tires, disc brakes that offset the tires further out, and some for just that "tucked" look, the body is cut.

You can only narrow a beam so far before the shock towers hit the body.  When that happens, the sheet metal in the top of the wheel wells needs to be "tubbed" to clear the narrowed distance between the shock towers.  The body is cut out and then "tubs" are built to give the body back some rigidity.  If you go to far, I would think that you'd have clearance issues with the gas tank.

That's how the guys with BIG MONEY into their cars do it.

Hope this helps.

Scott Faivre

[dennis leech]

quote]..........Whats a mofo?  Oh!   Never mind 

[blindbabylv]

well put scott n thanx for `the e-mail update