I think they'll work great. You should have plenty of adjustment.

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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -Henry Ford

Thanks man... While I am waiting I will shoot for the best location for the bottom shock mount... Pics will follow once I have something to look at.

See if left to your own devices you figure it out.

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Water Cooled Consortium, Chairman of the Build (Former AC purist)

yup, Red... you guys have given me a lot of good info... just hard to decide with me never doing these things before.. but I think it will turn out fine... I do have a question thought...

For the travel, I take it I want the bottom shock mount to sit on the arm where I get 12 inches of upward travel (stopping point being the bump stop) so max droop to max bump should show me 12 inches exactly at the bottom shock mount hole moving straight up... Right????

If so I have what I need.. I did notice two things...
1. the clevis being on the outside does make it so I cant move the shock back as far as I had in mind...
2. I see the frame is not even on both sides... and its a tad bit tweaked (talking about the bar in the back that comes out and around the motor to the rear cage.

Guess its not a huge deal... I want to upgrade to another frame if this all goes well for the family... and I would just gut this one for all the parts and brackets... But I know I am being picky too... its not like its a foot off... but it might be 1/2 to one inch off.... and the back is slightly twisted.

pics later to show you what I mean... please let me know on the mount concept...

happy pre turkey day to all

You are correct on the the shock. If it is a 12" you will be able to use 11" if you are planning a cushion. I have 14" travel shock and only use 13" of it. It will also keep from bottoming of your shock.

Just tweak the bracket so it looks the same. For clearance you can cheat the upper mount forward of dead straight if needed.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well.

We are heading to Wind Rock on Friday and staying through Saturday. Going to beat on the Safari Wagon some more.

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Water Cooled Consortium, Chairman of the Build (Former AC purist)

I KNEW you would figure it out sooner or later. I've had a couple of bad days, got into a car accident and broke my right hand in a couple of places. With Dr. appointments and MRI's and all the crap that goes with it, well let's just say it sucks. I wish people would learn how to drive to keep from hurting others. First time I've had an air bag go off on me, hope it's the last time. The part that pisses me off the most is my beloved Subaru is totaled, all junk now. OH well could have been worse, have a great turkey day.

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Wishing you a speedy recovery Mike. Maybe you can salvage the power plant so she can live on.

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Water Cooled Consortium, Chairman of the Build (Former AC purist)

Mike I am sorry man... that stinks... I hope you have a speedy recovery...

I am guessing I need to measure the stroke at the same angle the shock will sit it right? And I am to find that angle by lifting the arm all the way to max bump and using my t square on the top of the arm to find the line the shock will sit. then keeping that angle I subtract the amount of lift to get the top location, then drop the arm back to max droop and measure (should be length of shock).

This is how I understand this to work anyway... going to try to get some work done tomorrow if I can... if not I will plan to knock it out Friday. Its the upper mount that is going to slow me down....

OK guys, I have the bottom mounts tacked and the upper mount started (not many options for me here without a bender)... Question... How close is acceptable for the distance between the coil spring and the frame? I was thinking 1/2 inch (at fuel droop)... This is what I plan to shoot for in the morning... let me know otherwise.. pic's will follow when I have it all tacked/welded up... and shock on.

where can I get some of that sheet metal with the holes in it?

Is it OK to have the upper shock mount turned in a bit? Take a look at my pics, I am at a stopping point... trying to decide how I want to proceed....











let me know... thanks

My-riding, Can you call me tonight so I can give some suggestions. 423-599-0865 'leaving for Windrock in the AM.

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Water Cooled Consortium, Chairman of the Build (Former AC purist)

You really! want the hiem joints lined up so the spherical bearings don't bind. If you compound cope your horizontal to make it horizontal then it should line up don't know how this affects the remainder of the upper mount. if you call I can get a better idea and give some better advice.

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Water Cooled Consortium, Chairman of the Build (Former AC purist)

Just sat down for dinner... If that design is no good... I can fix, but I think I will be short on tubing... I may be able to get one side done... Give me some time to measure... I should have thought that upper cross bar over a bit more... I wish I could buy tubing local... I have to order... More in a few... I will trash this idea for now. I will need to move the top tube down which means it will need to be longer... I am trying to keep the same line to be squared to the arm... If I move the shock forward it will be off.

Hey man there are some compromises that can be made I have an Idea but I don't know how to type it up. Check for a steel fab shop that or race shop local to you and you can get tubing that way. I don't know if you are using DOM or mild steel ERW tubing. DOM is pricey.

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Water Cooled Consortium, Chairman of the Build (Former AC purist)

All dom... Even though they used erw for the frame... All good... If I get one side done I will be excited... If I can ever get it back on the ground... I will be asking about reinforcement anyway... I bought my last 14 foot from eBay... Forget the price... But it was more than I have right now

Not home yet... I will measure in a few.

The places I buy tubing locally are either steel recyclers or steel supply houses. One place is known for drywall but they have a huge selection of tubing. I'd call a steel yard or some sort of supply place and ask who sells tubing locally. I'm sure there is someone. I'd say we have 10 places that are known and that's not even the unknown wholesale places. I'm sure there is someone that stocks it. Call a machine shop and ask who may sell it.

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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." -Henry Ford

Cool deal man my complete car is built from ERW tubing. the 1" is .65 wall and my 1 1/2" is .120 wall for strength. My tree bars are DOM though. I will be up till about 11:00 pm est.

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Water Cooled Consortium, Chairman of the Build (Former AC purist)

Just finished cutting the upper cross bars back out... I can get the uni balls straight, just need to lengthen the tube so it drops lower, this way I can run the same concept. I seem to have enough for one side... Will make some calls and see what I can find...

You can't be looking that hard for materials. I found 2 different places that sells DOM tubing within 50 miles of Sellersburgh.
American metal supply they are in Louisville
502-634-4321

Alro Steel
310 Boxley Ave.
Louisville , KY 40209
Phone (502) 635-7481

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Man you rock.... How did you find them? Guessing they will be closed tomorrow? I did get a price from the same guy I ordered from last time... 21 foot (3x7) for 100.00 that's 1.5 120 wall DOM. Good/bad?

Google search; dom tubing Sellersburgh In
You don't need .120 wall, .095 is plenty. I used .120 wall for the under bars on my car knowing they will be hammered on a bunch.
That price isn't too bad that's 4.76 a foot, I'm paying $4.06 a foot here for .095 and I have to go get it.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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Thanks Mike... I will try those places tomorrow, if they are open, I will go grab some... Otherwise I may stick withe the eBay guy... He does get me for 30.00 to ship... But it's nice to just let it show up... I have some other things to mess with while I wait... The shock mounts are a tad too tall for the fox shocks... Need to grind them down a tad so the shock isn't rubbing on the mount. How far you think is safe for the coil to the frame?

I'm guessing both of those places will be closed tomorrow. 1/2" between the coils and the bar will be fine. The springs do not expand going through their stroke. On the rear shocks, the shock ends should be square to the travel of the arm, so on yours it would be parallel with the torsion housing, upper and lower. On a stock VW set up the shock ends are angled inboard slightly, parallel with a center line drawn from the center of outer pivot to the center of the inner pivot. Kinda tricky to explain.

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Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
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I just ordered the 21 feet of tubing... To my door for 130.00... Will still go check out the other two locations so I can work with them when needed.

When you say the mounts need to be parallel with the torsion housing your saying the flat side of the torsion tube should face the flat or open side of the shock mount right? If so I get that now... My bottom mount is good... Just need to get the upper fixed. You do say that's its ok for the upper mount to be inward at the top (this is what I will have), unless you mean the mounts them selves are at an angle... Ido not have that... And what I did was take my metal 4 foot drywall square and sat the square on top of he arm lined up where the shock bolt is and lifted the arm up and then held the drywall square in that spot (tried to use clamps) then lower the arm and with the shock bolted on I swing it over till it lines up with the angle of the drywall square... That is where I expect to place the horizontal tube that the shock will bolt to... And where the upper tube should sit to intersect the horizontal. This also being my max droop... Once I get this I can run some tube from the outer end of the horizontal back to the frame to give it strength... I think this will all work

I think it all sounds good... Just need the tubes to intersect and I can move on... Also without a proper notcher it's rather aggravating getting the notches done with a hand grinder... But I'll get it....

Still looking for tube today... If I had about 4 foot or so I could get some work done... Not going to just work on one side... It works out better if I do both sides at once with things like this.

So I am on hold agn....

WOW that is expensive