I am new to the vw style stuff. I got to lookin at my rail to day and my frount end is geting to be in bad shap. I have a ball joint frount been. Running this thing with out shocks. I have seen ever one else is running shocks. So this can't be good. I also have a wore out streering box and a set of tir rods that look like they have been useing in ww2.
So I am thinking of a kind pin frount end. Useing a warrior beem Mabey 6"wider. Would I be better goin with a wider beem then wider trailing arms? This may sound stupid but can someone explane or give me a good link explaing how a vw's suspion works? On the back I am thinking of 3x3s (I have found a set I can afford lol) Would a stock bus type axle work with these? I am thinkin I have the bus axles how do I tell between the bus and outher kid of axles. I kno there stock vw's..Also on the 3x3s what all is involved in puting in a set. I seen the 3x3s I am gettin has a heim joint at the end. My rail has a hole differnt set of with the stock IRS.
Thank you all for all your help.

Good move on the link pin front end! As for the 3x3's bus axles are too short. Bus axles wors with 2x3's, and 3x3's call for a 19-1/4" axle. Also, arms with heim joints... not so easy. If you go that route, your gonna have to buy some coil-overs, air bags, air shocks, or something along those lines to hold the back of the car up.

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Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

Don't worry jarfly, I am justas new to vw and rail buggys as you are. I lucked out and have a lot of friends already into them so I have a lot of knowledge with a simple phone call. Anyway I am in the process of switching my car from a ball joint to a king pin and am running 3 x 3 arms. From what I am told that is a great set up to have. Depending on where you live I would call the guys at L and H welding, they are finishing up my car now and its looking pretty damn good. If you want the number post back and I will get it to ya. They had a lot of great suggestions and really explained a lot about all the work being performed. These guys are top notch

Thanks guys yea Ill take that number. So what kind of tailing arms wold I need to not have to use coil overs(I deff ant got that kind of money right now) I am thinkin of gettin my frount end first. And plateing my stock trailing arms till I get cash to get something that is goin to help me more.

Gotta remember jarfly the king pin beam tubes are closer together than a ball joint.
By about an 1-1/2" IIRC.
It's not straight bolt in.
You have to get the chassis clamps closer together.

There are select busses/vanagons that came factory with 19-1/4" axles but I don't know the specifics as far as which years.

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Gary

Turbo VW Sand Racer
Polaris Ranger



"If you don't run into the Devil every once in awhile, you must be going in the same direction!"

Davis Motorsports FaceBook Page

Right, but the majority are 18-3/4". Some busses had even longer axles, didn't they? Like 20" or so?

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Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

I've seen the 20-1/4" and even longer.
Got some out in the storage container that are 21"+.

Wish I had an application chart...........

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Gary

Turbo VW Sand Racer
Polaris Ranger



"If you don't run into the Devil every once in awhile, you must be going in the same direction!"

Davis Motorsports FaceBook Page

Hey Jarfly,

Welcome to buggies... They are a blast and you will have a ton of fun.

The warrior beam is a good choice. I have one and it has worked very well. I did not go with the 6 inch wider and I wish I did. I am very limited on my turning radius because my tires hit the frame.

There a lot of smart people on here that can answer most questions. As for some other resources, check out www.vwhelp.com. They have some great tutorials and drawing on how things work.

Good Luck
Dan

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thanks.. I had no idea about the beams being closer. How hard work it be to move the clamps?
Also what all does a vw frount end have in it? I know os a leaf spring type inside the tube? kunkles and arms? What holds the trailing arms in the tube? Also the guy with the longer axles wanna sell them?

King pin front:


Ball joint and king pin comparison:

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Gary

Turbo VW Sand Racer
Polaris Ranger



"If you don't run into the Devil every once in awhile, you must be going in the same direction!"

Davis Motorsports FaceBook Page

Before you switch your front end around, you should sit down and look at everything you need, and add it up to see how much it will cost. It is not cheap. And if you go with the 6 inch wider beam, you will need either coil overs or air shocks, or you can get a warrior beam with the dual spring clamps. So that means you'll have to buy aftermarket springs for the beams. If you do that, stay away from the lastest rage ones. Are you going to go with longer trailing arms up front? That is some of everything that you have to look at. You might want to also look into putting a bus ball joint front end. I've heard some good things about that. Good luck.

Dave

Yea I have looked. I am thinking if I go king pin I am goin to find one that is ready to bolt under my rail. I am manley lookinf for more life to get my frount end up. The rail that I am workin on is goin to be mostley for trail ridein no extream ride. I plane to bulid a strocked out single seater buggy this winter. This is my first rail and it by far would't take a hard hit on a climb.

Don'd forget "Blind Chicken Racing" link on home page,,here is their axle page

http://www.blindchickenracing.com/How_t ... es_101.htm

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

http://woodsbuggy.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5613 This post has the list I've compiled. There's still a few I haven't been able to find.

John

for mild trail riding the ball joint front will do fine.Good luck with your new toy.

Yea i have had loads of fun with this thing. Is there any way to get the frount end up on this thing? Allso with out shocks ont he frount am I hurting any thing??? I have a set of brand new shocks for a 4x4 ranger for the rear. Id have to make some new mounts for them Would this be all righ or should I go with a stock style shock?

Shocks are there for better control and handling. helps control bounce and keep tires planted to the ground. I would recomend some. There are raised spindles available and i believe bus and things spindles are designed for a higher ride height.

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Turbocharged Ecotec,vanogon midshift,Berrien WoodsBuggy wagon.

Just think'n about those 3X3 rear arms. Could be that the hiem joint is a bolt on replacement for the spring plate. If so take it off and use the stock spring plates. This will limit your potential travel but then you could use the stock torsion bars instead of coil-overs and other more expensive parts.

As tp your Ball Joint issue.

I've run both link pin and ball joint in racing and trail riding and prefer the ball joint . Each has it's ups and downs.

I find the bj just as strong and cheaper to fix and rebuild and less parts to contend with .

As far as a widened front beam, if your fabricating skills are fair , it's a snap to pull off a home brewed widened beam. Take two beams , cut them both leaving the center section where the spring plates go and after aligning everything and clamping id V Blocks re- weld the beams. Cut the spring plates and re assemble.

However, for trail riding I ususally use a stock beam re-enforced in the shock tower area.

Dont run the BJ without shocks as they are your limiters as well.

The link pin isn't a bolt on item for a bj chassis.

Check it out , measure twice cut once.

Gonzo

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Thx , Gonzo

Yea I think im goin to stay with the bj frount. Is there body that makes wider arms for them?
And on the rear how hard is it to make a set of trailing arms? I really want to kick the w/b of this thing up a few inches. And is there any way to make axles? Like take mine to a shaft shop and have them made longer?

I am not aware of anyone make longer ares for the BJ setup. You can buy or make drop spindels to add ground clearence. Making trailing arms is not that hard if you have the jig, welding and fabricating skills to do it with. If not your better off buying them. longer Bus axels are avalable for the wider arms and can be had a lot cheaper than having them extended. They would break anyways. The bottom line I am sorry to say is If you "Wanta Play you gotta Pay".

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