The Cal-look Lounge

My 67 bug has a sagging rear end. Rather than fiddling endlessly trying to level it out the plan is to replace torsion bars for 28mm SAW items. is there a recommendation on spring plates, bushes and retainers?

The car is solid mounted, frame horns are tied into cage etc.

The car puts out over 200 bhp and is a road car but will be using slicks once/twice.
 

Spring plates options appear to be;

Stock/Adjustable orHeavy duty. I know some use adjustables ones but I have heard some say they can rub wider tyres.

Bush options seem to be;

Stock or urethane

Retainers options seem to be;

Stock or Jay Cee Bronze bushed- The Jay Cee ones appear to be race car (?)

Is there a best way or is it all a matter of opinion? I dont see many people changing this on a road car so am guessing SAW bars and stock stuff.


thank you for your time.

I had the same problem with leveling the rear end of my '66 and I ended up using 28 mm SaW short torsion bars. Everything else is stock (rubber bushes, spring plates etc). I didn't try "the other options", so i cannot say which is the best, but I'm really satisfied with the outcome. This was one of the best mods I have done to my car.

Depending on what how you want the car to sit, 28mm bars may be a little large for a street car. I have 28's in my '67 and even with adjustable spring plates, I have not been able to find a ride height that I like while still having preload in the bars. I'm thinking about buying a set of 26mm barsor possibly even some 24's. Heck I might just look for a set of nice stock bars. 

You don't need any preload with 28 mm bars. Just slip them over the stop and it gives you the right ride height.

That's the way I had the rear end set up for a long time and I liked the way it sat, but it rode pretty rough as it was sitting on the bump stops all the time. I should have trimmed the bump stops, but I didn't think of it.

Can these be used on the street? How is the ride and wear rate?

Thanks,

--louis

That's the way did it. If you try to set them with a preload, you end up with the rear end being way to high. They're too stiff for that.
I don't have a problem with bump stops, but that's probably because I did not set them really low, but just with slight negative camber.
And yes, they are stiff, but that's the point in buying 28 mm torsion bars, isn't it?

I have about 1000 km on mine (600 miles) and they still are within specs, but  I don't have a clue how long they will work...
Don't forget to grese them!

Just goes to show- opinions differ.
 ;D
Thanks for sharing info Roman.

I also have at least 8000 km with the car on the trailer back and forth to JPM (1000 km one way...), races etc with freely moving suspension.

Just to update for info in case anyone ever needs it.

Went for;

28 mm SAW torsion bars
Urethane bushes
AVO non coil over shocks
Type 2 bump stops- from VW Heritage and they seemed slightly shorter than stock
Stock cover plates
Re welded rebound stops which allow travel
Heavy duty spring plates

Ran a 13.1 without too much effort or drama, and me driving. Sits straight, drives well and launched with 1 inch of rear end travel, with the shocks on their second from softest setting. I am not sure what is an ideal rear end travel when racing.
 
It feels firm on the street but not hard in anyway.

Learnings.

Ensure Spring plates are SAW as the sizes vary on the collars by up to 1.2mm on other spring plates.
Measure up for adjustable spring plates- it loks as though they would have fitted on mine which would have been easier for setting ride height and adjusting for driver weight.
Fitting a cable tie to the shock column allows rear end travel to be measured for info- thanks Bernie for the tip.

 

Hello H,

The shock absorbers should have a total of 21 clicks to full adjustment I have PM'ed you with some info  ;)

All the best Paul B

Can someone explain this to me? I'm not sure if it's because of my english but I don't really understand!  :-\

Hi

I am not an expert and only recounting what others have told me.


The rebound stop is basically a bolt or weld that stops the spring plate from moving downwards too far when the car is jacked up or when the rear of the car lifts. See Pic. When the car is jacked up the wheel only drops about 3/4 inch. I believe the idea is so that when you take the power off and or apply thebrake and the front dips and the rear rises but it stops it rising too far which stops the wheels tucking under and sending the car in a spin.

The problem I had with my rebound stop and others have had is that it sits on it all the time. So you have no suspension travel and it bends the cast metal in the end.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Heydon/CIMG3387.jpg)
I found the 28 mm torsion bars have not moved from where they were set..they have not drooped.

Ok,I get it :)
Thanks