Newbie lowering questions

[russbmx]

I'm new to the world of air-cooled so I'm afraid I will be asking many questions from now on
I'm wanting to get my 70 fastback low but just wondering what's the best way?
Iv been told to lower it as is but iv been looking at narrowed beams as this gives more clearance right??
Is it a mission to do??

Any help will be much appreciated

[Paul Hayward]

easy enough to lower it ...just take care to mark where you start from so you can start again if you forget how far you turn I never lowered a type 3 before ...but i did on the last notch i brought and if i can do it anyone can...its pretty easy just take things slow n steady

If you want to narrow it then lot more work!!..just lower it n DRIVE it

Sure others on here have pictures of how to lower it and explain it a hell of a lot better than me!

[russbmx]

Cheers chap, I'm really clueless at the moment haha, iv always played with water cooled and chucked on coilovers
I'm not to fussed about going narrow just want it looow and a friend said he thought I would need to go narrow to go down and that a narrowed beam would give more clearance?

[ARCANE]

Here you go dude check this link out for indepth videos for lowering Type 3s

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=222251


Hope it helps.

Cheers Mart

[russbmx]

sweet nice one for the link man, videos are really helpful!!
hopefully il be able to have a go at some point next week

[volkswalker]

click my link...scroll halfway ish and theres front and rear lowering in detail dude

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4976&start=50

pm me if you need any info

[russbmx]

click my link...scroll halfway ish and theres front and rear lowering in detail dude

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4976&start=50

pm me if you need any info

Nice one volkswalker

really appreciate it.....im pretty sure you will be getting some pm's

[Eccles]

just bite the bullet mate, i watched the videos jacked my car up and onto jack stands

one hour later car was 2 inches lower, once your looking at it apart it becomes very logical

easy as pie once you watch all the videos, i was scared and held it off for ages but once you realise just how easy it is its well worth it

helped out with a few since then

best of luck with it all and a breaker bar is your friend

[russbmx]

haha i think your right i just need to dive inn and get on with it.......im sure il be alright, if not you lot will be the first to hear about it
as soon as shes down il update with some pics!!

[ballbag]

Dude, I've lowered loads of aircooleds before now. I even built my own 4" narrowed beam for my bay. I just took my time.

I'm telling you now dude, you will not find an easier car to lower.

30mm nut - Undo and remove
Gently tap the balljoint out.
Lift drum and tie up out of the way.
Undo 19mm lock nut on torsion arm grubscrew
Undo and remove grubscrew with 8mm allen key.
Mark up splines for a reference point
Slide off torsion arm.
Replace after desired spline drop (1,2,3,4)

Reverse that list and to rebuild and then do the other side.

That lot took me about 15-20 mins, including jacking up the car and putting it on axle stands.

You'll fly through dude

[sjc]

If you want to go really low then you need a type 1 beam.
Be aware though that it's a lot more involved and definitely a lit more expensive
You can lower a type3 for nothing.
If you want it slammed then you need to be budgeting 500 plus unless you can build your own beam.
I have just finished up my slamwerks conversion and with the dropped spindles it is a lot lower than you could realistically get on a standard beam.
Also been round the country side in it yesterday and it didn't bottom out once.
If you want to retain the stock beam I would say you should think about the bottom beam mount mod to increase clearance. They are only pressed steel so don't take to kindly to being dragged along the Tarmac

[Editor]

Yes, don't want you doing what the President's car did - looked quite a jolt for the occupants!

[russbmx]

Yes, don't want you doing what the President's car did - looked quite a jolt for the occupants!

hahaha no we don't want that happening!! did crack me up when i saw that

[russbmx]

If you want to go really low then you need a type 1 beam.
Be aware though that it's a lot more involved and definitely a lit more expensive
You can lower a type3 for nothing.
If you want it slammed then you need to be budgeting 500 plus unless you can build your own beam.
I have just finished up my slamwerks conversion and with the dropped spindles it is a lot lower than you could realistically get on a standard beam.
Also been round the country side in it yesterday and it didn't bottom out once.
If you want to retain the stock beam I would say you should think about the bottom beam mount mod to increase clearance. They are only pressed steel so don't take to kindly to being dragged along the Tarmac

okay cool, i think eventually i will go down the narrowed beam route but for now its going to have to be lowered on the stock beam,
do you have any more info on the mount mod??

cheers for your help man

[russbmx]

Dude, I've lowered loads of aircooleds before now. I even built my own 4" narrowed beam for my bay. I just took my time.

I'm telling you now dude, you will not find an easier car to lower.

30mm nut - Undo and remove
Gently tap the balljoint out.
Lift drum and tie up out of the way.
Undo 19mm lock nut on torsion arm grubscrew
Undo and remove grubscrew with 8mm allen key.
Mark up splines for a reference point
Slide off torsion arm.
Replace after desired spline drop (1,2,3,4)

Reverse that list and to rebuild and then do the other side.

That lot took me about 15-20 mins, including jacking up the car and putting it on axle stands.

You'll fly through dude

cheers man, sounds pretty easy when you list it like that

i really appreciate the help and hopefully be able to do all the kind info some justice with some pics of her lowered asap

thank you all for the help!!

[ARCANE]

Thats what were here for, now get slamming and post some pics before and after.

[sjc]

The beam mount mod is fairly simple.
You cut of the part with the bottom bolt on
You weld in a threaded insert on the frame head.
Remake the missing piece of the clamp. Weld it together then bolt to the new threaded insert.
Job done and you gain about an inch of clearance.

[ballbag]

Have you got any images of that dude, I'll be on to that

[ballbag]

Found it on evilbens blog, sweet

I've just been on to him to see if he'll make me some clamps so I can get it done before EBI

[russbmx]

sweet i think thats going to have to be done for the extra clearence.....any one fancy popping round with a welder

[sjc]

i have a spare pair of clamps if anyone wants them alreay pretty mashed at the botton so ideal for the mod

[russbmx]

i have a spare pair of clamps if anyone wants them alreay pretty mashed at the botton so ideal for the mod

pm'd

[sjc]

pm replied mate.

[volkswalker]

Have you got any images of that dude, I'll be on to that

its all here dude ive done it last month

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4976&start=100

[volkswalker]

The beam mount mod is fairly simple.
You cut of the part with the bottom bolt on
You weld in a threaded insert on the frame head.
Remake the missing piece of the clamp. Weld it together then bolt to the new threaded insert.
Job done and you gain about an inch of clearance.

it sounds a lot easier than it is IMO....
you need the beam off or you need the car on a lift so you can stand under it