SO, HOW DO I GET FROM THIS.........

[steve] · Post by **[steve]** » 11th December 2008 - 12:07pm

TO THIS......

Any help and advice is gratefully received.....

I can do the bodywork, paint etc... more wanting to know how to lower the front end.....

Cheers

Steve.

easy · Post by **easy** » 11th December 2008 - 12:29pm

All of the suspension is on splines all round. You have to adjust the number of splines to go lower.(The advantage of a type 3!) so after this you will basically need different size shocks front and back (the size of which depends how low you go) If you are going very low then you will need to cut off the bump stops from the beam

Apart from that, there isnt much else in it, apart from low profile tyres to get that bit lower and have the clearance in the arch.

Hope this helps.

[steve] · Post by **[steve]** » 11th December 2008 - 12:37pm

easy wrote:All of the suspension is on splines all round. You have to adjust the number of splines to go lower.(The advantage of a type 3!) so after this you will basically need different size shocks front and back (the size of which depends how low you go) If you are going very low then you will need to cut off the bump stops from the beam

Apart from that, there isnt much else in it, apart from low profile tyres to get that bit lower and have the clearance in the arch.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, I know about the splines, the only concern I have is that the tyres are rubbing at the moment on full lock and Im concerned that the arches will sit on the tyres if I lower it... they dont look like they will fit under the arches.... I guess I'll need to consider steel wheels with skinny or low profile tyres... trying to do it as cheap as possible... guess I should just 'suck it and see' ...

easy · Post by **easy** » 11th December 2008 - 12:49pm

Defo go for skinny tyres, they help out allot! a wheel change is good, but you could find a set of original steels which help you go low.

This is mine on original steel wheels

about as low as you can safely go

[steve] · Post by **[steve]** » 11th December 2008 - 1:03pm

Very nice dude

I'll have to give it a go... I have some super skinny tyres on some steels that I took off a friends bug.. maybe I'll 'borrow' them to see how I get on.... they keep going down all the time tho so will need to replace the valves

squareback simon · Post by **squareback simon** » 11th December 2008 - 8:34pm

you'll probably need a narrowed front beam if you want it to look exactly like your pic. then you could also have it on bags and the world's your oyster

Post by **Editor** » 11th December 2008 - 11:46pm

Yes, air bags might even manage to keep the front from being ripped off by the uneven road surface.

Please keep it driveable and able to be returned to a reasonably normal state.

squareback simon · Post by **squareback simon** » 12th December 2008 - 9:18am

You're not wrong about the front being ripped off, mine seems to take ding every other day.

what it doesnt show in the type 3 selecta pic is the spare wheel well which is even lower than the front edge. you may have to take your out if you go that low.

nay · Post by **nay** » 25th January 2009 - 6:58pm

mines got an adjustable beetle beam on it and dropped spindles,narrowed a lot and very low,about 50mm off the ground.however it doesnt have the spare wheel well in it..drives nice and scrapes only occasionally..and the odd bang.

lucky boy · Post by **lucky boy** » 25th January 2009 - 7:33pm

[steve] · Post by **[steve]** » 25th January 2009 - 10:39pm

Update.....

So, I fitted skinny's:

Took the spare wheel well out and hit it as hard as I could with the lowering stick....

I'm having to grind the spring plate/swing arm down a mm at a time to stop it hitting the housing on sharp bumps and pot holes... I dont want to do too much or the back tyres may start hitting the inner arch.. slowly but surely...

I have had to cut off the front bump stops as the arms were just sitting on them (no actual bump stops were there tho anyway)....

Need to also grind off the towing eye as it's taking chunks out of the tarmac when uneven...

Am trying to get a better pic of it but can't seem to find the time at the mo...

Best one I have with a straight exhaust too....

lucky boy · Post by **lucky boy** » 25th January 2009 - 11:51pm

Looks just fine to me.

easy · Post by **easy** » 26th January 2009 - 11:52am

Thats spot on

squareback simon · Post by **squareback simon** » 26th January 2009 - 7:04pm

looking good. Nice job

[steve] · Post by **[steve]** » 27th January 2009 - 6:36pm

Cheers guys...

Stuck in a rut at the moment with the weather and all... managed to get under it (couldn't even be bothered to jack it up, just drove it up onto some wood) and grind what was left of the towing arm off as it was catching on every speed bump..... need to sort the swing arms and spring plates as still knocking at the back.... just really havent any enthusiasm at the moment.... it'll pass tho and when the evenings get a bit lighter and it aint sub zero temperatures I'll be back on it...

I'm off for a beer and some telly

easy · Post by **easy** » 28th January 2009 - 8:44am

First rule of slamming club.

Cut off bump stops and towing eye!

[steve] · Post by **[steve]** » 12th February 2009 - 12:22pm

easy wrote:First rule of slamming club.

Cut off bump stops and towing eye!

They all went... the topwing eye was last tho...

The front arms were sitting on the front bump stops so they HAD to go... still need to sort out the knocking at the back... I think the spring plate is knocking its upper housing at the spline end so need to get the cover off and notch that.... or I could raise the back an inner spline.... but that's more work than I can be bothered with at the moment...

Planning on starting spraying it soon... get it straight in primer first, then one final sand and slap some paint on it...

Thinking gun metal grey with blacked out windows or a blue/grey without blacked out windows....

Still need to get the wheels looking nice.... all time I aint got at the moment!!

Wish I had a warm garage....

[steve] · Post by **[steve]** » 18th March 2009 - 5:53pm

This is how it now looks.... still needs the wheels painting up and it's final coat of paint but its getting there

jopro · Post by **jopro** » 20th March 2009 - 1:06pm

Looks sweet!

splitybus · Post by **splitybus** » 10th April 2009 - 11:00pm

Dont mean to hijack this thread but how easy is it to fit a beetle beam in a fasty?

david

[steve] · Post by **[steve]** » 18th April 2009 - 4:32pm

splitybus wrote:Dont mean to hijack this thread but how easy is it to fit a beetle beam in a fasty?

david

Never done it but heard its a bit of a bitch