Beam adjusters

How to raise 1/2"?

Does it have the welded in adjusters now? If so easy - jack it up and fiddle with the adjusters. If not then drop was either done with dropped spindles (think they drop it 2.5") or by cutting/removing the leaf torsion springs. I have an extra un-molested set of the torsion springs if ya want them. If its due to the dropped spindles then you will need the adjusters added or replace beam with one with them in. Guess could replace the dropped spindles as another alternative - but suspect you'd be too high then.

Welded beam adjusters.
The front end bounces around something fierce.
Do I back out the threaded bolt that the two big nut are on?
Do I do both top and bottom tubes?

To be safe, since there are several different designs of beam adjusters out there, could you get a picture of what yours look like??

Front adjusters are relatively easy to adjust, but equally easy to screw up if you don't know what you are doing.

Send along a picture and we'll all help out - you'll have so many opinions you'll go nuts!!

gn

For what it's worth, here is a "Puma" type adjuster. A right angle bracket with two bolts protruding from it at 90 degrees. This beam happens to have four, most beams only have two, one upper and one lower.

The other popular type of adjuster is a "Avis" type. It consists of a curved plate welded to the beam and a separated "ratchet" plate held in place by only one screw. This plate must be adjusted by moving the ratchet plate on "tooth" at a time. Again, there is one adjuster on the upper beam and one on the lower beam.

The methods of exactly how to adjust each type are slightly different.

All Righty, then!

Those are easy and reasonably safe to adjust (unlike the ones that I have that try to take your finger off!)

Looking at the picture, you have a stud projection at about 2 o'clock with a couple of locknuts on them, and a bolt at about 6 o'clock, also with a locknut on it.

It is best to raise or lower the car when it is sitting normally on the wheels. It is also important to have rolled the car for 10-20 feet before you start to make sure the suspension has settled (if you've been out driving and pull into the garage and then do not jack it up at all, you're all set. The same holds true if you just drive it up onto ramps or onto a drive-on lift).

On the 2pm studs, loosen both nuts about 1 turn each. If the stud has a hex hole in the end of it, use a hex wrench to keep it from moving. DO NOT LOOSEN THE STUD - JUST LEAVE IT THREADED IN!

Go to the 6pm bolt and loosen the locknut. To lower the car, loosen the bolt (turn counter-clockwise), thereby allowing the 2pm stud to move downwards. This allows the wheel trailing arm ends to move upwards, while the car moves downwards (Use your forearm pivoting around the end of your upper arm to get the picture, or draw a stick drawing of the suspension to get the idea). It may take a turn or two to get it down where you want it.

When you get it to the height you want, re-tighten all of the locknuts.

You're done.

gn

Looks to me like it is adjusted for as much lift (height) as you'll get though.

Here's link to the Sway-a-way adjusters:

http://www.swayaway.net/joomla/images/InstallInstructions/9902_VWBALLJOINTANDLINKPINFRONTADJUSTERS.pdf

Greg, I think your right.
I want to raise it a 1/2", so the 2 o'clock set screw should travel down to rais the chassis? How do you move the chassis up or down if it does not move once loose? Do you use a jack once I'm up on ramps?

Yup. Just jack it up.

Sorry about telling you the wrong way - just assumed you wanted to go down!

gn

So pulling the 2pm set screw downward will lower the car more? I think it's as high as it can going, means I'm SOL!

Bounce with me!

Can you back out that bolt that seems to be lim iting the travel? If you can lock it in place somewhat lower, you should be ok. OIt looks to me that those bolts are set for maximum height.

Try loosening the nut on the bolts that're in the way so that you can back them out some. Then retighten the nuts against the bracket, which should hold them in place. Then you should be able to loosen the nuts on the adjusters and change their positions.

Bill, I had a similar problem with the adjusters in my beam before I went to a coil over set up. What I did was to remove the bolts that are limiting the travel and then I drilled and tapped another hole just below the one that I removed the bolts from. Inside the beam is a short tube that the center of the torsion bars are secured to. Its in that tube that I did this to. Then reinstalled the bolts with the little plates into the new holes and that gave me the required lift I wanted. Was not that big of a deal and I did it with everything still set up but I think I removed the beam assembly.

Yes, all blts (set screws) can be backed out.

But if the bolts that move up and down in the vertical slot of the beam are all the way to the top of the slot then you cannot get any more height unless you reposition the bolts like I describe above or elongate the slot at the top. Don't recall how much you need but maybe just grinding a bit out of the top of that slot with a small die grinder or Dremel might give you want you need.

Yep, I realized my mistake. Looks like we're online simultaneously. See edited post above.

I just reread your first post. You want to raise the front instead of lower it? If so, you may have a problem with the slot as Brian suggested. I really need to read more closely. On the other hand, if your bouncing is the problem, have you considered shocks or even that you may too much pressure in the tires? Mine bounced quite a bit after getting the new wheels on. When I got home I discovered that the front tires were inflated to 35 psi - almost twice what I run normally (~20). You don't need or want that kind of pressure in the front of these cars as they are just too light. If the pressure is ok, you might have too aggressive shocks. Again, the light weight means you want the cheapest stock shock, not fancy performance ones.

Lane - It's too low. I think he is at max adjustment up. Way Bill says it bounces apparently he's getting no torsion spring action either. Maybe the slot can be elongated and a longer adjusting bolt used - but not idea. Bring it by Bill and we'll give it a shot. I have die grinder and floor jacks.

Do you think perhaps the adjuster bolt slipped out of the indent in the bar springs?

Greg, how's Sat am looking for you? Ha d aapt today for a lift and now it's raining again !@%#$$*

Or once my new wishbone front end arrives I'll have my coil over set up for sale likely then you don't have to fiddle with beam adjusters.

Bill
I can help Sat. AM as well at Greg's place - I will drive my rig if it's not raining - looking forward to seeing you car. Time?
Dale

Saturday works for me - I'll clear some room. 9:30 ok unless thats too early. I'm sure we can figure the beam out.

If no rain, 9am!

If there IS rain, put the top up. You won't melt!

Lane,
Don't have a top - I might melt unless I am a Cory

What's a top?

There can be only one!

Cory, that is!

To the topp

need to figure this out. took off shocks and there is little to no bounce. For the heck of it I put on some EMPI lower'd shocks.

Off for a test drive...

On a side note, how can I tell if the leaf springs are in the tubes?

Bill,
Your arms are most likely just frozen up - had the same problem w/ mine - just have to pull them out of the torsion tube and regrease the whole deal.
If your torsion bars where missing or taken out and the arms where not frozen it would fall to the ground when the shocks were removed.
Let me know if you need help - Greg and I can give you a hand.
Dale

Hey Dale how's you're trip?

The lousy thing is, this was a new beam installed by Peek Performance before I got the car. Then returned to them before I took delivery...

Yes, I need some help. Maybe this weekend?

Bill,
Might be able to this weekend - Greg you have time at your place?

Yup - I'm available. Pick a day. I have extra set of torsion spring bars too if needed. Plus the stock "grub allen screws" (but don't think they fit your adjusters) and grease gun (might need little tubes of grease but Advance Auto near by). If new wonder if it was ever filled with grease?

Greg, my thoughts exactly!

Dale/Greg, thank you! Car drives so much better...

So what were the diagnosis and treatment?

Any have instructions for the beam that Bill has? It came assembled with 2 adjusters (top and bottom). It doesn't use Avis, Sway-a-way or Puma adjusters. We started with about 22" from ground to top of front wheel well opening. This gave NO suspension movement even with shortened shocks. The front torsion bar was 2" off the road - great for speading gravel! The adjusters were set to as high as they'd go without cutting longer slots (at the top).

We tore it all apart and decided to revove the 2nd short hex screw that secures the spring pack. We used the big adjustable grub screw instead. This raised the front end to about 24.5". I'm guessing it will settle down a bit. This gets the sway bar about 4" off ground and give good suspension travel with the original shocks. The car is now level from front to back. This though puts the grub at the lowest portion of the adjuster slot. Pushing it up raises the front end.

So with the original set up - it was low and could only go lower. With the final set up it could only go higher. Strange - we would have liked the grub to be cenered so we could either raise or lower it.

Looked online and couldn't find instructions for this type of beam --- the center adjusting ring does look same as the Avis ring though.

Bill has Porsche Fuchs 5 bolt rims on 4-5 hole adapters with 205/50x16 Dunlop tires. Miata tire calculator said stock tires are 1.3 inches larger in diameter - so would sit .6" higher with OEM 165x15 tires.

Hate to take it apart again but its perplexing -- both Dale and I wonder how ours will work out. I have Brazil adjustable beam and Dale has OEM beam.