front end problems

Ok, so I got my car in rough shape.
I am just starting to figure out the many problems it has.
(beck assembled in 93)

The thing that is bothering my most right now is the apparant lack of front suspension. I mean, the car is resting on the stops of it's front end.
I havent got my head around the torsion rod suspension. Is this something that is adjustable? Or are the rods bent? Am I going to crack the welds on the front end if I hit a pothole?

I found these shocks with extra springs and an adjuster, Would this help me?

jc whitney vw catalog pg 42 bottom
stock # ahc126399w

If it worked out the highest setting might work to work as a booster to the torsion rods.

SHOCK ABSORBERS

* 3 load settings

Stock Becks usually suffer from too much front spring, not insufficient spring. The front torsion bars are adjustable. Check your front torsion bar/ride height adjustment first. There are discussions on the Spyderclub forum, Shoptalk and probably Speedster Owners forum as well regarding the how to of the adjustment. Access to the adjusters is thru an access hole the trunk in the middle of the horizontal bulkhead, or by way of the fuel tank opening. If the car was a kit it may also suffer from binding trailing arms or the wrong length shocks.

Ralph is right...sounds like someone didnt adjust or assemble teh front end correctly. If you haven't got one already, I recommend the Bentley manual copvering late 1960 beetles. That is what I used to build my Beck and it will show you what should be there. I used KYB GR2 shocks and built the front end like Bentley said and it seems to work fine.

Mike

No, basically stock VW

Thanks Mike,

I ordered the bentley book.

So do the vintages have a coil over shock in the front as standard?

(Message Edited 9/10/2003 10:53:42 PM)