Independent Rear Suspension verse Swing Axle What pan and what Options ?

I was wondering if some one can help with this one, what is the best way around the following.

I wish to build a Speedster and to have IRS.., nas I see it these are the options
1/ start with an IRS pan and change the front end
2/ start with a swing axle pan and change it to an IRS
3/ other
Will a speedster kit make for the swing axle pan fit on a IRS pan

Any suggestions welcome

Thanks Bill

Bill the Speedster kit will fit either swingaxle or IRS. If you want IRS you're better off getting an IRS pan.

By the way; there's no need to change the front end if you go with an IRS pan.

My car started out with IRS, and we converted it to swing axles. It wasn't all that difficult, but we had the body off when we did it. There's a difference in ride, though. Might want to bum a ride in a pal's Bug first. Swing seems to be much, much stiffer.
There were a lot of little things to contend with, like stuff sticking up out of the frame horns. Be prepared to continue digging into the tunnel after you first hit it with the torch.
You'll probably find an acorn or two where you least expect to.

Thanks for the reply, the speedster I am considering is out of South Africa, I believe its built for a swing rear axle, I really would like to stay with that kit, and would like a the independent rear, does anyone have suggestions how to go about this, is it possible, is it practical, I have read about different track widths etc, perhaps I should add,
I'm going to go with the flared wheel body

All comments appreciated

Regards Bill

I'm not the expert at IRS, and the only swing I've had is the one I've got. I wanted to go with fatter tires than stock VeeDubs, so I had to bring everything in three inches to make that happen with my CMC's straight body.
There are more tire options -- and therefore more wheel options -- with the flare kit, but I haven't ever actually touched one of those.
Alan Merklin or TC (just two specific folks among many here on the site) have MUCH more experience than I do.

As Cory says, the wide body will give you more clearance and the freedon to use wider tires and wheels. I've read of people converting from IRS to swigaxle but I don't know if you can do it in reverse.

I got an email from Bill regarding his questions and such.

He forwarded this auction for a really sweet chassis:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4636184374&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

And this is the manufacturer that he wants to stay with:

http://www.venomcars.co.za/speedster.html

Although I'm more partial to the later ball joint front end and IRS rear, that chassis looks like it was done right with ALL the money spent correctly. Depending on the price of replacement rotors up front, amd how llow the price stays, I'd jump on it ! !

The early and later front ends won't interchange, the mounting points are different. A swing axle chassis can be converted to IRS very easily, the mounts and jig are cheap enough and the welding is easily done. My buddy sells the mounts and jig to position them correctly. It would be best to get the necessary pieces from a doner car rather than buy them all separately.

If you like one front suspension and a different rear suspension, snce you have to cut the pan in half anyway, grab up two donor pans and mix and match the two ends. Fairly easy to accomplish.

All that said, if you can get that chassis at a good price and have someone shorten it correctly for you, it's SO RIGHT that I live very happily with the earlier components, and just convince myself and anyone else who asked, that I did it all on purpose to retain the "original" flavor of the 356 ! ! !

So . . . LUCK ! ! ! Let us know if you win that beautiful chassis!

TC

O o o p p p s s s ! ! Almost forgot, actually I DID . . .


Short axle length 26 11/16" 1961-1966 Bug
Short intermediate axle length 27 11/16" 1967 Bug
Long axle length 28 7/16" 1968 Bug & Type III

The IRS track width is the same as the long swing axle. The short swing axle are . . . shorter.

You can easily convert from long to short and short to long, you just need the bits and pieces to do the conversion. It's an easy bolt in.

UNLESS you're ME ! ! ! ! ! THEN you end up spending endless ages trying to find a lousy pair of oil slingers and EVERYBODY claims that they don't exist even though they are shown in every exploded view diagram ever printed ! ! ! ! !

You're an Evil Genius, all right.