lowering the rear. How much?

Getting the rear ride height where you want it will be a little bit of trial and error. I believe spring plate angle is 17° for stock ride height-  1 outer spline will lower the rear about 2". If that's not enough but 2 outer splines is too much then you get into turning the inner splines up and the lower splines down for finer adjustments. Gordon gives a great explanation on the subject-

https://www.speedsterowners.co...3#583123841562636293

I would try to stay near the minimum stock numbers for camber and toe settings.

Hope this helps. Al

thanks Al. Is torsion bar adjustment a better way to change rear height compared to moving the bearing housing on the trailing arm? Also do you happen to know the stock toe/camber settings?

Seth 

Also do you know of anybody else that will narrow rear trailing arms?

sethsaccocio posted:

Also do you know of anybody else that will narrow rear trailing arms?

Ron Lummus Racing

sethsaccocio posted:

thanks Al. Is torsion bar adjustment a better way to change rear height compared to moving the bearing housing on the trailing arm? Also do you happen to know the stock toe/camber settings?

Also do you know of anybody else that will narrow rear trailing arms?

Seth 

Good morning Seth- I take it you're thinking of moving the bearing/axle shaft housing up on the trailing arm? I've never seen it done that way, but I guess you could. The bottom of the trailing arm and shock mount would be rather close to the ground though. Lowering the rear is usually done by adjusting the torsion bars, and some guys will even notch the spring plates for further travel. This 1's a little crude, but I guess it gets the job done...

Alignment specs  per the orange Bentley manual-                                                          Camber- 50' + or - 40'                                                                                                                  toe- 10' do not exceed 20' total toe

That said- most people look for 1/2-1° negative camber when lowering and looking for the best handling.

I don't know of anyone on the East Coast (I live in Vancouver, BC) that can narrow trailing arms, but any competent welder should be able to do it. Ask someone in the local VW club or spend a weekend morning at a show and you should be able to find someone who's done it. Hot VW's magazine (April or June '94?) did an article on narrowing irs trailing arms- I've posted it before, but I'll look for it later and post it again here.

Hope this helps. Al

Why would you go to the trouble of raising the bearing up in the hub of the diagonal arm (for $$$) when you could simply adjust the rear ride height up or down to where you want it for free?  As ALB said, I've never seen anyone need to do it.  You want to narrow the diagonal arms, fine, but you don't need to move the hub higher, too.

Yoda beat me to the info on the article on setting rear ride height, so follow that (and follow the links embedded in there, too!)

Gordon Nichols posted:

Why would you go to the trouble of raising the bearing up in the hub of the diagonal arm (for $$$) when you could simply adjust the rear ride height up or down to where you want it for free?  As ALB said, I've never seen anyone need to do it.  You want to narrow the diagonal arms, fine, but you don't need to move the hub higher, too.

 

Yoda beat me to the info on the article on setting rear ride height, so follow that (and follow the links embedded in there, too!)

I think the idea was to offset the bearing/axle housing at the same time as when the trailing arms were narrowed, Gordon.

I don't know if I've said it before, but your setting ride height was well written.

Yes. Sam from Auto Valley mentioned that he can raise/lower in his message to me so I thought I would ask. Gordon, makes sense to me to change the height as your article describes. Al , thank she for info, sure helps. 

Seth

Thanks Stan. I did see the Ron Lummus arms. Just a bit pricey. 

sethsaccocio posted:

Thanks Stan. I did see the Ron Lummus arms. Just a bit pricey. 

NP. I get it, it's a lot of money.

... and to think, we all got in this thinking, "it's a VW Bug, really. How much could it cost?"

Stan Galat posted:

sethsaccocio posted:

Thanks Stan. I did see the Ron Lummus arms. Just a bit pricey. 

NP. I get it, it's a lot of money.

... and to think, we all got in this thinking, "it's a VW Bug, really. How much could it cost?"

So true Stan! And yeah, those trailing arms aren't cheap, but I think they are not stock reworked but his own custom fabrications. I wonder if he takes the bearing section out of cores or makes his own? Still rather on the pricey side though- ouch!

PS- looking at the product description, they are totally custom fabricated-4130 chromoly, tig welded, aluminum bearing/stub axle housings. Very cool! Powder coating is still extra though...