raising my adjustable front axle

If you remove the shocks, you can take the load off by letting the suspension hang. Scribe a mark so you know where the adjuster was. They can move with a bang if you loosen the nut and the torsion leaves are still loaded. Be careful!

I found that you can effect enough of an adjustment by moving one or two clicks on one adjuster, no need to move both.

These style adjusters can sometimes slip and pop into the next lower "spline" when weight is applied(a good bump will do it). The teeth have to be aligned right on the money when you tighten the 22mm(I think) locknut.

If the adjusters are at their limit and you can't raise the suspension, you'll have to remove the beam and replace it or cut and re-weld the adjusters in a different position.

Thanks Danny, I have worked with this type of front axle in the past but I my memory was failing me on what needs to be done to get the torsion bars unloaded. I am only trying to raise the front ride height be an inch and it is very low now. I have no doubt that unbolting the shocks will allow it to move. This forum is the best. I always get good feedback and helpful suggestions. I plan on lowering the rear of the car as well. I don't like the rake and amount of space above the rear tires.

You might consider adjustable spring plates to change the rear height. Installation is pretty straight forward.

@Panhandle Bob posted:

You might consider adjustable spring plates to change the rear height. Installation is pretty straight forward.

I think this is a terrible idea.  All adjustable spring plates do is add unsprung weight.  Once ride height is set, how often does one change it? I’d say never.  

I have done many VW rear spring plate ride height adjustments and The main ride height adjustment must be done by the inner and outer torsion bar splines, the adjustable spring plates are only good a little up down adjustment however to the contrary of what LI-Rick says above I like to and will replace my spring plates with adjustable ones because I like the ability to fine tune my ride height to compensate for the drivers side sag most cars have from always having a driver and no passenger for most of the suspensions life. I know with enough work you can fine tune this with the inner and outer torsion bar splines but I still like the adjustable plates. I am not worried about the little bit of increase in unsprung weight. My car is not a race car and I have installed  adjustable spring plates on 4 of my past cars and have noticed zero negative affects. So I agree to disagree with you Rick. I used my adjustable spring plates to adjust the ride height all the time. If I went on a trip in my Speedster with another person I raised the rear ride height to compensate for the extra person and the luggage. I ran the car very low and the extra weight caused the wheels to rub. So in this way the adjustable spring plates were very nice to have.

@Jimmy V., Colin Chapman would be very disappointed!   Probably ALB also!

My goal was a softer ride with the lowest practical ride height.  I changed out the adjustable front for dropped spindles.  I opted for smaller torsion bars in the rear with adjustable spring plates.  Theory being adjust the rear ride height to match the front.  Panhandle is right, adjustables do add weight but the fine tuning Jimmy mentioned is kinda handy.  I made the change in 2007, been on the car since.  I made a bunch of adjustments for exhaust ground clearance, larger tires and yes, imagined ones too.  The adjustables made getting the stance & ride I was after easier.