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Suspension parts and dial-in help needed:

FM Former Member
I need help in selecting which suspension parts to use for my project car. the chassis is a tube/spine based unit similar to what Cory has in his Speedster, the track is around 53", the wheelbase is 78.5". The body, while metal, is light enough for me to poke my head through the sun-roof opening and walk around with it like a steel rain poncho. Maybe weighs 150 pounds at best.

I've posted on a few Dune Buggy forums, mostly because of the weight and wheel base similarities, and have received some good information, but most of it was contradictory. Some used air shocks in front, others shunned them because of the harshness, some removed leaves from the beam, other thought that it ruined the ride, that sort of thing. I took this to mean that there was an off-road aspect to dune buggies, something doesn't apply to this project. I thought that what's being done with the suspension in Speedsters would better match my plans.

I'd like to "hear" from anyone who is really satisfied with the handling of their car, especially from those who have sorted theirs out to a high level of road handling and performance. I have access to nearly every kind and brand of VW suspension component, shy of the A-arm conversion, which I don't want to go with/don't have room for on this car. Any help at all would be huge, All I have now are contradictions and exaggerations . . . nearly every buggy owner swears that their car handles like it's on rails.


I need some serious help ! ! !


Thanks,


T
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FM Former Member
I need help in selecting which suspension parts to use for my project car. the chassis is a tube/spine based unit similar to what Cory has in his Speedster, the track is around 53", the wheelbase is 78.5". The body, while metal, is light enough for me to poke my head through the sun-roof opening and walk around with it like a steel rain poncho. Maybe weighs 150 pounds at best.

I've posted on a few Dune Buggy forums, mostly because of the weight and wheel base similarities, and have received some good information, but most of it was contradictory. Some used air shocks in front, others shunned them because of the harshness, some removed leaves from the beam, other thought that it ruined the ride, that sort of thing. I took this to mean that there was an off-road aspect to dune buggies, something doesn't apply to this project. I thought that what's being done with the suspension in Speedsters would better match my plans.

I'd like to "hear" from anyone who is really satisfied with the handling of their car, especially from those who have sorted theirs out to a high level of road handling and performance. I have access to nearly every kind and brand of VW suspension component, shy of the A-arm conversion, which I don't want to go with/don't have room for on this car. Any help at all would be huge, All I have now are contradictions and exaggerations . . . nearly every buggy owner swears that their car handles like it's on rails.


I need some serious help ! ! !


Thanks,


T
I Inter911
Well, I was and still am happy with the Red 9 Design front coil over set up I had on the car. If you look at it on their website you can see that with your resources I am sure that you could replicate it for very little money other than the coil overs.

I think that the thing with fully adjustable coil over set up is just that...fully adjustable. You can change the height, spring rate and dampening relatively easily and without having to buy new stuff all the time, other than springs maybe. The coil overs with their kit are made for their application by Spax but I think you could adapt other sets from this side of the pond with a little creativity.
Ron ORon O1984/2010 IM, B.C. Canada
I'm looking for the best suspension setup too. I'd like to go with coilovers (love them on my street/track Miata), but for now I'll see how my car handles with my new adjustable Koni Reds. I'm having Henry install a rear 'kafer' truss bar (some welding needed). Hopefully, this will tighten up the rear somewhat. I am running front and rear aftermarket sway bars. I had them on the IM before the rebuild and I thought the car handled very well with them-cornering was fairly neutral.
FM Former Member
Thanks for a good beginning. Once again the information is somewhat contradictory. The article that Gordon linked to mentions a severe handling problem in just running with the available aftermarket front and rear sway bars, I guess it took a days worth of swapping 20 various bars in and out before a compromise was found. While Ron says that he's running regular heavy duty front and rear bars to good effect. Quite possible the twenty bar swap resulted in the sizes of the bars that Ron bought first time out. Since I have a pair of the usual aftermarket bars already, I sure hope that this is the case. Anyone else with any info?

I'm narrowing things down, but could REALLY use more info to sort through!

Again, thanks for the help.

T
FM Former Member
Tom, I really wish I could help -- but with the beam and axles being narrowed, it's more rigid than before. Nothing you'd do to a stock chassis really applies anymore.
I can tell you that the suspension is finally dialed in with an eighth of an inch of negative camber -- the only adjusted possibility on my welded frame head -- and the addition of oil-filled shocks.
On a really hard launch, it feels a bit like the tires are under-inflated. Otherwise, no bars, the springs are shorter in front and the torsion bars are the IRS length with modified caps ...
Nothing special.
Ron ORon O1984/2010 IM, B.C. Canada
Tom, I'm basing my comment from memory, since I haven't driven my IM in four or five years. I'll know more when I drive the car again. You probably know this already, but your alignment will be a key factor in how your car handles. Compared to my Miata there is not a ton of good information out there on how to turn a VW based car into a canyon carver. One guy that does know his stuff is FJCamper on the Shoptalk forum.
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