Wider Front Beam - Part Deaux

Note to Barry Hudson and anyone else tinkering with front beam width:

Just got an email reponse from Sway-A-Way folks. They will make custom anti-sway bars. I asked for a 3/4 inch bar to fit a lowered, ball joint beam that was five inches wider than stock, all other specs same as stock. Their quote was $250, probably too pricy to pursue, in light of a "stock" bar being about $35, but the source info is good to know.
Anybody got any other sources?

Thanks David,
But mine is made and waiting in the shop, when we finaly get the motor back in the beetle which will be very soon .

Its already running. we are having jetting issues but when the 140s arive and we resniff it with the K&N fuel mix tester we should know more .

We are trying to build a dyno out of a bus automatic tranny by using a preasure gauge with a custom dial on it measuring ft lbs. form the main pump galley.

We got a trig student to do the math on it and we know we are close.
The load control is worked from the modulator valve location and much of the internals I removed and blocked off the needed passages The selector lever is locked in low range and the pinion bolted solid no diferencal, the holes have marine brass plugs in them. and a triple input seal setup. and the output seal is doubled Not enough room for 3 at the case split end. I dont think that was were it was leaking I think it was the govener output.

It will make it groul. when you load the engine a 3,000.. but we still have a leak at the case split so we had to stop ..but I think I have a fix for that with a thick peace of neopreame and I need to bypass the the govener completly somehow so far I only have $60. dollars in it. Its was the Bus tranny that I had to rob parts fron to fix the beetles tranny. The stand is a reworked cherry picker engine hoist that I had.. MR Vestal realy liked it.

The Howell bus manual I found has been a BIG help. I have had to translate much of it But i have a German Dictionary. but it still is not easy for me but I got enough figued out

What are you going to do for a anti-sway bar? or maybe no bar?

Keep posting on your build progress, as you know I am very interested. Now as soon as I get the house painted, the rear patio rebuilt (lumber in driveway - radial arm saw burned out), and the new gutters hung, maybe I can get to working on mine.

I made one that looks very much like a true 356 3 peace unit. It bolts onto the bummper brackets and has 2 arm that ues the smaller of the sway ba clamps to atach it to the control arms.

I have no idea what an original 356 style sway bar looks like, but if it "bolts to the bumper brackets" and clamps to the lower arm, doesn't that cause a bind? Puzzled?

I wish I had pictures for you on that but Its not finished yeat . You only use the 2 smaller clamps and bushings on the arms nearist to the lower ball joints

It should clear fine . The larger bushings are used at the bumper bracket with a saddle plate on each bracket. im still trying to find a better donor for the wider bar.

Ordered (commissioned might be a better word) a five inch wider front beam for my flared speedster today. Also ordered a five inch wider anti-sway bar fo go with it. Now I wait for about one month. ZZZZZZZZZ . . . .

David - with those stabilizer bars, your Speedy should take corners like a slot car!

My beam is on and the rack connected.
Friday I atempted to dial in the camber and toe end. I have a Question

If you set a straight level with the bubble at the bottom resting on the tire verticaly how much gap do you get at the bottom when you center the bubble on the level. both ecentrics have their notches to the front of the car I have 1/4 on one side the other will have to be tweeked to get it within adjustable range its out at the bottom. but I know what to do for that..

I just wanted to see how close I compare to you guys this is not a wide body and I have 185/65/15s on the front.

FYI - there is a step by step sway bar narrowing how to on the samba right now (with pictures). same concepts apply for widening.

Jim,
I've got 3/4 inch anti-sway bars on both the front and the rear of my speedy right now. Yes, it corners pretty flat. I wouldn't even consider any modification that didn't include a big fat anti-sway bar. The whole idea with a trailing arm suspension is to keep the tire square to the road under all possible conditions. How else ya gunna do that?

Well Im gona check it out and see what they did and keep a open mind about it

Barry,
I finally figured out what an original 356 sway bar looks like. Hey - it looks like a conventional sway bar! It's only the Beetle versions that install so different, NOT attached to the frame.

You say you "made" a wider one? What did you use for the torsion bar portion? Custom made or from some other donor?

I have a peace of 1/2 inch hex stock 4ft long.. I was going to try and make arms that clamp around the shaft kinda like the T-4 carb linkage.

Please notE i said,, i have tried to make one this is the second one..

Who did you say yoU knew could make one? If this also fails... I have a new one to go my superbeetle when I lowe the front to level the bug i may try somthing with theold one if this also fails.

But again I ask If you stand a 2ft level aganst the front tire and while keeping the top snug pull the lower end away from the tire until the bubble is in the center How much gap do you get between the tire and level at the lower end? I want to guess check the camber just to see how close I can get it before it is alined on a machine

IT would be nice to know a way to pre adjust the front end Close before it hits the road.

My first guess came up about 1/4inch gap at the bottom. or a degree angle of .30'

Has anyone tried one of the new digital levels to set camber?

Ha !! Now your talking that would be very acurate,an they are fairly inexpencive , Perfect!!! Also I think 30' is from the centerline of the joints so that will not be right . My next guess came up with 4' degrees. or closer to 3/8 nchdoes that sound correct ??

I got a angle finder with a needle works just fine. I took her for a ride this evening....NICE!! Very very nice.