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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3152
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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 Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 8:03 am Post subject: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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I am putting together a document that talks about the evolution of the adjustable front end and I was hoping to gather some facts on it if anyone had any.
Select-a-drop - Who came out with it first and when did EMPI make a copy of it?
Avis Adjuster - Who came out with it first? Any dates or old photos?
Adjustable Beam - Did EMPI come out with it first or did a company like Jaytech bring it to the table first?
If you have any info, I thank you in advance for your assistance.
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Bulli Klinik
Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2005
Posts: 2080
Location: Bulli Klinik, Colorado Springs
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| Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 9:18 am Post subject: Re: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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I believe that it was copied from the 356.
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Bulli Klinik
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Teeroy 
Samba Member
Joined: April 20, 2003
Posts: 3685
Location: Eastern WA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 9:27 am Post subject: Re: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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Don't forget the Sway Away adjusters. I think Berg was early with the Avis adjuster (maybe with Dean Lowery)
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Busstom
Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2014
Posts: 3857
Location: San Jose, CA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 10:11 am Post subject: Re: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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| Teeroy wrote: |
| Don't forget the Sway Away adjusters... |
Right, in some respects, this is the ideal adjuster, as it is essentially infinite with no graduated increments. It is also the design used on most (if not all) of Airkewld's beams (sans bagged beams).
And I've never heard of Sway-A-Way type adjusters "jumping" or "slipping" as some avis-type designs have done in the past (though most of those mishaps have been rectified with design upgrades).
| Airkewld wrote: |
| Adjustable Beam - Did EMPI come out with it first or did a company like Jaytech bring it to the table first? |
Sway-A-Way. As Teeroy mentioned, it started as a mod (aftermarket part), then the knockoffs came along and companies just started doing the dirty work for the customer and making beams with those "jack screw" type adjusters already integrated.
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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3152
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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Airkewld
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Joined: November 14, 2003
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Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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HarrysRatBug
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2021
Posts: 27
Location: Grand Forks ND
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| Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 10:33 pm Post subject: Re: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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| When I bought my adjustable ball joint beam with Avis style adjusters, I remember something about it being for a VW Puma from Brazil. But that was yearssss ago! |
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Erik G
Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2002
Posts: 13286
Location: Tejas!
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| Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 10:23 am Post subject: Re: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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| HarrysRatBug wrote: |
| When I bought my adjustable ball joint beam with Avis style adjusters, I remember something about it being for a VW Puma from Brazil. But that was yearssss ago! |
yep - CB performance brought over the puma beams |
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Airkewld
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2003
Posts: 3152
Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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Glenn
Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001
Posts: 76977
Location: Sneaking up behind you
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| Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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What about the old school of a 50lb bag of sand in the tire well?
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EVfun
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Joined: April 01, 2012
Posts: 5498
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:20 am Post subject: Re: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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The original way I knew of to drop the front of a Bug was to "cut and turn" the beam. If you were doing both tubes a 1/4 inch turn at the tube was about 1.5 inches in ride height change. The first narrowed beams I heard of where done as a part of cutting and turning to lower. The material was removed from each side of center and then the frame mounts where moved out.
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56Cabrio
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Joined: May 22, 2008
Posts: 1899
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
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Busstom
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Joined: November 23, 2014
Posts: 3857
Location: San Jose, CA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:04 am Post subject: Re: History of the Adjustable Front End |
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^ ^ ^ The Original Jaw-Breaker   Selecta-Drop, right?
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Airkewld
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Location: Goodyear, AZ USA
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