TheSamba.com :: View topic - Turning a front end axle to a mid travel.. help needed

Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:04 pm

Im gonna get right in to it. I have a VW 1600 Engine Sand Rail. It has a stock front axle beam, and the suspension is really bad. We have to slow down for every little woop! Is there a way to convert this stock front end into a mid travel buggy? We want the cheapest way possible... any ideas? Thanks!

P.S - It'd be nice if we didnt have to do any welding work... maybe a place to order the front axle beam all ready for mid-travel?

EDIT : Heres the only pic I have of the buggys front end, for a little help here.

Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:33 pm

Ball joint or link pin?

Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:36 pm

It would be a link pin.

Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:37 pm

What type of budget are we talking about? And what type of use/abuse?

Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:42 pm

Sorry, I meant ball joint. Im pretty sure its from a '72. I want to stay under $1500 if possible. We use it for small stuff like the desert in ocotillo wells. Going down washes, trails, etc. We just want suspension that can handle going over Woops ( mid-travel should do it )

Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:55 pm

You have a couple of options.
1. You can rotate the center stop screw for more lift and rework the trailing arm stops to get more travel if you are not already at the top of the travel to begin with. Most stock axle buggies are so light, they are already there. Shocks are the stock travel limit and they will break if you count on them off road. First the valving goes, then the lower mounting breaks, but by then usually they are doing nothing anyway. The ball joints have limited travel limits and they will also break if used much more than over the stock range. The hook and rod is a popular solution to the travel limit problem, but it requires some welding.
2. Your complaint may well be solved by better shocks [ones actually made for a buggy like SwayAway, Fox, Bilstein] and external limiters such as the hook and rod or Warrior type upper stop and a strap for the bottom one over the shock. The strap needs no welding.
3. You can use longer trailing arms, they will give more travel because they travel a larger radius for the same twist of the spring. Ball joints still don't like this and I think all extended arms are for link pins only. Converting to link pins and extending the beam mount the same amount as the arms extend rearward is a good solution, but there are lots of parts to buy.
Then again, breaking down early on a trip costs quite a bit too.

Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:00 pm

Any idea where to get shocks for a decent price? ( under $400 ) that are good? Or any idea where to get good trailing arms for under $400?

Mon Mar 05, 2012 8:47 pm

since you don't want to do any welding and your buggy is a ball joint then I would order a Bugyzilla (sp?) front beam. It has Balljoint spacing but allows you to use king pin arms and spindles. Get some good shocks , fox, king, Bilstein and have fun.
If you wanted to do some welding or have someone do it for you then I would suggest just modifying the frame to accept a kingpin beam. Pretty easy to do since it as a tube frame. Only the top tube would need to be modified. Any competent fab shop or backyard fabber should be able to do this quite easily. And of course the same recomendation for shocks

Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:33 pm

You have a link pin in the picture so you have some good options for more travel. Search link pin mid travel and you should come up with lots of options. Shocks will depend on what you ultimately end up with as far as travel.

Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:35 pm

Oh so I do have a link pin! Ok...

ANYONE : Is there a website I could order a custom Mid Travel Linkpin Front End Kit on this thing? ( CHEAP IF POSSIBLE )

Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:39 pm

Warrior make some good beams, but I'm not a link pin guy so others will have more input but here is some to look at

http://www.dansperformanceparts.com/buggy/susp/buggyaftermarket%20front.htm

Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:49 pm

AEH wrote: Warrior make some good beams, but I'm not a link pin guy so others will have more input but here is some to look at

http://www.dansperformanceparts.com/buggy/susp/buggyaftermarket%20front.htm

Woah... $1000... Id like just a bit down from there if possible. Maybe it itsnt possible and ill have to throw in the money d:

Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:51 pm

ALSO, what about upgrading the back of our buggy? We have some little Coil Overs.. should we replace anything back there other than shocks?

Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:07 pm

I run a rail similar to yours, I extended the shock towers on the link pin beam just so I could run F150 truck shocks. Had a set of Rancho shocks for a couple years, and when one blew I replaced them with real nice Gabriels. Both sets were essentially junk yard shocks, and I ran them hard in the whoops with a rear swing car similar to yours, I do so much time skipping the tops of the whoops the only way to steer most of the time is with the steering brakes! Try a good shock upgrade first. Sorry to be so long winded.