Hi,
On a 71 super.....
Do I need adjustable struts? I was gonna keep them at 3 inches anyway, and just hope it looked good. To change the height, you have to remove them, right?.....and, won't any old struts do, like bugpack? same stuff right? how is it different
what about strut inserts....gas kyb's right? do I need shortened struts for lower 3 inches of drop?
and, I want to get topline springs, I have read they are the best.....How large a tire size can I put on the carwith this? both in rim diameter and in tire size....
like...after the topline install, springs...adjusta...3 inches low....ccoulld I run 17 inch chromies? Will the bolt patterns fit? what bolt patterns do I have? what do you guys run? whats my name and what am I doing here? am I ever going to act like a 42 year old?..................oh...sorry....
]
well, whatever.....
help?
surfbug1
I have 13's on now,,,,,,but they have 17's on sale as sears....and I have a charge card!!!!!
so
adjust a struts.....needed or not? are cheapies any good?
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surfbug11
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 6:07 pm
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72super
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2002 12:01 am
Ok, first of all, you can't lower a super without getting adjustable struts (unless you put on some lowering springs).
Second, while you can use any brand of adjustable struts that fit your year, Topline's adjustable struts are of much higher quality, have better and more welds, and are the only brand of struts reccomended for any kind of racing.
To change the height of an adjustable strut, you must disassemble the strut (make sure to be safe and use spring compressors). It is not a complicated process, but you need the proper tools.
Gas strut inserts will give superior handling characteristics, but will also slightly raise the strut. I have heard that Sport+ springs negate this effect.
Because you have a 71', the adjustable struts you will get can be lowered up to 5 inches. There is a catch involved, you will need to modify some of the front suspension components to get a significant drop.
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
These two posts have a lot of information regarding the lowering of a superbeetle. I reccomend reading them.
On the subject of tire clearances, are you seriously running a 13" rim? What is your tire profile? Find the numbers on the side of your tire and post them. 13" rims are not stock for aircooled VWs, and are pretty much considered obsolete slalom wheels from the 70's and 80's. All superbeetles came from the factory with 15" wheels.
With stock type adjustable struts and narrower Sport+ springs, it is possible to fit a 5.5in wide rim with 195/55/15 tires up front and about a 2-3 inch drop, I believe.
If the chromies you are referring to are stock VW wheels that have been chromed with stock hubcaps, they are 15" wheels and will certainly fit under the front of your superbeetle.
These?
The stock VW bolt pattern is 4x130mm, a fairly rare bolt pattern that very few other vehicles use. The 4 lug rims you find on sale at Sears will be 4x100mm, and will not fit your VW.
Here is a link to a site that has pretty much every wheel designed for the aircooled VW
http://www.amayesing.com/wheels.htm
17" wheels will be too big to fit under the front of your VW with the adjustable struts. You would need Topline's MAXX Struts, which are much thinner, to use that big of a wheel.
There are no 17" wheels that will fit your super without redrilling your hubs to accept the 4x100 bolt pattern.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
Second, while you can use any brand of adjustable struts that fit your year, Topline's adjustable struts are of much higher quality, have better and more welds, and are the only brand of struts reccomended for any kind of racing.
To change the height of an adjustable strut, you must disassemble the strut (make sure to be safe and use spring compressors). It is not a complicated process, but you need the proper tools.
Gas strut inserts will give superior handling characteristics, but will also slightly raise the strut. I have heard that Sport+ springs negate this effect.
Because you have a 71', the adjustable struts you will get can be lowered up to 5 inches. There is a catch involved, you will need to modify some of the front suspension components to get a significant drop.
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
These two posts have a lot of information regarding the lowering of a superbeetle. I reccomend reading them.
On the subject of tire clearances, are you seriously running a 13" rim? What is your tire profile? Find the numbers on the side of your tire and post them. 13" rims are not stock for aircooled VWs, and are pretty much considered obsolete slalom wheels from the 70's and 80's. All superbeetles came from the factory with 15" wheels.
With stock type adjustable struts and narrower Sport+ springs, it is possible to fit a 5.5in wide rim with 195/55/15 tires up front and about a 2-3 inch drop, I believe.
If the chromies you are referring to are stock VW wheels that have been chromed with stock hubcaps, they are 15" wheels and will certainly fit under the front of your superbeetle.
These?
The stock VW bolt pattern is 4x130mm, a fairly rare bolt pattern that very few other vehicles use. The 4 lug rims you find on sale at Sears will be 4x100mm, and will not fit your VW.
Here is a link to a site that has pretty much every wheel designed for the aircooled VW
http://www.amayesing.com/wheels.htm
17" wheels will be too big to fit under the front of your VW with the adjustable struts. You would need Topline's MAXX Struts, which are much thinner, to use that big of a wheel.
There are no 17" wheels that will fit your super without redrilling your hubs to accept the 4x100 bolt pattern.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
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surfbug11
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 6:07 pm
72super wrote:Ok, first of all, you can't lower a super without getting adjustable struts (unless you put on some lowering springs).
***I am going to get adjustable struts....springs and strut inserts....do the whole thing once, so they say.....
Second, while you can use any brand of adjustable struts that fit your year, Topline's adjustable struts are of much higher quality, have better and more welds, and are the only brand of struts reccomended for any kind of racing.
***I am not going to race, only an off ramp or two....not in compettition......I would hope that the other brands would at least hold together during normal driving...right?
**** I am looking at latest rage, and at kustom parts, the adjustastrut equivalent they sell is about 85 dollars......are these the bugpack models? Who makes the "less welded" models, and they are all kinda the same, right?
To change the height of an adjustable strut, you must disassemble the strut (make sure to be safe and use spring compressors). It is not a complicated process, but you need the proper tools.
****ok, so I would have to rip the front end apart again,.....so I am going to set the struts for a three inch drop, not a five; I am in NYC......Also, I am going to get topline sport+ springs.....I have read that the ride is very good.....so I will probably get a little more drop from them.....and if I get lowered strut inserts, they will lower the ride height as well, correct? or will they just keep it the same when I dial it down with the adjusta struts....????
Gas strut inserts will give superior handling characteristics, but will also slightly raise the strut. I have heard that Sport+ springs negate this effect.
***** Maybe I will do gasKYB strut inserts....and sport+springs and set up the adjustastruts to the middle setting of three inches... the strut inserts and the sport+ springs will negate each other here.....
I see there are choices for the strut inserts....KYB, lowered, gas, oil....anyone know the difference???
Because you have a 71', the adjustable struts you will get can be lowered up to 5 inches. There is a catch involved, you will need to modify some of the front suspension components to get a significant drop.
****yes, I have heard about the flip it bump steer thing.....but what mods need to be done to use this? Ihave heard that there is some machining involved.....but what type of machining and where exactly....???
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... highlight=
These two posts have a lot of information regarding the lowering of a superbeetle. I reccomend reading them.
On the subject of tire clearances, are you seriously running a 13" rim?
***Hey, I got the set of 13 inch telephone dail rims with sears tires for 80 bucks at a swap meet....cant beat that with a stick!!!!!!!!!!...they are 13's but the tire profile is larger in the rear so the car sits kinda sloped forward....it looks cool, but it is all out of geometry as far as the ride is concerned....
What is your tire profile? Find the numbers on the side of your tire and post them. 13" rims are not stock for aircooled VWs, and are pretty much considered obsolete slalom wheels from the 70's and 80's. All superbeetles came from the factory with 15" wheels.
*** I will check the tire numbers and post them...
With stock type adjustable struts and narrower Sport+ springs, it is possible to fit a 5.5in wide rim with 195/55/15 tires up front and about a 2-3 inch drop, I believe.
***cool....that is the direction I am heading.....
If the chromies you are referring to are stock VW wheels that have been chromed with stock hubcaps, they are 15" wheels and will certainly fit under the front of your superbeetle.
***they are chrome sears wheels.....I gues I have to check and go to some shows, and see what wheels I like.....
These?
The stock VW bolt pattern is 4x130mm, a fairly rare bolt pattern that very few other vehicles use. The 4 lug rims you find on sale at Sears will be 4x100mm, and will not fit your VW.
****oh well....at least I know that the bolt pattern is 4 by 130...thanks
Here is a link to a site that has pretty much every wheel designed for the aircooled VW
http://www.amayesing.com/wheels.htm
17" wheels will be too big to fit under the front of your VW with the adjustable struts. You would need Topline's MAXX Struts, which are much thinner, to use that big of a wheel.
*****MAXX struts.....just buy them, and thats it right? they make up the adjusta struts, sport+springs, and the inserts all in one compact unit, right?
There are no 17" wheels that will fit your super without redrilling your hubs to accept the 4x100 bolt pattern.
**ok...thanks
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
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72super
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2002 12:01 am
For normal driving and stuff, the other brand adjustable struts work fine. I have EMPI ones myself, but they came with the car when I bought it 
. Any brand other than Topline's I would consider to be 'less welded'. All the other brand adjustable struts are pretty much the same.
I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that lowered strut inserts affect how low the strut puts your front end. I think they are just shorter so they aren't compressed all the time when it is lowered. I could be wrong on this, I have the same ones that came with the car in my super.
There is machining involved with the flip it kit. If you go and look under your car, you will see that the tie rod is attached to the top of the spindle. This is a bushing type thing that allows you to attach the tie rod to the bottom of the spindle, making more distance between the tie rod and the body, otherwise when you hit a bump with your lowered front end, your tie rod with bash up against the body and bend
. You have to take your spindle off the car and have a drill press bore a new hole for the bearing.
I would reccomend using 15-16 inch wheels on your super, because you need that tire height for correct suspension geometry and gear ratios.
Yes, the MAXX struts replace adjustable struts, sport+ springs, and the strut inserts. I'm not sure what all goes into installing them, so call Topline for more info. I would reccomend buying these if you plan on using large and/or wide wheel/tire combinations in the future.
http://www.toplineparts.com/
I needed the camber+ kit to get my wheels level again after I lowered the car. It's a minor detail, but hung up my car for a couple weeks waiting for them to arrive!
. Any brand other than Topline's I would consider to be 'less welded'. All the other brand adjustable struts are pretty much the same.I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think that lowered strut inserts affect how low the strut puts your front end. I think they are just shorter so they aren't compressed all the time when it is lowered. I could be wrong on this, I have the same ones that came with the car in my super.
There is machining involved with the flip it kit. If you go and look under your car, you will see that the tie rod is attached to the top of the spindle. This is a bushing type thing that allows you to attach the tie rod to the bottom of the spindle, making more distance between the tie rod and the body, otherwise when you hit a bump with your lowered front end, your tie rod with bash up against the body and bend
. You have to take your spindle off the car and have a drill press bore a new hole for the bearing.I would reccomend using 15-16 inch wheels on your super, because you need that tire height for correct suspension geometry and gear ratios.
Yes, the MAXX struts replace adjustable struts, sport+ springs, and the strut inserts. I'm not sure what all goes into installing them, so call Topline for more info. I would reccomend buying these if you plan on using large and/or wide wheel/tire combinations in the future.
http://www.toplineparts.com/
I needed the camber+ kit to get my wheels level again after I lowered the car. It's a minor detail, but hung up my car for a couple weeks waiting for them to arrive!