Setting An Adjustable Beam:

Video Tips:

The tools you will need are:

Wheel Chocks
Jack
8mm Wrench
22mm Wrench
1/2" Drive Ratchet
22mm Socket
8mm Allen Wrench
Drive On Ramps

Video Transcript:

Hi, I'm Sam with JBugs.com

With our 1963 Resto Custom Beetle getting ready to leave for paint and body soon, we figured we'd get the front ride height set to a more appropriate level. We want to bring the front end down, to just below the rear, to give it a nice stance that isn't so nose high.

 

We have the rear wheels chocked; we jack up the front end, and slide a pair of drive on ramps underneath the front wheels. The car is lowered down a bit but not all the way as we do not want the full weight of the car sitting on the suspension.

 

Our fuel tank is still out and makes adjusting the beam much easier. At the top through the trunk, we remove the lock nut and loosen the lock nut for the center adjuster. On the bottom tube we do the same, removing the lock nut. We use an allen wrench with a wrench for additional leverage to loosen the torsion screw and nut since the nut was so tight. As the lower nut loosens the center adjuster frees up and we can see there is still some load on the suspension.

 

With both adjusters now loose we can lower the car down, even further than would be drive able. Setting the ride height is sort of a trial and error. Jacking up the car, setting the adjusters, lowering it down to see where the car sits, and adjusting from there.

 

We jack up the car to the height we want and then jack it up another inch or so knowing that the springs will settle. We just want to know how much they are going to settle. The upper adjuster is tightened, followed by the lower, and the front end is lowered back down.

 

The car has settled much more than an inch. We mark the height of the fender on the tire with a piece of tape and jack the car up to an inch above the tire where we first set the adjusters. With a measuring tape we come up with two and seven eights of an inch.

 

We can now jack up our car, about three inches above our desired ride height. With the tires just barely clear of the ramps, we loosen both the upper and lower adjusters once more, so the adjusters can rotate up in the tubes. Once again the upper adjuster is tightened, then the lower is tightened, and the front end is dropped down and at this time settles at a much more suitable ride height.

 

We turn the wheels lock to lock to make sure that the tires clear the fenders. We double check the adjuster nuts to make certain that they are extremely tight. Install and tighten the lock nuts on the upper and lower tubes. We pull the wheel chocks, roll the car back off the ramps, and are greeted with a stance that is much more in line with what we like.

 

Up next, well install some pop out windows because we never like drilling a painted car. The Resto Custom Beetle will be heading out for a while giving us some time to work on other projects like our 1971 Euro Look Beetle. Until then, pop on over to JBugs.com for all the suspension parts and accessories you'll need for your vintage VW.