944 spring plate question

[Humble]

I'm currently in the middle of an '86 944 suspension swap on my 1302. The front is more or less done, minus the flip it bushing kit. The rear is what i'm waiting on right now.

I thought I read somewhere that the spring plate perch on the beetle has to be clearanced but I'm not sure on where. I have test fitted the 944 spring plate, and due to the adjustment bolts, it looks as if it would slip off of the stops. Do i need to cut the lower perch, or grind down the heads on the adjustment bolts? I considered cutting the lower spring plate perch far enough forward so that it wouldn't interfere with the adjustment bolts on the spring plate, but it seems to me the integrity of the upper shock mount would be compromised.

Also, for anyone else running the late model aluminum porsche trailing arms, what length axles are you using? I've got the t2 pattern output flanges on the tranny but need to find the correct length axles.

[GUTTERS]

when i fitted my 944 spring plates i took some material of the bolt heads which go through the spring plates and a tiny bit of the shock tower adjacent to the bolt heads but only a thou or so. hope this helps.

[Humble]

gutters, have you already finished your swap? did you use the late 944 aluminum trailing arms and have you fitted axles yet?

[GUTTERS]

Well i have finished installing the alloy arms but when i did mine i also had to conert my swing axle to i.r.s. the set up is complete bar the axles which i still have to sort out. using a 1303s box with 181 out put flanges and hope fully going to use 944 axles if they are long enough, if not will have to try the longer t2 shafts as these will mate up with the drive flanges.

[Wally]

Humble,
I've used the Bus/transporter T2 axles to fit my 1303 gearbox to my late allow arms (the '+74 mm each side' ones). Bug CV's on the box side (slip rigth onto the bus axles) and the original bus CV's on the wheel side. It was a gamble when I bought the axles, but it fits fine.
Good luck,
Walter

[Humble]

wally, thanks for the info. there's a plethora of axles i can pick from, so i'll try the bug cv on the t2 axle, see if it works.

how did you guys work the e-brake problem? i think there's a kit (i don't remember who makes it) that uses the beetle cable, and an adapter that fits in with the 944 e-brake. no cutting of cables required. I've also kicked around the idea of using all the 944 stuff, even the e-brake handle, not sure though

[Humble]

Wally, what year of T2 axles did you use? I tried the axles from my 76 bus with bug cv's on the inside, and the combo is about 2-3 inches too short.

[Wally]

Humble,
I think it was from a Transporter (that's a T3 bus here) from 1979 or 1980. Not a T2 therefore, which would explain the difference.

The e-brake fitment you can make yourself: just saw from a 4mm thick iron plate a similar piece as is in the 944 brake disk, but then make a hook on it with a wide enough round hook for strength, so the bug e-cable attaches to it. When you have the parts in your hand, you will probably understand this better.
Good luck on the parts hunt!

Walter

[Humble]

I keep running into opposition here when i mention putting bug cv's onto a '79-'80 vanagon axles. appearantly the vanagon axles have different splines than the bug cv's. also, the cv's on a vanagon axle are press fit, unlike the bug and bus where they are held on with circlips.

how did you make your axles work? did you just press on the cv's or do they slip on like the older style?

nevermind, i figured it out. a few people were blowing smoke up my a$$. got the swap done, drove it around. need to fix the exhaust, and the alignment. love the new setup!

[The Pirate]

I decided I did not need the Porsche adjustment bolts for the spring plates. I removed the molded on rubbers. Cut an inch off of the fixed plate and welded the two together. Done. i will save up to buy some of those fancy pants exspensive german ones later...

[The Pirate]

Ok so here is a question. I know you more or less have to use the WV Beetle rubber on the inside end of the 944 spring plates because the Porsche rubbers do not fit properly in the torsion housing. How ever is it prefered to use the 944 rubber on the outside end or the Beetle rubber? i ask because I am using Beetle rubbers on both the inside and outside. Should I reconsider this and go with as much 944 rubber as possible?

[wrenchnride247]

The out side bushings have the same measurements. I bought weltmiester porsche bushings, and polyurethane VW bushings. Of course, the Porsche ones cost more .

[Humble]

I used urethane beetle bushings on the 944 spring plate. I think I used the 944 spring plate retainer but I can't remember for sure.