Stiff up the front on a non super....

[BeetleTwinTurbo]

Hi all,

I have a non super 1970 beetle, and I am pondering the idea of stiffening(sp?) up the front by putting in a sway bar, but to my surprise, theres no place to put one!

I later found out from another beetle enthusiast, that my car doesn't come with the front suspension that accepts a sway bar, only on the supers.

So, my question is how would I go about stiffening up the front of the car?

[vujade]

anti sway bar should be available to for a standard type 1.
you are not going to be able to get a strut tower bar though like on a super.

Sway Away (S.A.W) makes sway bars for standard beetles

[Steve C]

Hi

About the only way that you can make the front stiffer is by cutting & turning the torsion bars so that they act against one another, just like the way that you lower the car. As already mentioned you can buy a sway bar for your car.

Steve C

[kdanie]

A properly installed sway bar will not make your suspension stiffer, it will make your car resist body roll. Using stiff springs can cause handling problems over bumps. Springs and torsion bars slightly stiffer than stock with big sway bars is where it's at (according to some chassis experts) to ensure minimum body roll and maximum tire contact. If you run on smooth roads only, you can run stiff suspension and still handle. I have personally experienced loss of traction when cornering due to bumps, it aint fun.
ken

[vwpeter]

add a pair of caster shims between the lower axle beam and the frame head, will make it more stable in a straight line and high speed cruising. Although steering will feel a bit heavier.

[chigger]

The spring packs from a 181 thing work and are stiffer than stock. I would think you would only need one at the most. I would put it in the bottom tube as it seems to take the most abuse. You don't have to use the whole pack either. You could use just the 4 large inners or the six small outer springs. They should be changed in pairs on the opposite sides of the grub screw or you may get less up than down or vice versa. I would also mark the two spring sets also such as with a red stripe for one set and a green stripe for the other. This will help to keep you from getting confused as you go for the ride and handling you want.
Kdanie I had a simular problem to the oneyou have and I went to a lighter shock and it helped alot. In my case the torsion bars couldn't overcome the shocks fast enough and the wheels didn't follow the ground. They seemed to stay in the air. The tires would chirp when I hit the brakes on a bumpy road.
Hope some of this helps.