Considering front beam torsion springs replacements

Hi,
Im seeking opinion on replacing the front beam torsion spring leaves during my 73westy restore. They are, after all, 40 year old springs with a couple of hundred thou on them. A coil spring setup would certainly be replaced during a vehicle resto...The handling of our busses tends to get criticised, but how many are actually running with new, stock, front end everything?
I've kinda talked myself into it, but if there's an opinion out there to rein me in please share .
Cheers


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What would you replace them with, that is the problem. Chinese junk ?

 

Good point...is the vw classic parts item made in China?


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Unless they’re broken don’t change them. New ones, wherever they are manufactured, are unlikely to be as good as the originals.

 

I'd have assumed that they are VW parts made in Brazil for the recently discontinued T2.

I still have the pair I took out of mine 10 years back when I fitted an EZ rider set up. I'm planning to go back to stock (been saying this for a while now). The springs look like new when cleaned up. There's no sign of twisting.

New ball joints and steering components should be your first consideration.

 

why you going back?

 

Yeah I'd assumed the vw classic parts are made in Brazil. I'm in the midst of a full resto so every ball joint/bushing/bearing is getting replaced. I wouldn't expect to see any twisting on them, but the spring rate properties are unlikely to be factory specs......Here's my bus dropped off at the Sandblaster....

So is there merit in replacing the front torsion springs with new vw classic parts, even if they are made in Brazil?


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They might not be as good as what when in originally, but are they closer to factory spring rate specs than 40 year old ones?


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To be fair the EZ rider set up is not a very comfortable ride. It relies on coil springs which have a shorter travel and faster rate than original so it's noticeably bouncy even with finely tuned gas shocks.

Has anybody overcome this?

 

I thought the brazilian bays used to old split type kingpin set up

 

hell that looks in good condition!

 

This is the worst safety and engineering excuse for a suspension mod ever ..... I have seen two fail and could have caused fatal accidents .....what moron uses the shock tower and replaces the spring with a sold bar with crappy shoulder bolts that shear off ???? if you valve you life go back to stock

 

Thanks, hopefully it looks good post sand blasting spent it's life in Yuma Arizona and I picked it up from the original owners estate.....

It wasnt my intention to debate the pro and cons of non factory type fitments/equipment or mods, I'm really interested in views for replacing my 40 yr old springs with new (vw classic) springs.


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Yup that's also been a consideration. Care to elaborate what happened in those two cases?

 

No ... the two cases I`ve seen the end of the lower rod sheared where its been necked down for the grub screw causing the wheel to go 45 degrees ... all the weight of the bus is on the two shock mounts that were never designed for anything other than a shock ..... luckily both cases they were traveling a slow speed

 

Please please please do not replace all the steering suspension etc joint just because you think new is better, it absolutely positively is not, after a year if you're looky most of the rubber components with be perished and the majority of the joints will be worn out, it really is false economy, replace what's broken or worn otherwise leave it, its lasted 30 odd years for a reason

 

Yes, I saw some pics of this too. Every year for the MOT, I check that the grub screws are sufficiently tight, but I think some ham fisted mechanics may think they need heavy torquing and damage the swivels on the rods.

I've not seen any examples of the coil over shock assembly collapsing though that's what everybody worries about (me too initially to a small extent).

 

Ive just done all my ball joints etc, not for fun though, they was all kippered !!!

 

It's the tightening of the grub screws than stops the movement of the rod causing it to shear ... They should just locate the rod to stop the arms moving out