Baja Bug Rear suspension set up?

[Erik Irvine]

I am currently rebuilding my baja bug. One of the things I am doing is running longer arms all around to get more travel. In the front I am putting 4" longer arms with 2.0 dual rate coil overs. This will get about 14" of travel in the front (I have heard). The question I have is the rear suspension. I currently have 3x3 rear arms with type2 cv's. I am going to run 2.5" coil overs in the rear. Should I buy longer arms than that or do 3x3's have a sufficient amount of travel to keep up with the front end. I have also been thinking about upgrading to 930 cv's because I have heard that they allow you to have a greater angle (which gives it more travel). I don't want to spend too much, but I also don't want my rear slowing me down. Let me know what you guys think would be the best thing to do for not an outrageous amount of money. How much travel, and how much money are my main questions. Thanks for the input

nothing feels better than to pass somebody through the whoops, well... almost nothing

 

[Mike_HKmtrsprts]

your front set up is good the rear you need to step up to 930 CV's with 3x3 arms at 25 deg. on the axels you should beable to pull around 15" of travel which would keep up with the front just fine and make sure you run micro stubs not just stub axels for the rear that way if you ever break an axel you wont loose the tire and all causing more damage also in the rear see if you can sqeeze in an air bump you'll thank me later on...Mike

<font color=red>The dump you take is the gold I make so I can afford to play and race!</font color=red>

 

[Erik Irvine]

What would air bumps on the rear do, is this so it wouldn't bottom out so harsh, and not make the rear end buck? Also how much do those micro-stubs, axles, and all that stuff cost around? I had talked to race ready, and ORW about cv's. They both suggested running some type of 930 (I don't remember). I do remeber them doing something to the cages. What would be the best 930 cv for me if I want travel but still want the cv to withstand a beating, also how much do those cost about?

nothing feels better than to pass somebody through the whoops, well... almost nothing

 

[1992f150]

what is your budget, a full 930 setup is not cheap. You need new axles, stubs, 4 cvs, and flanges.

Azusa: shame of the foothills

 

[Erik Irvine]

Well I spent $2,000 on my front suspension, so... I guess I would like to get all that stuff for $600-$800, how does that sound?

nothing feels better than to pass somebody through the whoops, well... almost nothing

 

[DailyPedal]

I recommend waiting until you have more money. A complete 930 set-up using new high quality stuff can run $1000 (new CV's, cages, reg SAW axles, boots, flanges, bolts). But, that does not include stub axles, bearings, spacers or brakes. Stubs run $75 for reworked VW to $250 for race (and they all will break). A large CNC rear brake is $700-900. Add it up, a complete quality setup can run $2000 to almost $3000. If you have not purchased rear arms, now would be the time to step-up to micro stub. Arms are the same as for VW, if not a little less and the price of the micro stub includes a $900 (comparable) disc brake kit and racing stubs ($500pr comparable). There are people making these kits cheaper-there is a reason for it and I would stay away from them. I have seen a lot of failures. Kartek has a proven part, I would go there. If travel is what you want, you will get more travel with the micro stub. As to the arm geometry, if you want to keep it simple, stay with the 3x3. The other arms may require you to move the engine and transmission around to correct the geometry and axle plunge. Plus, in a baja, you are limited in up travel anyway. Look into air bumps, a bitchen addition for $400.

 

[Erik Irvine]

How would this combo sound. 930 CV's, new axles boots, and flanges. Then I buy some 2.5 coilovers and an air bump. How would that handle? How much would it cost excluding the shocks and bumps

nothing feels better than to pass somebody through the whoops, well... almost nothing

 

[DailyPedal]

Cv's w/cro moly cages are $125 ea. Each boot and flange runs $40 together. Saw axles are $200pr. Bus trans flanges are $70 each. And stubs are $75 ea. $25 for new bigger bolts. All of these prices are for the same quality of parts (except for the axles) that we would run on a 1600 car. If you buy it as a package at a place like Kartek, they might make you a package deal. On a VW pan, the frame horn will have to be cut away to clear the CV flange and then built back up. The only drawback to doing it this way is that you will not have as much downtravel, the stub axles and bearing set up is weaker and you still should be thinking about brakes-versus micro stub. Otherwise, the car should work good with this set up and the shocks you mentioned and you can probably do the work in steps instead of in one huge hit with the micro stubs. But again, I recommend waiting until you can afford the micro stub set up. It sucks to get a car like this done and realize for almost the same money you could have built it with more travel, better brakes and much stronger. And if you wait, and do your homework, it might be worth the additional work to use even longer arms and correct the geometry to make more travel.

 

[Erik Irvine]

Thanks for the sound advice, you taught me alot. The car I am rebuilding was stolen recently. I don't know of you have seen it on here, but it is the red one stolen in Barstow. They took pretty much everything but the trans, body and frame. We are taking this opportunity to rebuild the car how we would like it. The one thing we wanted before was a little bit more travel. My girlfriend and I (split the cost of the car) are both full time college students. When we do work we both make less than $10 hr. The reason I am telling you this is so you can get a better feel for what we can afford. We already estimate the cost of rebuilding to take us a couple of years to afford, so we have to balance what we feel we need, and what we can do without. Thanks for the input

nothing feels better than to pass somebody through the whoops, well... almost nothing

 

[1992f150]

"My girlfriend and I split the cost of the car"

dang does she have a sister?
What did you have in the rear before? You said 3x3s, what kind of shocks, and torsions?

 

[Erik Irvine]

Yes she has a sister, but I think she is a freshman in highschool. Sorry I already picked up the good one!

We currently have type-2 CV'S and I am not sure which axles. We two (per side0 Fox 8" travel shocks before, but they were stolen.

nothing feels better than to pass somebody through the whoops, well... almost nothing

 

[1992f150]

One thing I have thought about doing to save money is to run a 2" coilover without a resivor, then also run a normal race shock with resivor, or a 5100 if your hurting for cash. I already have the race shocks though, if you dont it might not be worth it. Fox sells a 2.0, 14" coilover for $315. Keep in mind you still have to buy springs.

Azusa: shame of the foothills

 

[DailyPedal]

Just like everyone else, you are on a tight budget so the bottom line is you will not be able to thrash around like you want. In other words, if you keep your speed in check, the 3x3's w/type 2 cv's and 8in shocks will work fine. In fact, the limited travel will cut down on your transmission bills until you can afford to do it right. If you spend money on longer travel, lets say that 600-800 you stated earlier...that money might be thrown away if you find that you need to go to micro-stubs later for more travel. Arms, axles(must be longer), stubs(VW), and sometimes shocks(too short) are all different when you go to micro-stub. If you are truly on a budget, set a goal of what kind of car you really want, regardless of budget, and make this car last with the least money possible, and slow down.

 

[Erik Irvine]

Thats some good advice. The car we really want is the car sitting in my garage. We are perfectly happy with the car we have, I can see myself still loving it in ten years, but... The one major upgrade we want is more suspension. I just want to be able to go through bigger bumps, whoops, and have some travel for safety sake. I can rail through a whoop section as is but if I slow down less than 50m.p.h it starts to get sketchy. I would rather be able to go through them at 30 m.p.h but I need more wheel travel to do this. We aren't going to be racing, or bombing on the thing too hard. I just wanted a upgrade not a full blown long travel car.

nothing feels better than to pass somebody through the whoops, well... almost nothing