DIY Kafer Brace

[zeroaxe]

Steve C,

Sorry, you lost me there... Are you referring to a certain model Bug?

[Steve C]

Hi

The beam front end beetles (ball joint or king & link) have different lenght tie rods, the passenger side is very long. It may be suitable for the rod between the shocks.

Steve

[Bruce2]

He's talking about the one on the passenger side of a Standard Beetle.

[zeroaxe]

Thanks fellas,

I will have a dig around at work to see if anything comes up there. Alternatively, I am going to try and contact the 'local' (30kms away from my house) steel merchant to see if he has got left threaded rods and nuts. What diameter threads should be used? 12mm? 10mm? How strong does this Kafer Brace need to be? (apart from the obvious answer that it needs to 'stabilise' the rear )

[super vw]

i would go with a 12 or 14mm thread. with 1" main sections tube, and 3/4 secondaries.

[zeroaxe]

Coincedentily(sp?) I got hold of 14mm threads. I couldnt get hold of left handed thread per se, but found something quite suitable(would've never thought of it if it wasnt pointed out to me! Watch this space I am actually in need of three left handed 14mm nuts, but I am not 100% sure if I can get hold of it(there is one place that I have been refered to that might have it, so I will try and get to the shop before it closes during the week. If not, next weekend....

As for the tabs on the end of the thread... What size nuts should I weld to the end of the thread? 14mm or 12mm as well?

The other question I have for you fellas that bought a Kafer Brace, how much does the three rods(complete) weigh? The tubing I have here with the threaded rods is not really that light!

[Bruce2]

The shipping weight of a complete CSP bar is 7 lbs

[zeroaxe]

Thanks for that. It is about 3.2kg so I seem to be in range with the weight of my parts. :agree: I was trying to find left hand threaded 14mm nuts(x3) to use as lock nuts on one side of each brace, but so far I cant find anyone/any ship that sells them. However, I was told today that it is not really needed to 'lock' both sides on each brace, only one nut(right handed thread in this case) is needed. Sounds logic to me! What do you fellas think?

Bruce(or anyone else), have you got a Kafer brace by chance? I would like to know how big the 'eye' on the end of the threaded rod is, so I can try and find similar size nuts to weld on the ends of the threaded rods? Thanks muchly!