Stock 1302 & 1303 Wheelbase

[Steve C]

Hi

I'm having an issue with my local registration people over my supposed wheelbase increase from stock on my other 1303, it has 3 bolt struts so it should be the same as 1302.

As far as I know a 1302 & 1303 both have an identical wheelbase of 2420 mm, I have a 1302 owners manual which confirms this, I also have a 1303 owners manual that states that it should have a wheelbase of 2400 mm, the same as standard beam beetle, the same manual has other inaccuracies as far as wheel track.

I was at a car show today, there was a bone stock 1974 1303s there.

It had a wheelbase of 2440 mm. Does anybody out there any information to the contrary or a stock car that they can measure.

Steve

[evilC]

Hi Steve, it seems your registration people are a bit anal? It would be worth it to point out that the wheelbase on a bug can vary no less by virtue of the toe-in adjustment on the rear spring plates. The 10mm(?) adjustment is multiplied by the inner pivot location and the ratio of the width of the A arm and the centre of the wheel. It would therefore be reasonably feasible to get an allowance of 15mm on the rear alone. AFAIK the front struts on the '03 were the same setting for both the 3 and 2 bolt. Then there is production tolerances to take into account.
BTW which anti-roll bar have you used? What is the state of the front AR bar bushes? That can affect the location of the strut that can alter the caster.

Clive

[Steve C]

Hi Clive

I've now fitted a stock front bar and reversed "offset caster bushes" and I still can only get it back to 2440, the only thing that I can do now is make plate to bolt to the chassis to push the lower control arms back more to make the bureaucrats happy.

The wheelbase measurement is actually part of the blue slip process in NSW, you have your car engineered, then blue slipped which is like a more detailed rego check, part of the blue slip is the wheelbase measurement, then you pay your rego.

As soon as I went to the RTA with my car they whipped out a tape measure and told me I was 50 mm over, I then questioned them what it should be, they said 2400, I told them that they were using data from a standard bug, but I was still over 30 mm.

They told me an increase in wheelbase would make the car an ICV, an individually constructed vehicle, which is a whole new can of worms.

I also have an issue in the rear end with excessive toe out, BTW the rear wheels appear to be in the correct position in the wings/fenders, being 30 mm out you expect to see the wheels pushed back in the wheel opening.

I've had some offset A arm pivot bolts made which I hope will correct the excessive rear toe out, I haven't fitted these as yet fearing that I would make my wheel base longer.

Talking to other super owners on other forums they have reported longer wheelbases than factory on stock cars.

Australia is turning into a nanny state and its going to get worse, there is whole new set of rules coming that will make most things illegal.

Steve

[evilC]

Originally Posted by Steve C

Hi Clive

............. I also have an issue in the rear end with excessive toe out, BTW the rear wheels appear to be in the correct position in the wings/fenders, being 30 mm out you expect to see the wheels pushed back in the wheel opening.

I've had some offset A arm pivot bolts made which I hope will correct the excessive rear toe out, I haven't fitted these as yet fearing that I would make my wheel base longer.

Talking to other super owners on other forums they have reported longer wheelbases than factory on stock cars.

Australia is turning into a nanny state and its going to get worse, there is whole new set of rules coming that will make most things illegal.

Steve

Hi Steve,
If I understand your rear toe-out problem if you adjust the inner pivot bolt to create more toe-in then the whole assembly swings around the spring plate/A arm connection so the wheelbase will shorten (?) Did you try playing with the location of the pivot bolt washers to get the toe-in you required? Placing the washers at the outer end of the bolt should increase the toe-in set point (the range of adjustment being at the spring plate end).

Well I afraid that does it then, I won't emigrate, I love tinkering with cars and I don't need any more beaurocrates telling me what I can and can't do. I suspect it was all those Mad Max films that set the authorities against modified vehicles?

Clive

[Steve C]

Hi Clive

I have the two washers on the outside, I always thought that was the way VW meant it to be.

I've attached a photo of the pivot bolt mod, a local VW tinkerer made them.

The offset pivot is to alter camber, but what I plan to do is fit so that the pivot gets pushed back as far as it will go to the rear of the car, as you say it should turn the front of the wheels inward and hopefully correct my toe and wheelbase issue. I forgot to mention that I'm running early alloy 944 rear arms.

Most people don't bother getting their cars engineered and inspected like I did, I was actually bought in for a random inspection. The examiners were actually very nice and complimented me on the work I had done, they wanted to make sure I got the car right to protect me in the future.

I went to VW shop today, all of the 1302 & 1303s were over wheelbase. Surely with the adjustment in a VW there must have been a +&- figure for the wheelbase.

Steve

[evilC]

I must (purely out of curiosity) check my wheelbase?

Clive

[Steve C]

Hi

I'm back working on my 1303 again. I was sort over all the hassles I was having and I have a few other projects going on, my sons drifts an old R31 Nissan Skyline, I've been helping him modify that car, he also has another 1303 which is my daily driver, I did a bit of an engine freshen up on it, its a 1904 c with 40 dels, Berg 309 cam etc, it dropped almost a whole second on the 1/8 mile after this. I'm also building 26 x 4 metre concrete retaining wall by myself.

I had a local company (http://www.k-mac.com.au/) make me up some caster/camber tops for my struts, in conjunction with some backwards fitted sway bar caster bushes I was able to get my wheel base to measure 2425, so its 5 mm over, close enough. It doesn't have to drive correctly, but after its all passed I will spend some time on an alignment machine getting it worked out.

Hopefully I can get it passed soon and start driving it, there is VW only drag meet in February that I would like to attend.

The guy at K-Mac is willing to ship overseas, he makes sway bars etc for VWs of all sorts and he's a real nice bloke to boot.

Steve