Where does the steering go on a 12-14inch stretch? - Cut-Weld-Drive Forums

VOLKSWAGNER420 · April 30th, 2012, 07:22 PM

Hi there, I have been searching old threads and only found one thread with a pic of steering relocation that was not center steer and it was not very clear. So the best I can tell once you go past a 6-8 inch stretch you get in to hood cutting, so when you are talking a 12-14 inch stretch that would make the steering your freakin' hood ornament, or would it be out past it at that point? There has to be a way around it. I remember on one search seeing something about center steer. How hard is that rout? How expensive is it? Is there another way? I kinda like it being out of the way on the side like it is. Any suggestions? Thanks again!

**Unkl Ian** · April 30th, 2012, 07:53 PM

Who runs a 12-14" extension ?

Doc · April 30th, 2012, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unkl Ian

Who runs a 12-14" extension ?

Someone thats thinkin what I am thinkin

Well, you can remount the steering to the side of the extention about half way up, then just get longer steering arms to make the distance to your spindles... steering will be a bit tighter. Also if you do some cuts right on the sides of the body just past the doors/front window you can weld in a body extention a few inches so the hood still curls over the beam. You can also choose to chop the end of the hood off and pop on a gas tank keg. If you take a pic and then post the "where" im sure someone can photoshop in where a decint placement for the steering can be.

**hotrodheb** · April 30th, 2012, 08:51 PM

Well if people have to cut the hood for the steering box on a 10" extension, at 14" you are gonna have interference between the hood and the beam!

yellowRocc · April 30th, 2012, 10:21 PM

Use a baja hood, hehe

**purplemyth** · May 1st, 2012, 06:54 AM

And the last time someone talked about that much stretch, didn't the subject of severe frame head stress become a big subject?

Unless you are building a completely different frame.
So you gotta think about other things too involved in that much.

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 07:02 AM

Yeah I have always been a all or nothin' kid of guy. Doc, when you say that the steering will be "tight" do you mean I will not have much clearance to work with or that it will be physically harder to turn the wheel? I am much better at doing strong welds on thicker metals then pretty body welds so I am gona steer clear of extending the body (on this one) What is the longest stretch I can put on my '71 Super and still have it just barely tuck behind the front of the hood?

Unk, I am just trying to build as bad ass of a platform as possible for some of your eyes to fly on is all. Is it still safe-ish when you get way out there like that?

Rocc, I still want SOME steel between me and the car in front of me! lol

Myth I was gona weld triangular reinforcements on top of other reinforcements,....with a SIDE of reinforcements. Hell, I am even gona grind off some of Dbug's pretty powdercoat and weld in corner reinforcements on the BULLETPROOF thing he sells.

I might be crazy, but I am kida fond of sucking wind! Sooo Where do I need to reinforce before, durring, and after, my stretch? What keyword will get me there in the search? Thanks AGAIN all!

**Unkl Ian** · May 1st, 2012, 07:57 AM

Got a tape measure ?

mkparker · May 1st, 2012, 08:14 AM

Here ya go...ask john, jaransonT3, how he's gonna steer it.

**hotrodheb** · May 1st, 2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkparker

Here ya go...ask john, jaransonT3, how he's gonna steer it.

With the steering wheel of course!

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 08:31 AM

MKParker, Thanks! That toy let me know FOR SURE that I don't like the looks of the wheels being in front of the hood. So I am back to trying to put it as far out there but still have the stock hood close in front of it? Which brings me to....

Unk, yes I have a tape measure and can half way use it but I have no clue what to measure from or to for this one. I have another window open on my computer on which I am doing Physics homework for class tonight but THIS still remains a mystery to me. Help! Someone activate the Dbug signal! :-)

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 08:51 AM

I look at it like this, if I am gona go thru all the trouble of moving the front end, I might as well move it all the way up to the hood as it is not much more work and I feel that it looks the best like that. Apparently I am not the only one who feels that this is the pinnacle of awesomeness for a Volksrod, have you seen the car at the top of this and every page? That's the look I am after! Soooo, now to figure out how to do it without having my Beetle break in half while I am doing warp 9 down the freeway! Oh well, back to Physics homework for now.

**Unkl Ian** · May 1st, 2012, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VOLKSWAGNER420

have you seen the car at the top of this and every page? That's the look I am after!

That uses a dropped Ford I-beam axle.

A ton more work, and money.

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unkl Ian

That uses a dropped Ford I-beam axle.

A ton more work, and money.

Well that SUCKS,

I am not real big on either! Well Shit! Thanks for the info tho. Sooooo, Where do I need to measure from, and too, to see what I might need on my Beetle? I am still going to try and bring it as far forward as I can and still have it behind the hood. Stupid dropped ford I-Beam axle! I was wondering where the giant gap between the bottom of the hood and the front end parts magically went! I can make a good looking bumper that will hide most of it. So about that tape measure "how to"?

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 09:28 AM

The only Ford parts I trust to be on my ride is gona be some tail lights off a 32 frenched in to the rear fenders.....and I half way expect them not to work! lol

**Unkl Ian** · May 1st, 2012, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VOLKSWAGNER420

So about that tape measure "how to"?

http://bit.ly/IjDS8v

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 09:47 AM

Smart-ass UNK, (better than being a Dumb-ass I guess!) I know HOW TO use it just not WHERE to apply that knowledge to my Beetle project! Also, anyone know where is the cheapest place to buy a Gallon of POR-15 from?

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 10:56 AM

Just talked to Dbug and he texted me pics of a Beetle with his adapter/fame head brace and a 10 inch stretch on it.

It was still living nicely behind the hood and apron and still looked like it had a few inches to spare so I am going with a twelve incher.

So DOC about that steering!?

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unkl Ian

Who runs a 12-14" extension ?

ME here in the next month or three!

Still doing my floor pans right now tho.

yellowRocc · May 1st, 2012, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VOLKSWAGNER420

Yeah I have always been a all or nothin' kid of guy. Doc, when you say that the steering will be "tight" do you mean I will not have much clearance to work with or that it will be physically harder to turn the wheel? I am much better at doing strong welds on thicker metals then pretty body welds so I am gona steer clear of extending the body (on this one) What is the longest stretch I can put on my '71 Super and still have it just barely tuck behind the front of the hood?

Unk, I am just trying to build as bad ass of a platform as possible for some of your eyes to fly on is all. Is it still safe-ish when you get way out there like that?

Rocc, I still want SOME steel between me and the car in front of me! lol
E
Myth I was gona weld triangular reinforcements on top of other reinforcements,....with a SIDE of reinforcements. Hell, I am even gona grind off some of Dbug's pretty powdercoat and weld in corner reinforcements on the BULLETPROOF thing he sells.

I might be crazy, but I am kida fond of sucking wind! Sooo Where do I need to reinforce before, durring, and after, my stretch? What keyword will get me there in the search? Thanks AGAIN all!

71 super?
Isn't the fact that its a super going to complicate things too? Isn't he going to have to graft a standard beetle frame head on there and get a beam?

Doc · May 1st, 2012, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowRocc

71 super?
Isn't the fact that its a super going to complicate things too? Isn't he going to have to graft a standard beetle frame head on there and get a beam?

Actualy D-bug now makes super beetle adapters for extentions, I stalk his volksrod garage on facebook... had I known he was to make them I would have never sold mine. I belive that there is no actual extention for the super beetle unless you make it yourself... but I wish to be proved wrong.
http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showt...t=32877&page=3

VOLKSWAGNER420, there is alot of questions that go into where or how to do your steering depending on what steering box and arms you currently have, the extention being 12-14 it would definatly get in the way... but super beetles are alot differnt when it comes to the type you get, 73' is when the made the most notable changes.

Are you makeing your own extention or adapter?
Are you useing the super beetle hood?
Dose it have the Macpherson front end?(stock for super beetles 71-74)

Moveing the steering box on a normal beetle is easy but requires longer 'Tie Rod', this can change the steering because of the angle they connect at the spindles to ither slugish or tight...

However if you decide to use the current super beetle stock set up, you will only need to get a longer arm from the box to the steering wheels shaft(Labled as "A" in the top pic), I am very unsure the actual distance you will end up with between the box and the hood, but I will say for certian that I wouldn't mess with the super beetles arm's or tie rods as I have never seen any mods myself and with my lack of experiance with toying with the Macpherson front ends. I've seen a few guys that will just add in a fog light or licence plate over the unsightly area... maybe even fabricate some new curves on the hood to make it one of a kind.

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 12:54 PM

Yellow rock, Dbug makes the whole kit-n-kaboodle! It is $350 more for a frame head adapter for a Beetle, then the same stuff that everyone else uses from there. I figure that for what we are doing on this site that you would ONLY want the Supers as they start out longer up front and therefore allow more stretch to be tucked under it! But what do I know, I am a newbie. Hell I was reading the manual on this thing and JUST realized that you have to push down on the stick to get reverse. How cool is that!? I know, I know, freakin' newb.
Doc, I will post more questions on here later after I do some reading up. Thanks A LOT!
Right now I have to get ready for class tonight.

yellowRocc · May 1st, 2012, 01:26 PM

That's really cool about the adapters

**Unkl Ian** · May 1st, 2012, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unkl Ian

Your probably the third guy, to do an altered wheelbase Super, so it will be up to you to figure shit out and document it for future generations of newbies.
The future of civilization, depends on you.

So when the next newbie idiot asks the exact same questions,
there will be info available, when we tell him to SEARCH.

VOLKSWAGNER420 · May 1st, 2012, 06:50 PM

Doc, I have a 1971 Super Beetle (1302a) with the stock hood, McPhearson struts, and stock steering. Cry purists, CRY!

I was planning on lengthening the shaft (part A) and I saw in search threads where people cut the shaft off another Bug/Beetle and use a solid core to splice them together. I was going to do this but with a extra steel pipe sleeved over the outside of the spliced area for about six inches in each direction of the splice so as to divert the load away from the original splice and welded at both ends so that before it even had a chance to stress the inner weld you would have to break thru the weld at both ends of the pipe and you would notice the fact that you were riding on the inner weld only by the fact that your pipe (Sleeve) has slid down. Like I said, I LOVES me some overkill! Especially when I am betting my ass on it!

And yeah, the ugly spot (Gap) at the front will be hidden by a custom bumper I will make that is narrower and thicker from top to bottom then the stock one.

UNK, I am TRYING to pave the way for future idiots with Beetles! And document it! I do check the search but a lot of the threads get off topic quick, still searching tho!