Shocks and tie rods

[scottw68]

My 68 has the 2 axle beams connected by the shock towers (side plates) Do I need to take any special precautions when removing the shock or tie ends in regards to the torsion leaves in the axle beams? I've only done 71 and up Mcpherson typ e which is really no help to me here.

[BoatCop]

No precautions whatsoever, when removing the parts you describe.

The torsion leaves in the axle beams only affect the trailing arms. And even then, there's no real strain.

It might make it easier to jack the front end (under the beam) so that the tires are just resting on the ground, but there's no danger of torsion spring-back like on the rear torsion bars or Mac strut springs.

[scottw68]

Thanks thats how it looked but with a name like torsion bar I thought I should ask. What other front parts are usually always shot on these.

[BoatCop]

The main thing on '68 and up to wear out are the ball joints. A pain to replace. I went with complete reconditioned torsion arms with ball joints already pressed in. 20 bucks each (German ball joints) at www.kustom1warehouse.com. Nearly as cheap as the ball joints alone and the charge for pressing them in and out.

You may also find the torsion leaves broken. About 1/3 of the older Bugs running around have a leaf or 2 broken.

Another front end part that should be looked at are the needle bearings for the torsion arms. Also a pain to replace. If they are good, make sure you get new seals. If they're bad, I recommend replacing them with urethane bushings, which don't require seals.