The Resurrection of Foam Car - 63 T6B

[Phil Planck]

Thanks Jack
Reason for concern with the short hose is that full lock puts a little strain where it connects to the chassis. Maybe I can bend the bracket where the hose clips to and relieve the strain.

Ah, tires. Next problem. As they were newer, I put them on the PreA, then the 912. Need to get a new set for the 912 so I can put these older ones back on Foam Car until it's road ready. No spare, as Foam Car came without one.

My first attempt at safety wiring the back plate bolts was not successful. Wire too big(.041) so hard to get it tight and hugging the bolt head. Emailed Ron LaDow and he gave me a good tip: remove the sharp hole edges on the bolts as they put a "dent" in the wire when pulled tight. He also had a better routing to keep the bolts torqued.
My method:


Ron's suggestion:



Possibly ideal, but Ron said very difficult to do:

[Jack Staggs]

Do not allow tension of the brake hose under full steering lock. The tab on the right side looks like it needs to be bent a few degrees inboard. One of the backing plate bolts should be a couple threads longer than the other two. This longer bolt doubles as a stop for the turning radius when it comes in contact with the steering knuckle on lock. It should be installed in the forward position. Too short of a bolt, and the wheel rim can come in contact with the bump stop, shifting the inner wheel balance weight. On the other side of the car, the tire can rub on the chassis. Wheel width, backspacing, and tire size can compound the problem. Too long of a bolt can give turning radius similar to a stretch limousine. In those situations, I often grind the bolt down in situ to correct radius issues. Fitment of VW type II (211 xxx xxx) steering damper, a commonly supplied part, will require relocation of the anchor U bolt clamp for proper operation. It's best to have to have your tie rods adjusted close to alignment specs, while keeping your steering box on center, before adjusting to final minutiae. BTW, mount the steering wheel to center of the box. Adjust tie rods to accommodate.

[Jbrooks]

To do the safety wire like the drawing is not hard. Put it through the top bolt hole pull the top over the bolt the pull both half's equal length and tight. Then wrap the left hand over the right and pulling tight on the through hole wire so the outer wire is under it and they cross at 90 degrees to the a other. Where they X, at the hole, left hand on the outer 1/2 right hand on through hole 1/2. Left over right, you have a tight twist adjacent to the bolt hole. The trick is holding the wires so the always make a "x" at right angle where you are twisting them together, and wrapping the both equally at the same time. The wire size does not matter, tight 90 degree wrap and moving both half's at the same time, pull tight. You can twist a coat hanger wire using this method.

Now comes the part requiring a little dexterity. Pulling on both wires and holding them so they are make a X or right angle, move the left hand up and over where right one is, and and the same time right hand to where the left is, keeping the wire tight and at 90 degrees. Switch hands and repeat keeping a right angle between the safety wire half's, pulling in the direction of the next bolt. You twist the wire together, left over right, it will twist straight when it gets closet to bolt 2 , you want or enter the hole so the wire pulls it in the direction the bolt tightens. When the twisted joint comes close to the hole, like if I put in another it will be loose, put the wire through the hole, pull tight, real tight the fold over the outside of the bolt head, pull both as tight as you can, and twist the left over right with the right angle between the wire half's. Repeat in the direction of bolt three when you get to bolt 3 same hole entry rule. Wire pulls in the direction to tighten the third bolt. Pull it thought the hole, wrap the other wire around the bolt head pull tight outer wire under the hole wire, twist the wire X another 10 mm and trim off the excess.

The real trick is crossing the two wires at 90 degrees. And having enough wire for the entire bolt pattern. I did airplanes and engines for years. They make pliers but I have always done them by hand, . Put a bolt in a vice and practice .041 wire will have about 9-12 turn per inch (12T ~ 25mm)

There is probably 16-18 twist between the backing plate bolts. Look at the finished wire installation, is it tight and if this bolt "loosens" it will "tighten" the others. Good tight constant twist no ripples no long single strands of wire at the bolt heads. Left over right hand twist.

It really easy, honest.

[roy mawbey]

Phil,

When some years ago I was replacing parts on the front I took a photo of my original wired bolts. I have no reason to suspect they have ever been replaced. ( Anyway they have never moved in nearly 48 years I have been using the brakes.)




Roy

[Phil Planck]

Jbrooks - thanks for sharing your knowledge. Will give it a try once I get to the bottom of the taut brake hose issue.

Jack - the longer bolts are at the front on each side, but am guessing they are only about 2mm longer than the other 4. There is evidence of tire rub on the lower frame struts. Maybe those bolts are too short? What say you Sherlock?
Your friend - Watson(half way through a collection of Doyles stories)

The steering damper is Monroe made in Mexico I believe. Checked it out and it does not impede lock to lock. Biggest problem with it was the bushings are narrower than I assume original so could not use cotter pins on the castle nuts until I put a few washers under them. This damper was on Foam Car and seems to work okay so decided to reuse it.

Phil

[JTR70]

The braided wire job is definitely the way to go and worth the extra effort though as Roy' photo shows they don't tend to back out easily even with the old original "bailing wire" factory job.

I'm sort of in the middle of setting by dampener back up and found this useful diagram in my factory "A" workshop manual. I'm sure the travel varies with dampeners as Jack said by manufacture but this might be a useful baseline for somebody reading this.
Justin

[Phil Planck]

Thanks Justin
The safety wire is going to have to wait until I get a wheel/tire mounted to see if it rubs at full lock, per Jack's advice. If so, will have to add material to the longer bolt up front, which would relieve the tautness of the hose. Stoddard sells the Porsche bolt and lists it as 19mm long. My long one measures 17mm. Will add a 2mm spacer and see what that does for the hose.

My upper axle tube has a depression for a nub on the bracket to locate it. Fortunately, in that position I get full movement with the Monroe stabilizer.

Phil

[Phil Planck]

Met my son yesterday and he gave me his old 79 Trans Am collapsible steering column section, as he replaced it with a new one since he could not get it to collapse, which is needed to remove steering box.
Surprisingly the couplers are very similar with what appears to be the same hole spacing. Rivets are used instead of bolts.



But here will be the problem:


Need to be able to attach just above the coupling if adaptation is possible.



Phil

[JTR70]

Phil, if you're looking to install a collapsible column why not retro fit the lattice VW version. Has to be much easier than trying to make a GM part fit... unless you just want bragging rights?

[Phil Planck]

Thanks Justin
I remember reading about the VW part. Was going to investigate that also. You saved me the trouble. Not enamored with using the GM method, but was intrigued when I saw the coupler on it.
Phil

[Jack Staggs]

Re steering damper: A couple things of interest. PreA cars did not come with steering dampers, although some have been fitted (Optional? Kits from factory? Aftermarket?) I have installed a few of my own manufacture over the years. A model cars used mounting on the lower tube consistent with Justin's diagram. This method has always seemed a bit awkward to me, with the damper mounted at strange angle to the steering box. The rubber bushings are binding at an angle to the bore when installed this way, increasing and decreasing throughout the steering range, but never fully relaxed. For B C, the mounting was changed to fit on the upper tube, resulting in a much more neutral position. A worthwhile alteration, IMHO. Nothing else was changed, other than the locating depression on the upper tube that Phil alluded to, and a tiny rivet pressed in to the C clamp to fit in said depression.

Watson (the man of action), I don't worry about momentary tire contact to the frame at full lock on the opposite side of the stop bolt, just no rubbing on the bump stop. This situation is not harmful, and can be beneficial in instances of tight maneuvering, such as parallel parking.
BTW, some brands of aftermarket shocks that are CLAIMED to fit 356 are actually too long in the fully extended position. This situation will allow the stock brake hoses to be extended beyond allowances. KYB come to mind. For those applications, I fit the slightly longer early VW hoses, like the long ones in your pix. Just be sure that they are positioned so that they do not rub on the tires/wheels when turning. "Danger Will Robinson!". What size/type wheels/tires do you plan to use?
Sherlock

PS: Phil, I'm glad you are enjoying the works of Sir ACD. I find them fascinating and enlightening.

[Phil Planck]

Thanks Jack

After reading this, I think I will forget about collapsible columns, as I assume no new parts are available and who knows how used ones have been stressed:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4737658

Phil

[Don C]

Jack, I'm running KYB shocks and wasn't aware of a length difference as my car came with KYB's. Do you have an eye to eye dimension for correct front shocks fully extended, and some sort of measurement for the rears, say eye to bottom of top stud? Thanks!
DC

[Jack Staggs]

I'm gonna guess that the extended length on KYB is about an inch longer than correct length at the front. Rears, no problem as the lower stop is built in to the spring plate bushing housing. An easy tell-tale is that when the front of the car is elevated with the tires off the ground, the leading edge of the lower fender arch near the bumper tip is VERY close to the tire when the steering is slightly turned that direction. Close enough to really pinch your fingers if rotating the tire by hand. This may not apply to suspensions that are lowered beyond practical road use, racing excluded, as the shock is the limiting factor for the control arms at full extension. Those cars often need all kinds of wacky modifications in an attempt to give some travel, including cutting the bump stops completely off the chassis. I've had to weld them back on for folks that tired of all the inconveniences that sometimes brings.

[Phil Planck]

front, fully extended boge is about 13.5 inches.

edit: see correction below(next page)