[T3] Tow Bar for 1969 Squareback Axle Beam

Keith Park topnotch at nycap.rr.com
Fri Mar 23 17:35:37 PDT 2012


Im cutting one up now to harvest the bearings and bushings.
They are about 20-30lbs empty beam.

Keith


Top Notch Restorations
topnotch at nycap.rr.com 
http://www.a383ina68.addr.com/radiorest/main.htm
71 Squareback "Hothe"
65 Notchback "El Baja Rojo"
65 Squareback "Eggcrate"
87 golf "Winterat"
93 RX7 "Redstur"


-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org
[mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org] On Behalf Of Gary
Forsmo
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 3:43 PM
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: [T3] Tow Bar for 1969 Squareback Axle Beam

1)  Weight of Axle Beam?  I've found one in Texas, but I need to get
it to Wisconsin.  Either I ship the axle beam or I find a place
in/on/on top of our motor home or towed car to carry it.
2)  IF a part number is stamped into an Axle Beam, where is the number
located?
3)  And what would be the CORRECT part number for a 1969 Type 3
Squareback Axle Beam? (or another year Axle Beam which is identical to
a '69)

Having an actual Axle Beam is just for a metal fabricator to use to
build a safe, reliable, properly fitted Tow Bar so I can tow my '69,
"four-wheels down", behind our motor home.

In order to "shape" a home-made, steel, welded-up, Tow Bar to PROPERLY
fit the Axle Beam, (as Bentley describes it in Section 7; page 3)
"several heavy gauge stamped steel components ... two main stampings
... Welded, stamped steel uprights..."  how much would JUST a
bare-bones, axle beam WEIGH?

That means all bolted on components of the Axle Beam (torsion bars,
torsion arms, bearings, shocks, stabilizer bar, rubber stops, etc.)
are removed, leaving just the "shell" of the stampings.

In order that a metal fabricator could build a "custom Tow Bar" it
seems to me he would only need the Axle Beam "shell" to fashion the
steel.

Yes, I know Jim, some of the the Steering Gearbox parts partially
extend through the small axle beam hole on the drivers side (left) and
a plate for mounting the fuel pump covers the small axle beam hole on
the passenger side (right).  But if I envision how the tow bar will be
connected to the axle beam, the only parts of the tow bar which will
need to "share" those two axle beam holes are the shank(s) of some
heavy-duty "U" bolts.  The "U" bolt threads/lock washers/nuts would be
clamped through the tow bar hardware to the car axle beam from below.

After the "U" bolt positions and the axle beam connections are known,
constructing the remaining steel from the tow bar (forward) to our
existing, aluminum Blue Ox Aladdin Tow Bar.  We now use our Aladdin
Tow Bar to tow our 3,050#, 2000 Honda Accord EX V-6 car behind our 38'
Holiday Rambler Endeavor, diesel "pusher" motor home) should be easy
to construct.  Towing a 1,946#, 1969 Squareback should be easy.

So-o-o ... my question is about the weight of a "stripped down" front
axle beam.  Does anybody who has "hefted" an axle beam, know an
approximate weight of it with all components removed?

Gary "Frito" - '69 Variant, FI, MT
Rockport, TX (winter)
Lake Geneva, WI (summer)
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