[T3] Axle Beam

[Jim Adney]

On 15 Oct 2013 at 14:55, J. Jonik wrote:

> I'm rounding up various collections of my scrap metal (and car
> batteries and copper wire, etc.) to sell at a scrap yard. One thing is
> a rusted useless T-III axle beam. 

The only parts really worth keeping are also really hard to salvage: 
the 4 needle bearings, 4 journal bearings and all the seals, etc. 
These are pressed into the beam and are hard to get out intact.

I salvaged some of these a few years ago. If I had it to do over 
again, I'd cut up the axle beam with a Sawsall or large bandsaw. I 
used a cutting torch and that was a mistake. It did almost as much 
harm as good.

If you're willing to cut up the beam into little bits, you can send 
me the bits and I'll press the parts out. I've got the tools to do 
that part easily.

The steering damper is worth keeping. Oil the shaft and tie it down, 
compressed into the body to keep it from rusting.

The steering gearbox is something I always keep, but no one has ever 
asked me for one.

Tie rod ends seem like they might be worth keeping, but I recently 
priced them on line, and they are cheap. If the boots are torn, 
forget them.

Ball joints and trailing arms are worth keeping, especially if the 
ball joint boots are good.

Torsion bars are worth keeping, but note that lower bars are 
different, L & R. They are stamped on one end, and if you put them on 
the wrong side they will break rather quickly.


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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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