Camber Compensator

[65bug]

aha! WOW! It's my favorite company too.................EMPI.....LOL!!!
  I wonder if it can be mounted with a camber compensator??? I will call them and see.
    Do you own one KAFUR1 ??

[65bug]

Thats strange. You would think Cb Performance and others would carry them as well??
 I never even heard them mentioned in my VW books.......

[65bug]

I found this on Samba:


Anybody install an EMPI rear sway bar? Is there some kind of trick to installing the the long bolts that attach the bar to to the lower shocks? When I put the bushings, washer and spacer on, the bolt appears to be too short to put the nut on. Do you need to compress the bushings in order to get that bolt on? Sees like it would really squish those bushings!



Then the following post response:
       I'm no help but do have a smart assed question for you. Why in the world would you buy something sold by EMPI?

          LMAO

[KAFUR1]

No I have a rear sway bar off a 944 .  Also iam irs  I miss the short alxes for sure thoe !

[KAFUR1]

I am sure they copyed somebody  for sure 

[KAFUR1]

I was just maken a point the cc is NOT  a sway bar .

[65bug]

Thanks! Yes, I was aware that it's not a sway bar. I went with the CC because it keeps the rear wheels from tucking. Which is a problem with the swing axles.
   I still need to install it when I get a chance to get more familiar with how exactly it works.
Thanks!       PS Is you can running yet???

[maui]

My 67 has one above the trans and hooks to the spring plate and axle ends.

[65bug]

Hey maui,
     Thats with the camber compensator too? They both fit?

Thanks!

[KAFUR1]

No not yet  :~(   Iam going to try to get it going soon with a 1776 i have hanging out I been working on other peoples cars  to much ...

[65bug]

yea, that will burn you out I am sure!

[John P]

Your car looks good, BTW.

You will not need a rear sway bar if you are running the camber compensator, as it will make a big difference by itself.

Please post your feedback on the CB unit - it looks well made - both regarding install and handling.

Tips

- You will need to loosen the lower 4 tranny nuts (two on each side) and slide the cradle in. Put a drop of Loctite on the threads and snug them (evenly) to spec (I forget the toque, so you'll have to look it up). Check them again after a few hundred miles.
- If you are having problems getting the CC cradle up close enough to the bottom of tranny, use a floor jack to raise it and pre-tension the spring
- It's easiest to install with the car on the ground, as the axles are level. If you need to raise the rear of the car in order to get under it, lower the rear tires on ramps so the axles are not drooping downwards.
- If you a haven't changed your tranny oil in A LONG time, do it before you install the CC.
- When you need to change the tranny oil in the future, simply loosen the four tranny nuts and swing the entire CC forward (it will rotate on the axle tubes)

It is an easy, quick install. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[65bug]

Hi John,
  Thanks so much! Yea, I think I am at the height I want the rear end to sit at. "IF" the CC levels out my rear wheels so they sit completely flat I will be one happy camper. There will be no more need for adjustments at all!
    I have 15x7's on the back with pretty wide GoodYear Eagle GT's on it. The wheels sitting completely flat will tuck them in a tad more, which it needs with the wider wheels. So it looks right to me anyway!
    John, I most certainly will post all the feedback you guys want! That's what really makes this foum great!
   And Thank you VERY MUCH for the tips! They are printed out and on my garage workbench!
    I really don't live in a park......................yet!!!LOL

[65bug]

PS I will change over to synthetic trans oil possibly before install of the camber compensator. My trans is brand new(about 500 miles on it) and I would like to drain the oil and add synthetic!

Thank you again!

[65bug]

Hey guys,
  Alright, go the camber compensator on!!! It's a big difference for sure!
  I really need to drive it more. And until I get my insurance I cannot. I did however take it for a spin though the neighborhood and over to the big school parking lot.
  It mounted easily. However, the square bracket where it mounts to the trans was a bit narrow. I removed the square center bracket from the leaf spring. I guess it's called that!
    I used my bench grinder to take about 1/16 off of each inner fork or ear where the studs come through off the transmission. I have a built transmission with different side covers on it that are I think thicker.
     So it now fit on fine. And was almost too easy to install.
    First impression:
1. The wheels do seem to set a bit more flat.
2. It's a tad bouncy, and I have lost the smoothness of my fairly new Bilstein shocks in the rear. More adjusting possibly???
3. It does INDEED keep the rear end more stable and does act somewhat like a sway bar in my opinion. With it's configuration it has to.
    It kind of changes everything. I think I need more air pressure in the front tires now! Seems when cornering the rear just wants to track straight as a arrow. PUSHING the front end. Almost like washing out the front end on a dirt bike if you dont keep on the gas. That's the best way to explain it.
  Let me go check my front tire air pressure. Hang on...............
    Alright, 28 pounds in both rears. Fronts, one is 18 lbs. and the other was 13 pounds......................LOL it's been sitting in the garage a while!
    What do you guys recommend to dial it in? I have 145's in the front and Goodyear 205/65/15.
     Bilsteins in the rear and gas G2's in the front. When you push down on the rear now, it does not move down very far anymore! It's riding on that spring!

Thanks for the help!

[65bug]

one more note, it's very quiet. Those straps they use to cover the ends and between the plate and the spring work well! No noise at all. A good solid product! I just need to learn how to dial it in I think! Any help would be much appreciated.

[maaslom]

Hello there Guys,I have a 1970 European(Belgian)swing axle built beetle here in New Zealand, lowered front via drop spindles with rear down 2 splines,and recently installed a camber compensator on rear and 19mm front sway bar and KYB GR2 gas shocks on all 4 corners, handles like a dream, sticks to the road like glue.
I welded washers on the CC cradle that attaches to trans so it won't 'fall off'.
I am running 165/65 15 tyres on front and had to mount front sway bar on top of lower torsion arms to prevent from hitting road.
Got all my parts from cip1.com 

[maui]

I get one on my 67 and it stay above the trans and hooks to the side springplates with two of the bolts on each side

[65bug]

Hi Maaslom!
      Greetings from the USA! Your cal-look bug is cool looking! Do you get that kinda bounciness in the rear of your car with the camber compensator?
      Just curious. I need to spend more time driving mine! I know it needs adjusting. Will work some on it today.
Thanks!

[65bug]

UPDATE:
      Got 24 psi in each tire! It handles like it's on rails now....lol. I still may want to lower 1 notch in the rear. Still going back and forth on it.
      Its like losing the feel in the rear end. It's just stays planted. So I am not sure how far I can push it!
     I got my tags yesterday. Hopefully insurance at the beginning of next week!
     Then I can really take her for a good spin!

[maaslom]

Hey there 65Bug, Thanks for liking my bug. I have been away from beetles for about 27 yrs and this is my little project at moment.
I run 19psi front and 30psi rear(maybe that's why the rear bouncy)will drop to about 26psi and test.

UPDATE>just remembered that my bug has the z-bar linkage on rear as well,
 In late 60's vw softened rear torsion bars for 'smoother' ride,the z-bar is an extra torsion bar that comes into use, to stiffen ride, when bigger load(weight) pushes down rear of car,  I have found that lowering my cars rear has had the same effect and activated the z-bar thereby giving slighty harder ride.
 
 

[jgerock]

My '72 was riding like an old buckboard wagon until I raised the front end up all the way using the CB adjusters (Avis-style).   I tried several things to get it to ride better including lowering the air pressure from 28psi to 20 (front tires only), ensuring the axle beam was full of good grease and the front shocks were not bottoming out too early.

My front end has been apart several times and I believe the PO said it had the lowered ball joints in the lower control arms.  Each time I have pulled the arms, I moved the ball joint stud making sure it wasn't stuck in one position (I've read about failed ball joints on lowered cars).   I purchased a set of chrome shocks from CB but they wouldn't fit (too short!).

My car handles great, but I'd like to lower the front end just a bit to get a better stance.

[John P]

Glad to hear that you like it.

"I used my bench grinder to take about 1/16 off of each inner fork or ear where the studs come through off the transmission. I have a built transmission with different side covers on it that are I think thicker."

Yep, the original EMPI camber compensators could be purchased with two different cradles, one for stock sideplates and a wider unit for heavy duty side plates.

A couple of suggestions:

- if you shocks are new give them a 100 miles or so to break in
- I noticed no difference in ride quality with my CC, and assume the difference you have noted is due to the increased spring stiffness that you said CB mentioned (in comparison with the original EMPI units)
- VW ride quality is VERY sensitive to tire pressures. For ride comfort (with good tire wear), I have found the following pressures to work best (in my experience with my '67): rears 24 PSI, fronts 18 (PSI) (all pressures cold). Which, oddly enough, is close to what VW recommended with standard Beetles (running radials). For best handling, you'll want to increase those pressures by several PSI.
- dial in the understeer/oversteer balance with tire pressure adjustments. Wash, rinse and repeat.   

My 1.5 cents.

JP

[65bug]

Thanks John! I know the cradle holes on mine are slotted where the plate bolts to the trans. Mine is shoved all the way up.
  I am betting if I slide it down I will get a softer ride! So that's next to fine tune it. That should be my adjustment.
   We will see, I want to next take the stock studs out and put longer ones in. The nuts are on there, but I would like maybe a 1/4 inch of stud hanging out past the nuts.
     Still playing with it! I will post my findings!
Thanks!

[John P]

I want to next take the stock studs out and put longer ones in. The nuts are on there, but I would like maybe a 1/4 inch of stud hanging out past the nuts.

As long as the nut is fully engaged on the stud threads, torqued to spec, you don't need threads past the nut.

 

[65bug]

John,
    Well.................there not......lol. They are a bit shy. I have even thought about pulling out the studs and putting some good bolts in. We will see.
    I need to take one stud out and see how much thread are into the trans case. If I can just back them out a bit and give the bolts enough threads then I will do that.
    I have replacing ANY of my good German studs or ANY hardware off my car with china crap!!! I just will not do it unless I have no choice whatsoever. Then I at least save the original hardware.
     I will post some pics when I get the chance.

Thank you John, you have been a tremendous help! The tips where superb too!

[John P]

John,
    Well.................there not......lol. They are a bit shy. I have even thought about pulling out the studs and putting some good bolts in. We will see.

For what it's worth, I never like to use a bolt in aluminum without a steel insert, as you risk stripping the soft aluminum threads. If the length is close, you may indeed be able to double nut the stud out just a bit. If so, I would use thread wicking sealant - Loctite makes one - on the stud (that is in the tranny) that is designed to be use on threads that are already installed.

I would then use a thread locker on the nuts that hold the cradle to the side plate.

My 1.5 cents. Good luck.

JP