Wheel scrubbing - lazy torsion bar?

[Garrett]

So - i've made a couple of changes to the bug over the last few weeks.  Major improvements I must say!  I put a set of type 3 brakes in the rear and a set of Airkewld discs up front.  It stops great now, but of-course there's gotta be another side to this...

Problem is - My track has been increased a bit and the wheels are now scrubbing.  Only one wheel really, and that's the drivers side.  So, I am trying to figure out what's going on here:

1.  Am I screwed and I need to buy a 4-inch narrowed beam?
2.  Is there something I can do about it?

In my attempt at looking at option 2, I've made a couple of observations.

1.  Wheel on the drivers side seems to stick out a bit more than the passengers side.  Maybe 1/4 inch?  I am guessing this is due to the body not being on the car 100% straight, or perhaps the couple of accidents this thing had had in it's life had led to this.  I may be able to shift the body 1/8 inch to even it out.

2.  Drivers side sits about 3/4 to 1 inch lower on the drivers side than it does the passengers side.   It's the same damn torsion bar - how can this happen?  It seems a bit lazy.  I can pull up on the bumper and it'll sit a little higher.  I am hoping if the torsion was a little more stiff on this side - maybe it wouldn't rub as much?   

A couple of weeks ago, I did find that the "grub-screw and locknut thing" that locates the trailing arms in "the dimple" of the torsion bars had loosened a bunch on this side.   Good thing i found it before it found me, but I am thinking maybe it allowed the dimple to become mis-shapen and that could cause this laziness on this side?

Front end is:

CB Puma 2" narrowed beam.  Adjusted all the way "up".
CB dropped spindles
BRM's with Nankang 135's
Airkewld front discs.

Any ideas how to get a little more spring in my front-end, or am I probably looking at a 4" narrowed beam?   I've got the adjusters adjusted all the way "up" - I feel like they should be able to go up a little more, but I can't push the adjuster any farther - it feels a bit springy. The top and bottom adjuster aren't quite in the same position.  One isn't letting me get it quite as "high" as the other.   Thought that might be relevant to mention.

Any ideas?

[Ohio Tom (DdK)]

OK. Couple of things all at once.
1. Yes to body tweaking and repairs making things off some.
Measure the rear and see if it's the same or not.
To level out the ride, you can adjust the rear torsion springs to get things level.
2. It is also possible the you have twisted or damaged one of you front leaf springs somehow.
3. I personally hate those kind of adjusters. I have the same on my car and it sits low. The only way to get the adjusters up to a higher ride height is to break a ball joint on the spindles and disconnect the shocks first.
4. From what I am seeing, even if you get things level, you are going to have issues with rubbing no matter what. Load up the trunk and take a few friends and you'll be cutting up your tires.
I hate to say it, but you need atleast 3" or 4" narrowed beam to get things working right. Your current 2" narrow is not enough.
I know those disk brake setups are sweet, but they do come at more cost than most folks realize..

[Garrett]

I was hoping that narrowing-it wasn't the answer, but I suspected it was.

Man - things are not looking very good right now.  I went out and did a bit of measuring and inspection and here's what I found.

The existing beam has had the shock tower stampings modified.  Part of the skin is missing on the inside and there is a reinforcement plate installed in there - don't know if this was "factory" or not.  It's a CB Puma narrowed beam if that means anything.

The tops of the shock towers are very close to the body on the drivers side - maybe 1/4 inch or so.  The passengers side is right up against the bodywork.   I measure 29 13/16 from center of shock tower to center of shock tower on the bottom.   I don't think I can go any more narrow than this.

Options are??   Some sort of offset tower?  No shocks?   No shocks sounds lame.....   

Earlier today I was toying around with the idea of trying to take a little bite out of the Puma beam, but with the tower clearance issues, I probably won't be doing that.

......and to think.  I got rid of my old beam at a swapmeet 2.5 weeks ago - because "I will never need it" 

[Bruce Tweddle]

2.  Drivers side sits about 3/4 to 1 inch lower on the drivers side than it does the passengers side.   It's the same damn torsion bar - how can this happen?  

You need to adjust the left rear torsion bar to raise the rear a bit to make it level at the front.

[Garrett]

Bruce - you're right.  It does sit a bit lower on this side in the rear as well.  Will take care of that and see where it lands-me.   Thanks.

[Bruce Tweddle]

Make sure you compensate for your ass not being in the seat while you make the adjustment.

[Garrett]

I figured I'd post an update.   Looks like I've got it nailed - I hope so anyway.  I took Tom's advice and popped the ball joints and disconnected the top shock bolt.    I was able to manipulate the adjusters MUCH more easily this way.   I loosened up the adjusters and pulled down on the trailing arms and that was it!!!

I pushed the adjusters up as high as I could get them and the result is - The car is about 3/4 inch or so higher in front than it was before.   No wheel scrubbing!!!!

The car is still slightly lower in the front than it was with the stock-beam, so that's good - all in all I think I've got it.   Only minor scrubbing problem now is with the wheel adapter scrubbing against the caliper.   It's a real tight fit, so any distortion of said plate (like going around a corner) causes the plate and the caliper to rub a little - no big deal.  I am sure it will machine itself into harmony eventually.  Worst case - I'll find a tiny little shim and shim the caliper out a little bit.

[Ohio Tom (DdK)]

They make 1/4" thick plates that you can throw in under the adaptor to space it out a little.

[Jason Foster]

are you sure you've not got mismatched front fenders? 

[Garrett]

Mismatched?   Well sort of......the drivers side fender was beat all to hell - like someone tried to fold it in-half front-to-back and put it in their pocket.

It's a real '59 fender though.   It replaced a slightly later model fender.   I am sure the contour around the wheel opening isn't 100% like the passengers side - that could be a factor too.

[Jason Foster]

Well I mean like German one side and aftermarket other side.  Many aftermarket fenders have the wheel arch up to 1" higher than German.  Measure across fender from about turn signal hole  from quarter panel to edge of wheel arch. 

[KaferDog]

Jason is right ...I have that problem on my car one headlight is "higher" on the driver side but looks "lower" on the wheel the passenger side headlight is "lower"but "higher" on the wheel..!...The fenders are mismatched....!!!

[elterraplen]

I thing you should eventually swap the beam for a 4" narrowed one. In my opinion your bug will look much better and you will take full potential of the adjudters. That way you can lower your car more (CAL-Look) and, from time to time, raise it, put on your stock smoothies and caps for a sleeper; I like that!!!!!  Good luck