I would like to get some advice from many VW guru's here to what size of shock I need for my front and/or how to measure the correct size. I have pictures, the first picture is the actual suspension before I painted the car.
Thanks

That's a really nice looking set-up. Wow! You need to take the bicycle tires off the back soon, though.

To et t up really right, you'd need to measure your suspension at full extension, then measure again at full jounce. Ideally, you'd find a shock that is 1/2" longer that your full extended length, and 1/2" shorter than full retracted length. You probably won't get that close, but make sure your shock doesn't run out of travel when extended or retracted and you'll be safe. I'd look at KYB Gas-A-Just's or even GR-2's (your front end looks light enough for GR-2's). If you want better with stiffer valving, look into Bilsteins. You'll take a beating on the street, but it'll be better in the dirt.

There's a lot of info out there about valving, spring weight, travel, etc. You can really get technical if you're interested, but after that, I think you'll find yourself going in a similar direction to what I was suggesting.

You might talk to BugZ on this. He can probably look at this picture and rattle off a part number for you to investigate.

Nice job on the bug, I really like it.

The reason I have the bike tires is because I plan to run it down in the tough terrains of baja. I still have a lot of work to put into it, I am hoping to atleast have it running and everything by January, For the rear set up I have 3x3s 930cv's and Chromoly axles, the travel should be really good because the top mount for the Shock is in the rear part of the cage, so it allows for a lot of travel. If anyone has any suggestions or comments they are welcome, good or bad

can not tell, but is that an ex race car?

Yeah it's an ex-racer, just bought the shell and have been building it since

So I'm thinking it once had coilovers on the front/maybe...That would be cool.

I am pretty sure it did, I am already over spent on parts so I can't afford coilovers with reservoir so I am going to wait on those for later on, unless someone almost wants to give them for free to me, you never know!

So, are you running torsions in the front now, or is there something holding the front end up that we can't see in the pics?

Keep in mind that most likely your limitation on rear travel isn't going to be shock mount location, but axle angle (CV angle) at full droop and full compress- most likely full droop will be the issue.

Yeah I am running torsions, Yeah I know, I have pretty much the same set up you have in the back, 930 CVs 3x3, rear discs. How do you like it? What kind of shocks are you running in the back?

PandaBug wrote:

Yeah I am running torsions, Yeah I know, I have pretty much the same set up you have in the back, 930 CVs 3x3, rear discs. How do you like it? What kind of shocks are you running in the back?

Right now, I'm not running anything. I had some Empi-ish disk brakes and boxed 3x3 rear arms on the car when I bought it, and no front brakes at all. The rear shocks were just big long nothin-specials. I'm somewhere in the middle of a brake upgrade and some suspension upgrades as well right now. Someday (God-willin' and the creek don't rise), I'll finish the project. It will then be Chenowth chromoly tubular 3x3s (already on), SACO 4-wheel cross-drilled disk brakes with Wilwood calipers (4-piston rear, 2-piston front- in the garage, not yet on the car), and Pro-Comp 10" and 12" shocks with external reservoirs (also in garage, not on car yet). Also adding 6-over Warrior beam, Tweed's 2 1/2x1 chromoly arms (on car), and SACO rack and pinion steering.

Sheesh. It sounds like a big project when I lay it all out like that again. No wonder it's taken since April!

Sounds like a projct, I have all my parts inside of the car, caged and the engine is still in the box in pieces, I am just buying everything so I can just put everything together at once, I am running some disc brakes too that came with the 3x3's I bought, Still looking at what I want the final project to look like. It is a big project but, i'm sure i can do it.