Rear wheel bearings

[greggholmes]

I am building a camper on the Beetle chassis and I've been thinking about trying to install heavier Duty wheel bearings on the back. We had a friend who built a little bugger motorhome and it kept eating rear wheel bearings. So I'm asking the gurus and knowers of all things suspension, how this could be done relatively cheaply. I'm assuming bus wheel bearings are heavier Duty than Beetle wheel bearings. https://photos.app.goo.gl/NajXcYs9bY4GJ1EWA

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I am assuming that you have the plans (that are available on line see below) for your camper bug. I do know someone who had one and it even made an appearance on one of the TV shows, but I don't know how to get a hold of him.

His was lowered and I think he said it was a IRS pan. There was about 50 commercially built versions of this built and it had the trademark wings in the back that was the commercial trademark of that company. I think it was Shasta company so if you can contact them then maybe you can get some additional information from them.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=VW ... ORM=RESTAB

https://rqriley.com/product/vw-minihome/

Lee

[theKbStockpiler]

What are the baja people doing? Do Bus or 181 diagonal arms swap?

[Ol'fogasaurus]

What are the baja people doing? Do Bus or 181 diagonal arms swap?

I run a 6-rib bus trans in my blue buggy and one in the black buggy I am building. Because of width difference of the stock IRS and bus IRS transaxles this difference requires a different axle length (transaxle mount changes also). You also have to change to either the bus (or larger drive flanges on the trans for the stock bug) CV joints (dia. and for increased axle angle potential) and different stub axles. The stock VW bug bearings and spacer are still used.

I suspect he is worried about the weight difference the camper conversion could have and the changes to certain things that might be required. I suspect that the torsion bars (probably front and rear) might need upgrading also.

Lee

Typo fix.

[vwo60]

I am building a camper on the Beetle chassis and I've been thinking about trying to install heavier Duty wheel bearings on the back. We had a friend who built a little bugger motorhome and it kept eating rear wheel bearings. So I'm asking the gurus and knowers of all things suspension, how this could be done relatively cheaply. I'm assuming bus wheel bearings are heavier Duty than Beetle wheel bearings. https://photos.app.goo.gl/NajXcYs9bY4GJ1EWA

181 and beetles have the same wheel bearing , the kombi wheel bearings will not fit without major modifications, the turbo 944 use the same trailing arms and bearings with massive wheel offsets with no issues, just make sure you by replacement bearings like FAG or SKF and not some Chinese bearing's that are made from cheese.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I am building a camper on the Beetle chassis and I've been thinking about trying to install heavier Duty wheel bearings on the back. We had a friend who built a little bugger motorhome and it kept eating rear wheel bearings. So I'm asking the gurus and knowers of all things suspension, how this could be done relatively cheaply. I'm assuming bus wheel bearings are heavier Duty than Beetle wheel bearings. https://photos.app.goo.gl/NajXcYs9bY4GJ1EWA

181 and beetles have the same wheel bearing , the kombi wheel bearings will not fit without major modifications, the turbo 944 use the same trailing arms and bearings with massive wheel offsets with no issues, just make sure you by replacement bearings like FAG or SKF and not some Chinese bearing's that are made from cheese.

Thanks vwo60, it is something I had thought about more than a few times myself.

Lee