Shoptalkforums.com

New computer and a long time since this has come up.
Stock VW spindle and a Thing spindle.
This is a stock VW BJ spindle setup. Notice the lower BH is pressed into the lower arm from the upper surface which allows the BJ to be pulled away fairly easily off road.
This is a Thing setup. Notice that the lower BJ, while pressed in from the upper surface has the connection to the lower arm on the underside making it harder to pull out or pull apart.

It's been a long time but I don't remember for sure if the stock upper BJ and alignment adjuster can be used, but the BJ is available (the last time I looed for it) but the alignment adjuster is/was harder to find and more expensive.

For what it is worth.

Lee

I don't know why the duplicate pix and one pix left out.

Lee

I don't know why my new computer is doubling up on pix and deleting others. Whatever is going on, it also wants me out of here too.

Lee

Ol'fogasaurus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 7:45 pmBug spindle.JPG

This is a stock VW BJ spindle setup. Notice the lower BH is pressed into the lower arm from the upper surface which allows the BJ to be pulled away fairly easily off road.

This is not correct. The lower BJ of a Beetle control arm is pressed in from below. It has a flange on it, so it can't ever pull out of the control arm.

Sorry Bruce, I have seen the lower BJ pull out on hard landings and with 'no see-ums". The thing lower BJ also presses in from the top but the bolt area points down.
This is a bug setup.

This is one of the reasons that suspension stops are often recommended when potential suspension travel could be too much.
Lee

The lower bug ball joint is inserted from the underneath and has a thick flange that stops it pulling out from above.

Either it got smashed from a height & completely destroyed the ball joint, or perhaps someone fitted an upper ball joint to the lower arm by mistake.

As I remember, I didn't press the stock BJs in but did press them in on the conversion to a Thing spindle.
https://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopi ... g+spindles

Maybe some info here.

Lee

Addition, I may have said things wrong but if I did this pix and post was done many years ago (prior to the date on the post which is 2006).

Look at the notches in the upper and lower BJs. The are to align with the markings on the arms. The alignment piece in the upper ASSY is larger than the stock BJ arms, and they are not only hard to find but expensive when found too.

Lee