Hey everybody:
I posted this message on the Off-Road forum last week and didn't get a response. I figure I will give it a shot here since the early Things had gear reduction transaxles.
Here was my message:
My Baja has laydown gear reduction adaptors and I would like to minimize the rear wheel hop as much as possible.
It's not a big problem. I have run upright adaptors in the past and the wheel hop was awful. It's more like just a lift during accelleration with the laydown adaptors. I have also used "no-hop" adaptors in the past but they are not very durable for hard off-roading.
Not many people use this old technology anymore. I would like to know if stiffer shocks, more shocks or stiffer torsion bars would help.
Charles
Gear Reduction Wheel Hop Minimization.
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I wish I could help. Things '73 and '74 don't have gear reduction boxes like the buses. Is that what you are talking about? They do have different gearing in the tranny.
I plan to swap my Thing Tranny with a tranny from a '76 baja bug so the Thing will perform on the highway better and the bug will handle offroad.
I plan to swap my Thing Tranny with a tranny from a '76 baja bug so the Thing will perform on the highway better and the bug will handle offroad.
- Bob Ingman
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- getsmarx
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- getsmarx
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- Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2003 12:01 am
I had the same setup in my Baja for many years. No wheel hop but not the most durable setup for harsh off-roading.Bob Ingman wrote:Charles I once used a gear reduction transaxle setup in a Baja. There were traction bar type braces connecting the boxes to the chassis.
The best information on this subject that I know of is found in Jeff Hibbards book "Bajas and Buggies". He goes into this subject in depth. Good luck. Bob Ingman
I have the Jeff Hibbard book. It is good.
Just the other day I bought a very old (about 1970) issue of Road Test / Dune Buggy magazine and it had an article on installing 1955 and earlier ("Barndoor") Bus gear reduction boxes into a Baja Bug.
That would really cheese-off the vintage Bus freaks today.
Charles
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That is good info. I only have a '73 and '74 to look at. I would like to have a 70-71, it would probably get more movie work than my '74getsmarx wrote:True, but 1971 and 1972 Things did have gear reduction. Very similar to early Buses.Capn Skully wrote:I wish I could help. Things '73 and '74 don't have gear reduction boxes like the buses. Is that what you are talking about? They do have different gearing in the tranny.
Charles
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Thing interchangeability
Here is some facts about The interchangeability (long word... )
http://www.geocities.com/vwtyp181/181_3-4.htm
Look in Gearbox (Transaxle)
http://www.geocities.com/vwtyp181/181_3-4.htm
Look in Gearbox (Transaxle)
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The 54 bus transaxle was a bolt into the sedan. I have only seen one set and I wasn't able to buy them.getsmarx wrote:
Just the other day I bought a very old (about 1970) issue of Road Test / Dune Buggy magazine and it had an article on installing 1955 and earlier ("Barndoor") Bus gear reduction boxes into a Baja Bug.
That would really cheese-off the vintage Bus freaks today.
Charles
Brian
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What is going to cheese off you guys is I am going to put a Thing Tranny, Axles and hubs on the back of my '76 Baja. I also plan to transplant the front Thing Arms, ball joints, spindles and drums on the front of the '76 Baja.
The only reason I didn't transplant the whole beam is beacuse it is rusting away as we speak.
The only reason I didn't transplant the whole beam is beacuse it is rusting away as we speak.