VW bug shocks on a buggy?

**JagerDanger** · 07-10-2019 10:20 PM

I've been looking at the pricing for shocks and ones for UTVs in general seem to be outrageously expensive brand new. Other than going used, would using shocks for the old air cooled VW Bug be too stiff for a single seater buggy? I'm slowly buying parts so I have almost all of it when I build the dang thing. I'm guessing overall wet weight with driver will be close to 800-900lbs.

**XJZ33** · 07-11-2019 12:27 AM

Depends on a lot of things. Are they just shock absorbers with no coil (I assume yes because you said VW and they use torsion springs ) so the you would have nothing holding up the weight of the buggy as they don't have springs. If you used twin motorcycle shocks or helper shocks/springs for a truck then maybe, but they wouldn't be for a very fast buggy unless you were just driving fire roads and no real bumps. You also can't adjust the valving or compression or rebound on them so they have limited capabilities.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

**JagerDanger** · 07-11-2019 12:57 AM

I thought you could use those types of shocks regardless if you had torsion bars or not. I guess I'll have to keep looking then. I know that you cannot adjust standard automotive shocks and my thought was because the older VW were light, that it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

I'm building for ATV trails, ice, and old logging trails (hunting area) and other rougher terrain.

**makenzie71** · 07-11-2019 01:18 AM

What’s your budget and where are you? I frequently stumble across RZR shocks for pretty cheap. I picked up my Walker Evans XP4 shocks for $500.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...1835924116284/

^example...lots of them out there and the walker evans pieces are about the best bang for thr buck you can get.

**JagerDanger** · 07-11-2019 01:26 AM

Whoops, I guess I forgot to post my location on here lol. I'm in Lincoln, Nebraska. My overall budget I'm trying to keep it no more than $3500. I'm already $150 in so far. But I'm slowly buying parts, as in maybe once every few months. I try to limit how much I spend at a time.

**makenzie71** · 07-11-2019 01:42 AM

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...0322077213680/

**JagerDanger** · 07-11-2019 01:47 AM

Thanks. Hopefully I can find that ad on Craigslist as well. I dumped Facebook 3 years ago and have no real intention to use it again. Though I can see if my wife can maybe send a p.m to them on it. But it's nice to see that they do pop up quite a bit. Are these rebuildable?

**makenzie71** · 07-11-2019 01:52 AM

the base shocks i don’t think are rebuildable...benefit of going with the walker evans or fox pieces, but that’s the trade you make when the shocks are $25 a pop

**JagerDanger** · 07-11-2019 01:55 AM

Unless I can get a better paying job or I get them for a steal, I probably won't buy Fox Shocks...too expensive for my taste.

**JagerDanger** · 07-11-2019 11:18 PM

One last question that just thought of, is it better for the front tires to be the same width as the rear, or is it better to have the front or rear to be different width? In my mind, I'd rather have them be as close to the same width as possible, but if I had to make them different, my thought is having the front a bit wider and maybe have some over steer built in.