BAJA - SEPTEMBER

BUMPERS AND SHOCKS

PRE-BUILT BAJA BUMPERS COME IN TWO BASIC STYLES - SINGLE TUBE AND DOUBLE-TUBE... PERSONALLY, I THINK THE DOUBLE-TUBE BUMPERS GIVE A BAJA A MORE RUGGED LOOK, BUT THE CHOICE IS YOURS. BOTH WILL MEET YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS.
BOTH MODELS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL VW ACCESSORIES DEALER, IF NOT, THEY CAN BE ORDERED FROM MANY OF THE ADVERTISERS IN THE VW MAGAZINES.

THESE TWO MODELS BOTH MOUNT IN THE SAME BASIC WAY. THE FIRST STEP IN MOUNTING THE FRONT BUMPER IS TO LOCATE AND REMOVE THE BOTTOM MOUNTING BOLTS FOR THE FRONT BEAM (AXLE). ONCE YOU HAVE REMOVED THESE THEN YOU ARE READY TO BOLT ON THE FRONT BUMPERS LOWER TUBES. WITH THE BOTTOM TUBES BOLTED ON, YOU CAN NOW SEE WHERE THE UPPER TUBES MOUNTING TABS NEED TO BE WELDED ON (BRAZING IS NOT A GOOD OPTION, USE OXY-ACETYLENE, MIG OR TIG WELDING), MOUNT THE TABS ONTO THE UPPER TUBES WITH THE NUTS AND BOLTS PROVIDED AND ADJUST THEM UNTIL YOU ARE SATISIFIED WITH THE WAY YOUR BUMPER WILL SIT. NOW WELD ON THE TABS. THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO THE FRONT BUMPER... EASY, HUH?

NOW ON TO THE REAR BUMPER... THIS ONE IS SLIGHTLY MORE DIFFICULT TO INSTALL, BUT NOT TO MUCH. FIRST YOU NEED TO SET UP A JACK UNDER YOUR TRANNY MOUNT PLATE (THAT'S THE CROSSMEMBER THAT CONNECTS THE TWO TUBES THAT RUN THE LENGTH OF THE TRANSAXLE), SET THE JACK SO THAT IT IS TAKING THE LOAD, BUT NOT ACTUALLY RAISING THE THE REAR. NEXT YOU NEED TO REMOVE THE TWO LARGE (MOST ARE 21mm) BOLTS THAT HOLD ON THE CROSSMEMBER. THESE CAN SOMETIMES BE A REAL PAIN AND THERE ARE A FEW MODELS THAT USE BOLTS THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL SOCKETS. ONCE YOU HAVE THE BOLTS REMOVED MOUNT THE LOWER BRACKETS (THESE ARE THE ONES WITH A SHORT PIECE OF TUBE HAVING A STRIP OF METAL WITH A LARGE HOLE IN IT), DO NOT TIGHTEN THEM DOWN ALL THE WAY YET. LINE UP THE LOWER TUBES OF YOUR BUMPER WITH THE SMALLER DIAMETER TUBE BRACKETS THAT YOU JUST PUT ON AND SLIP THEM TOGETHER. USE A BLOCK OR SOMETHING TO SUPPORT THE BACK OF THE BUMPER AND GET IT SITTING LEVEL. NEXT SLIP THE UPPER MOUNTING PLATES ONTO THE UPPER TUBES, BOLT THEM TOGETHER AND LOCATE WHERE THEY WILL MOUNT TO THE FIREWALL. YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS HERE - YOU CAN BOLT THE UPPER PLATES TO THE FIREWALL, OR YOU CAN WELD THEM ON. ONCE YOU HAVE THIS DONE YOU ARE READY TO TIGHTEN ALL THE NUTS AND BOLTS. NOW YOU SHOULD DRILL A HOLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE LOWER TUBES WHERE THEY SLIP OVER THE MOUNTING TUBE AND INSTALL A NUT AND BOLT, THIS WILL KEEP THE LOWER TUBES FROM SLIPPING OFF THE MOUNTS UNDER STRESS.

OF COURSE IF YOU HAVE THE WELDING SKILLS AND THE TOOLS, YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN BUMPERS FROM SCRATCH. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THESE RESOURCES, I STILL LIKE TO USE THE DOUBLE-TUBE BUMPERS AS A FOUNDATION IN ALL MY FULL TUBULAR CHASSIS. I JUST MODIFY THE MOUNTING TO INTEGRATE WITH THE CHASSIS.

NOW LET'S THINK ABOUT SHOCKS... THE STOCK TYPE SHOCKS ARE JUST FINE IF YOU PLAN ON STAYING ON THE PAVEMENT AND DO NOT HAVE A RAISED FRONT-END. IF YOU DO HAVE A RAISED FRONT END YOU WILL NEED "LONG-TRAVEL SHOCKS" WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE SAME SOURCES AS THE BUMPERS. USUALLY THESE WILL BE THE "KYB" BRAND, WHICH IS AN EXCELLENT OFF-ROAD SHOCK (I USE THESE IN A LONGER "TRUCK" VERSION FOR MY RACE CAR). SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO PUT AIR-SHOCKS ON THE BACK OF THEIR BAJA TO GET THAT "JACKED-UP" LOOK, BUT I DON'T RECOMMEND THEM FOR OFF-ROADING AS IT IS EASY TO TEAR OUT THE FILLING TUBES ON ROCKS AND BRUSH. ONCE AN AIR-SHOCK LOOSES ITS PRESSURE IT IS NO LONGER EFFECTIVE AT ABSORBING THE BUMPS. IF YOU WANT THE BACK OF YOUR BAJA TO BE HIGHER IT CAN BE ADJUSTED BY TURNING THE TORSION BARS (I WILL BE COVERING THIS IN THE PRE-RUNNER SECTION SOON).
DON'T ASSUME THAT KYB's ARE THE ONLY BRAND TO HAVE, THIS IS NOT TRUE! THERE ARE PLENTY OF GOOD SHOCK MANUFACTURERS OUT THERE, IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BRAND JUST FIND THE RIGHT LENGTH AND GO FOR IT!

LAST MONTH I STARTED A BAJA OF THE MONTH SECTION AND HAVE NOW DECIDED TO HAVE A WHOLE SECTION DEVOTED TO OFF-ROAD VW PICTURES. I STILL WANT TO SEE YOUR BAJAS AND POST THEM IN THIS SECTION ALONG WITH ITS INFO AND YOUR HOMEPAGE URL SO EVERYBODY CAN GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING WITH THEIR BAJA. SO SEND IN YOUR PICS, INFO AND URL SOON!
I'M ALSO GOING TO TALK BROCK INTO ADDING AN OFF-ROAD SECTION TO THE LINKS PAGE.

NEXT MONTH I'LL COVER SOME OF THE ACCESSORIES THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE ON YOUR BAJA.

FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR TO SUBMIT YOUR PICTURES E-MAIL ME AT:
dirtbugz@oasisvw.com
OR CONTACT ME BY ICQ # 18583378