Rear Beam Difference

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

Just tried replacing my 'twisted' rear beam with a GTX 1.4 one. (just the beam, using the original trailing arms etc.) All went well, everything nice and free, sitting level and at the right height until I tried fitting the seatbelt anchor! the central part of this beam is narrower than the original Gti beam!! apart from the anchor rattling around what practical diference will this make, do I need to source another beam?

[Jrod 7]

Just ditch the bracket.

[bouver 0]

I dont think you need another beam.

The only thing that makes GtI 1.6 BEAMS WIDER IS WIDER HUBS THAN the standard 205 models.

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

I dont think you need another beam.

The only thing that makes GtI 1.6 BEAMS WIDER IS WIDER HUBS THAN the standard 205 models.

 

Its not so much the width, surely the thicker diameter in the middle is stronger. Is it stronger to support the seat belt brace or stronger due to the forces of use on a gti??

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

That brace has nothing to do with the seatbelts.

 

Like Jrod says, ditch it. I haven't got one on mine.

 

Graham.

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

That brace has nothing to do with the seatbelts.

 

Like Jrod says, ditch it. I haven't got one on mine.

 

Graham.

 

Don't know why I thought it was a brace connected to the seatbelt bolts

 

Its not really that I'm bothered about but the fact that the beam is narrower. Does that mean its not as strong and not as able to deal with the Gti!?

 

Does anyone know of anyone on here that could supply a reconditioned beam only??

 

Cheers, Martin

[Anthony 1,003]

Its not really that I'm bothered about but the fact that the beam is narrower. Does that mean its not as strong and not as able to deal with the Gti!?

The non-GTi tubes are fine and I've found not difference in terms of strength - certainly I've built beams for people with thicker TB's/ARB's than standard that have used non-GTi tubes, and have had beams that have been on rally cars using non-GTi tubes that have been fine.

 

As others have said, the beam/tank strap can be removed with no ill effects - only 3dr 205's had them anyway, with 5dr and 309 models not having them.

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

The non-GTi tubes are fine and I've found not difference in terms of strength - certainly I've built beams for people with thicker TB's/ARB's than standard that have used non-GTi tubes, and have had beams that have been on rally cars using non-GTi tubes that have been fine.

 

As others have said, the beam/tank strap can be removed with no ill effects - only 3dr 205's had them anyway, with 5dr and 309 models not having them.

 

 

Thats great, just what I wanted to hear. will pack out the brace as one of my tank mounting bolts isn't that clever so the brace adds a bit of security. It does seem a bit over the top to clamp that brace to the suspension beam, wonder why the felt the need to do that? Anyway having removed the old beam it really is twisted, it must take an awfull lot of force to shift one of the cast lumps on the end but that appears to be what's happened, anyone experienced this? Can it be rotated back, I tried a few wallops but it won't move. Its hard to find an effective way of holding the rest still!

[jimistdt 1]

Any chance you could post a picture of the 'Twisted' beam? Just out of curiosity?

[Stu 18]

Just my two cents..

 

I ditched the strap on mine, and i also built a GTI spec beam from a base model tube, albeit 309.

 

No problems at all

[Anthony 1,003]

Thats great, just what I wanted to hear. will pack out the brace as one of my tank mounting bolts isn't that clever so the brace adds a bit of security

The brace from a 3dr base model beam will fit straight on if you don't want to pack out the larger GTi one.

 

Anyway having removed the old beam it really is twisted, it must take an awfull lot of force to shift one of the cast lumps on the end but that appears to be what's happened, anyone experienced this? Can it be rotated back, I tried a few wallops but it won't move. Its hard to find an effective way of holding the rest still!

The castings on the end of the tube where the arms and front mounts attach are only press fitted AFAIK and thus it's feasable that they could move, although I've personally never seen this happen, and not quite sure how to easily straighten it again given the forces involved.

[mhyphenl 10 1 Cars]

The brace from a 3dr base model beam will fit straight on if you don't want to pack out the larger GTi one.

 

 

The castings on the end of the tube where the arms and front mounts attach are only press fitted AFAIK and thus it's feasable that they could move, although I've personally never seen this happen, and not quite sure how to easily straighten it again given the forces involved.

 

 

Thanks for your contribution guys, I'm gonna take the achor that goes round the beam off but retain the strap / heatshield etc. As for the beam I'll try and get a piccie tonight! Its twisted such that when the plates for the rear mounts are attached the bolt coming from the flexible mount is 1" off the floor when all other bolts are in contact with the floor (if you think of the beam upside down all 6 bolts should sit on the floor, on mine one of them is 1" off the floor. I noticed when the beam was last off, fitted the double stud front mounts but then went to the rear flexi mounts and one bolt was through but on the other side nowhere near. I had to use a jack to push it up as I had no other choice.