Plastic Caps Found In Trailing Arm?

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

when i came to put the arb through the trailing arms i found plastic caps about half way down on both arms?

 

i assume they are there on new shafts but these are used ones (not by me)

 

how strange

[Anthony 1,002]

Those plastic caps are there on base model beams that don't have an anti-roll bar. New shafts don't have them, nor do shafts from beams with an ARB.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

Those plastic caps are there on base model beams that don't have an anti-roll bar. New shafts don't have them, nor do shafts from beams with an ARB.

 

ah so the stripped beam i was sold as a 'gti' beam was in fact not a gti beam.

 

the shafts and stub axles are the same as gti ones though ??

[gti-si 0]

Stub axels would be the drum versions, so same as the 1.6 gti i PRESUME. Shafts are definitely the same

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

Stub axels would be the drum versions, so same as the 1.6 gti i PRESUME. Shafts are definitely the same

 

they did look the same size as the 1,6 ones i removed from my old beam, i guess i'll find out soon enough

[Anthony 1,002]

ah so the stripped beam i was sold as a 'gti' beam was in fact not a gti beam.

 

the shafts and stub axles are the same as gti ones though ??

Check the torsion bars, as they'll be fractionally smaller diameter on base model compared to GTi's - 18.5mm vs 19mm. On most "converted" base model beams that I've seen, all that's actually happened is that the ARB and drum brakes are swapped, so you still have the wrong TB's.

 

Provisionally they are the same yes, or certainly useable in place of GTi ones. I say provisionally, as I have discovered that some early no-ARB beams had different shafts in them where the internal bore was too small to accept the ARB endplate and rubber bush - most seem to be fine, but worth checking before you go any further as it's somewhat irritating discovering it's wrong when you've built the beam and are just doing the last step of fitting the ARB!

 

Stub axles as said are the same as 1.6 GTi, but different to 1.9 GTi (disk braked) stub axles.

[pugpete1108 62 1 Cars]

anthony , i'm using my gti tb's so i'm ok there all i have from the other beam is the trailing arm/shafts.

i got a decent tube from jimi and have just checked and the end plates do go in the arms with the rubbers on...whew you got me worried there