What Rear Beam Have I Got?

[Mark80 0]

Hi guys, Ive almost finished my wee track car, now turning my attention to my rear beam. I think its knackered or not set up right as the rear offside wheel touches the arch on the inside. The wheel itself is fine. When I bought my car I got a spare rear beam with it and it looks in better condition. How can I tell what car it came off, 205 or 309? Which parts do I measure.

 

Also how can I tell which beam is in better condition. Obviously just looking at it isn't going to let me know condition of bearings inside etc. Is it just a case of stripping it down to see, which looks like a total pain.

 

Thanks for any light you can shine on this!

 

Also im thick....the arb runs inside the main beam yes?

[Mark80 0]

OK, Im pretty sure its not a 205 or 309 beam. I took the old beam off and put it next to it and the new one is a fair bit longer.

 

http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk350/M...um/IMG_2161.jpg

 

Anyone any idea what its off? It looks pretty similar, looks like Ill be needing a recon 309 beam from somewhere!

[matty_gti 20]

Ive seen someone had fitted a wider rear beam (mounting wise) to a 205 but it was from a slightly larger french car but i cant remember which

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

That beam looks more like a 306 beam to me due to the offset front mount studs.

 

Graham.

[Mark80 0]

That beam looks more like a 306 beam to me due to the offset front mount studs.

 

Graham.

 

 

Ah ok cheers graham, Ill prob just sell it then to fund getting a 309 beam. I take it there is no way to use this beam. Drilling new holes to mount it would be a waste of time. I suppose the wheels would stick miles out the side of the car and who knows what the handling would be like!

[Mark80 0]

Nobody no more about using the 306 rear beam? Any help would be so appreciated.

[nick 3]

Why not build a good beam out of the two? If the tube is fine on your 205 beam, put the arms from the 306 beam on it (bound to have better shafts in it) and then get the ARB cut to fit as well.

 

Nick

[welshpug 1,657]

definitely a 306/zx/xsara beam, one thing to check before you go any further is the length of the stub axles, I noticed that there are no caliper brackets or drum backplates.

[Mark80 0]

Why not build a good beam out of the two? If the tube is fine on your 205 beam, put the arms from the 306 beam on it (bound to have better shafts in it) and then get the ARB cut to fit as well.

 

Nick

 

Thanks Nick would have been a great idea. Unfortunately I just stripped the 205 beam down and its ruined. The shaft comes out of the beam at a crazy angle, the bearings have fused it all together. So beam will be going in the bin. May try and swap the 306 beam rather than using it. I have no idea about how it wouold effect the handling of the car so inclined not to use it.

 

definitely a 306/zx/xsara beam, one thing to check before you go any further is the length of the stub axles, I noticed that there are no caliper brackets or drum backplates.

 

Yeah no caliper brackets. Annoying also. I was hoping to use the ones off the 205 beam but that would invole new bearing etc?

[welshpug 1,657]

you could use the brackets, but you would need a new wheelbearing, not cheap as it is part of the hub as well.

 

If it has been rebuilt then I'd sell it on, looks like it may be gti6 spec (red oxide coloured torsion bar with yellow paint marks), check the diameter of the torsion bars, 20mm is the magic number.

[Mark80 0]

you could use the brackets, but you would need a new wheelbearing, not cheap as it is part of the hub as well.

 

If it has been rebuilt then I'd sell it on, looks like it may be gti6 spec (red oxide coloured torsion bar with yellow paint marks), check the diameter of the torsion bars, 20mm is the magic number.

 

 

Brilliant, thanks alot. Dont know if it has been rebuilt. Took one end of the arb off and it looked in great nick though.. I'll put it in the for sale section when I get enough posts.

 

Any idea how a 205 would handle with a 306 beam on it. How does a wider beam effect the handling of the car?

[Mark80 0]

My local scrappies doesn't have any 205 gtis or 309 gtis but does have a CTi. I'm not sure if its a 1.9 or 1.6. Are the beams exactly the same as the gtis? So if it was a 1.9 cti could I use that? Also to tell if it was a 1.6 or 1.9 (badges gone) will i just see if it has discs or drums at the back?

thanks guys.

[welshpug 1,657]

IIRC the CTi will have drums whether it be a 1.6 or a 1.9

 

the tube itself is the important bit, if that and the arm shafts are good just combine all the good bits from your 2 beams.

 

if you already have discs and want to keep them, use your original trailing arms, the best shafts (GSF do these for £39 each if a donor doesnt turn up the goods)

 

also use your original torsion bars and ARB, as the CTi is softly sprung.

[Mark80 0]

IIRC the CTi will have drums whether it be a 1.6 or a 1.9

 

the tube itself is the important bit, if that and the arm shafts are good just combine all the good bits from your 2 beams.

 

if you already have discs and want to keep them, use your original trailing arms, the best shafts (GSF do these for £39 each if a donor doesnt turn up the goods)

 

also use your original torsion bars and ARB, as the CTi is softly sprung.

 

Thats great thats mate. It looked it pretty bad nick so I just gave it a miss, however just won a nice 309gti one off ebay so happy aboput that. Wil rebuild it just to be safe when I get it, thanks for all the help guys.