912 to VW Conversion

[louielargo]

I am helping out a friend and would like to know what drive axles to use on a 1969 912 with a 901 Tranny and 911SC trailing arms.
Early trailing arms are 15 inches long and 911SC trailing arms are 19 inches long, I need them to be about 18 1/2 inches long. Hes anyone encountered this before???
Any advice would be appreciated.
Best regards, Louie

louielargo@charter.net

[bt1211]

Look here lot of info www.thesamba.com/vwforum/viewtopic.php?t=157961 Check out link to diddler/black-sheep. They might be able to answer your questions.

[bt1211]

sorry, go to www.thesamba.com look under forums, find Ghia, then look for topic "66 912 into 73 Ghia" check out the diddler/blacksheep link. they might be able to help

[jeff1hughes]

some cv rebuilders can shorten your shafts for you. I've seen a friend have it done on his SCCA 'D-Sports' race car (it needed special shafts built off a Mini Cooper).

[bt1211]

I just reread this, you are talking about the bananna arms. For some reason my mind was stuck on the drive shafts. SC arms are aluminum, SWBs are steel. I guess a good welder can short or lengthen either. Because after 68 911's went to a Long wheel base and the bananna arms were lenghtened. Thats why most people keep SWB arms on their cars.

[unclebilly]

I would strongly reccomend that you think twice about welding any suspension component. If something did let go, you run the chance of hurting who ever is behind you on the road.

If you do need to modify the parts, I'd lean towards lengthening the steel parts rather than shortening the aluminum parts.

Aluminum work hardens and you are going to have very little control over the changes to the metalurgy in the aluminum in the heat affected zone near the weld. It might last for a while but when it does eventually crack, it will be catastrophic.