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In any modern performance car it is necessary that the camber and alignment be adjustable. This is usually so the car can be dialed in for optimum handling and performance. But in a swing axle Volkswagen, there is an even greater need for the camber and alignment to be adjustable. This is because any time the ride height is altered, be it lower or higher, the camber changes drastically – so much that performance, ride quality, and tire wear can be severely affected. The alignment too changes slightly, adding negatively to the road handling ability. In the past nothing could be done to correct this, and so swing axle Volkswagens were generally viewed as inferior performers to IRS (independent rear suspension). IRS’s do not change camber as drastically when ride height is altered. If a person wanted a lowered or raised performance VW they were required to completely convert their car over to IRS. This involved hacking an old suspension from a car with IRS (destroying its value), and re-welding it to the other car with a gutted suspension. This usually required a jig to make sure everything was straight, and a professional welder to do the work. In the end the car still had an old, fatigued, and corroded suspension. In addition, the value of a car with this kind of conversion was decreased since it was no longer original.
However, swing axles have there own advantages over IRS. For one thing IRS is a bit weaker, having three major weak points. According to Keith Seume in his “VW Beetle Performance Handbook” the output shafts on the differential are usually the first to break under high horsepower. Next to break are the CV joints, especially if the lubrication runs dry. Finally the axles may fail, although this requires a lot of horsepower to do so. These types of transmissions are also more costly to strengthen. Swing axles are all around stronger and ultimately they are capable of delivering higher horsepower to the pavement without burning a big hole through a person’s wallet like IRS does. In addition they are easy to obtain since numerous were manufactured from the late 40s to the late 60s.
There is another factor to consider that causes decreased performance on both swing axle suspensions and IRS when ride height is changed. When a VW is raised or lowered the shock will either be stretched or compressed accordingly, and tow in (swing axles), alignment, and camber will be changed. This will cause it to operate outside of its optimum performance range, and thus affect the performance of the vehicle negatively.
There is now a new product that will make a swing axle suspension perform better than was ever though possible. It is called “The Adjustable Camber and Alignment Unit for Swing axle Suspensions”, or ACU for short. It is the purpose of this report to define its function.
The Adjustable Camber and Alignment Unit
The ACU is intended to replace the stock axles in swing-axle Volkswagens without hacking or welding of any kind. It is a fixed joint located in between the transaxle and the wheel, which will make the camber and alignment fully adjustable – something that was never before possible on swing axle Volkswagens. It is designed so that it can be adjusted once, tightened, and then be left alone to operate as designed by the factory – that is to say that the suspension geometry will not change whether the car is raised or lowered. The invention allows for incremental adjustment, up to twenty degrees (ten degrees in each direction), of both the camber and alignment of the Volkswagen swing-axle suspension. It gives 2.9 inches of ride height adjustment in any direction (a total of 5.8 inches), while still retaining no camber. It uses the gear oil from the transaxle just as the original axle does.
Advantages over Independent Rear Suspensions
The first advantage of this invention is that it is a genuine Atomwerk product and therefore fits many of our suspension products that are now available, or soon to be. Since it is an Atomwerk product the quality is impeccable.
Another advantage of this unit is that the original transaxle can now be pushed far beyond its old performance levels. Volkswagens with this unit may have more powerful engines, and the owners will not have to worry about axle breakage, because the unit is far stronger than the stock swing-axle.
Of course the single handed biggest advantage is its adjustability. The following is adjustable in this unit:
1. Camber
2. Toe In
3. Alignment
4. Shock compression range
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Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas
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