are all rear beams the same size?

[dukest 0]

and just the hubs different? wanting to buy an ARB for the VR that has been on a valver.. sorry if its a dumb question

 

thanks

john

[Supercharged 2]

Nope - VR beam is completly sifferent due to the plus suspension - different bushes and brake bias setup.

 

Even the 4 Cyl beams are different with different roll bars etc.

 

That ARB - it really depends how it bolts on, I know Eibach ones are different because they use the bottom strut nut as a mounting point.

[pete_griff 0]

interestingly the beams are also different between the mk2 and the corrado (uncertain about the old passat).

 

found this out when helping Jon (boostmonkey) make up some new rears. the mk2 beam doesn't have the reinforcing "bits on the side" that the corrado beam has. i know that corrados are supposed to have passat rear-ends, but it seems they're pretty similar across the range, but with lots of little differences at the same time (if that makes any sense!)

[STU175 0]

i thought they where all the same apart from hubs :confused4:

 

i hope the 95 16v one ive been refurbing will go on my 91 g60??

 

please say they are the same??

[aide 0]

the fixing method for the abs sensor tube differ between early and late, early are a mushroom fixing, late are different.

 

guess who ordered the wrong ones when refurbing their rear beam :D

[pete_griff 0]

i thought they where all the same apart from hubs :confused4:

 

i hope the 95 16v one ive been refurbing will go on my 91 g60??

 

please say they are the same??

there might be a difference in the track width i know vr's got wider track, but afaik all "later" shape 'rados had the wider track (can't confirm that though)

 

if you've already got both beams then why dont you just measure them both??? :shrug:

[mikkijayne 0]

Although there are detail differences in brackets n bits the beams themselves are all the same width, as are the stub axles and discs. The difference in rear track comes from the difference in width and offset of the VR6 vs 16v / G60 stock wheels.

 

:cat:

[aide 0]

the following from this thread, viewtopic.php?f=23&t=76563&hilit=vr6+widetrack+questions from the VW workshop manual apparently.

 

Yandards wrote:

 

16v/G60 running on 6 1/2J x 15 ET 33:

 

1439mm front track

1432mm rear track

 

VR6 running on 6/12J x 15 ET 43:

 

1450mm front track

1432mm rear track

 

So a VR6 has the same rear track as a 4 cylinder car but given the changes to the ET it is a wider beam. If you consider that they only widened the front outer arches as part of the 'plus' running gear set-up then a wider ream beam had to fit within the existing wheel arches.

 

i don't think this helps answer the 'internal' beam dimension where the arb would be secured.

[Yandards 0]

the following from this thread, viewtopic.php?f=23&t=76563&hilit=vr6+widetrack+questions from the VW workshop manual apparently.

 

Yandards wrote:

 

16v/G60 running on 6 1/2J x 15 ET 33:

 

1439mm front track

1432mm rear track

 

VR6 running on 6/12J x 15 ET 43:

 

1450mm front track

1432mm rear track

 

So a VR6 has the same rear track as a 4 cylinder car but given the changes to the ET it is a wider beam. If you consider that they only widened the front outer arches as part of the 'plus' running gear set-up then a wider ream beam had to fit within the existing wheel arches.

 

i don't think this helps answer the 'internal' beam dimension where the arb would be secured.

 

That's apparently from the workshop manual because I have a full set of them :)

 

@Mikkijayne, your comment does not make sense, if the rear beams are the same size and the rear track is the same size across all models (which it is as the rear wing inner and outer quarter panel does not change throughout production in terms of width) then the VR should have a wider rear track thanks to the wheels - which it doesn't.

 

Only the VR6 had the 'Plus' suspension setup, the 4 cylinder cars have a different rear beam from the VRs but any 4 cylinder beam will fit another 4 cylinder car regardless of model year.

 

There are some revisions to the rear beam design though the production process and beams designed for Mk 2s and Passats whilst very similar are also slightly different due to weight and intended design use.

 

Dukest as for if a 16v aftermarket rear ARB will fit a VR that depends on how it mounts and how much adjustment there is, best bet is to see what the company who made the ARB offers, i.e. do they do a one size fits all or a VR specific one.

[aide 0]

Haha yeh not doubting at all, just a turn of phrase :)

[Yandards 0]

Haha yeh not doubting at all, just a turn of phrase :)

 

I guessed it wasn't meant as a dig hence the :) at the end of the statement.

 

It's one of those little measuring jobs I keep meaning to get around to next time I am under the car but someone else will need to do a VR beam.

[coullstar 0]

Random thought but is track distance not taken from hub mounting points and not outer edge of the wheels? If thats the case the rear beams are the same.

[mikkijayne 0]

 

@Mikkijayne, your comment does not make sense, if the rear beams are the same size and the rear track is the same size across all models (which it is as the rear wing inner and outer quarter panel does not change throughout production in terms of width) then the VR should have a wider rear track thanks to the wheels - which it doesn't.

 

The Bentley says it does have a wider rear track

 

 

Random thought but is track distance not taken from hub mounting points and not outer edge of the wheels? If thats the case the rear beams are the same.

 

Track is taken from the vertical centre of the wheel rim, so different offset wheels on the same mounting faces give a different track, as does different widths. Someone did some sums on Vortex in the very same discussion and it acutually worked out spot on to the Bentley numbers.

 

Plus Kyle (piercedwinky on here, burninator on vortex) actually measured both beams and they were exactly the same :wink:

 

:cat: