1973 VW Bug Ball Joint Beam Removal and Replacement - Part 1

[@Volkswagenplanet]

I can't say it enough, " it's great to see Levi getting his hands dirty. I correct that, wanting to get dirty. Great father/ son time. Your are a asset to the VW COMMUNITY more than you will ever know. Speaking of the VW COMMUNITY this was how I got the honor to meet you. No matter how bad you think life is getting to you, sombody is always worse. Its at this point in time the VW COMMUNITY always comes around when you least expect it. I'm really thinking the VW COMMUNITY is kinda like the movie, " PAY IT FOWARD. ". JUST MY THOUGHTS. ITS GOOD TO AEE YOU SMILE. ONE LAST THING TO ALL, PLEASE BE CAEFULL WITH THE FRONT BEAM. IT WEIGHTS MORE THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT. SAFETY FIRST ON ALL WORK. WE WANT TO SEE EVERYONE ON THIER NEXT. SIMPLE THINGS GUYS, CLEAN WORK AREA, SAFETY GLASSES. THEY GO A LONG WAY. I WANT TO THANK BOTH YOU GUYS FOR HELPING ONE ANOTHER. LEVI GETS HIS BACK, BACK. GREAT HOW TO VIDEO. THANKS FOR TAKING YOUR TIME AND SHOW US WHAT THIS JOB IS ALL ABOUT. Thanks againn for your

[@Volkswagenplanet]

Everyone show your support . leave a comment

[@VWJawbreaker]

Volkswagenplanet thanks John and I do agree with your view of the VW community being like the movie Pay It Forward. I’ve met better quality, honest people in the VW community vs in normal everyday life. There are some amazing people in the community and it’s a way of life. It’s an honor to have Levi out there helping me and wanting to learn and get dirty. I’m so proud of him and how far he has come in the last few years. Thank you as always buddy, I really appreciate you.

[@TysonEngineer]

just out of interest, is jawbreaker got anything to do with the bonnet springs?.. i got cained in the face by mine whilst doing my beam funny enough. 😂 straight to ER for stiches.

[@Volkswagenplanet]

@@TysonEngineer WOW, sorry to hear that.

[@Volkswagenplanet]

Gary is a great guy. I've had the honor to meet him and shake his hand. I can say he is truly a good friend of mine. I've met him through KZbin. We live about a 100.miles apart. He has come down to help me a few times with other youtubers. He is all about safety first. He would never put or suggest harm to anyone.

[@lawrenceirvine8759]

It's nice of Levi to let you work on his car.

[@VWJawbreaker]

At this time he had his own car!

[@busman5429]

Nothing better than father /son working together on vw's; Gary enjoy this time. Thanks for sharing Gary you and Levi's vw garage time.. That would be a good channel name for you guys "Gary & Levi's VW Garage Time" Tune in to learn how to tune up..

[@VWJawbreaker]

Dan Love you’re right buddy, working with him is definitely awesome. I always love it when he spends time in the garage with me. Love the channel idea, I’ll need to remember this!

[@EmanDeluxeVLOGS]

Makes it just that much better for sure not having to bleed the brakes. Big shout out to the 👦 Levi! It's gotta be rough out there in the heat!

[@VWJawbreaker]

E-man Deluxe those disk brakes keep being a blessing 😂 It’s definitely been a hot summer down here but such is life!

[@Jm8126-5]

The best part of this video is watching this little boy learn a trade that can be option if he decides that college or university for him. Reminds me of my childhood. Kudos dad!!!

[@VWJawbreaker]

I appreciate that so much, I love the fact he likes spending time working with me. I’ve always told him to follow his heart and do whatever he wants in life, just don’t be scared to work with your hands or get dirty.

[@benkanobe7500]

I'm a bit older than you, but my best memories of me and my Dad were working on his Model A Ford Truck just like the two of you are working on the bug. Dad is long gone and my back hurts, but the truck is in my garage now and I never look at it or drive it without thinking of him and those days in the garage. Just us guys! (The women folk were at Church. Dad used to say: "I would rather be working in the garage with you thinking about God than sitting in Church thinking about working on the truck.")

[@VWJawbreaker]

I grew up the same way with my dad and grandfather, always in the shop with them building just about anything, working on a huge variety of projects and learning everything I absolutely could. The fact my son usually likes to be involved is a huge plus and I never force it. Your dad’s saying is priceless!

[@SladesVWBeetle]

Great to see father and son together!! And having calipers to just remove and set aside! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@VWJawbreaker]

Vintage Beetle And Memories he’s with me most of the time just not usually on my videos.

[@SladesVWBeetle]

VWJawbreaker Enjoy while you can! They grow fast, mine are older and moved out

[@VWJawbreaker]

Vintage Beetle And Memories I’m soaking up every minute while it lasts!!

[@backyardkombi5466]

Nice video Gary

[@VWJawbreaker]

Thank you sir.

[@mcdanielsmotorwerks423]

This makes me so happy, I was getting tired of seeing it laying around here and couldn't think of a better hame for it.

[@VWJawbreaker]

Volkswagen Fetish I would have rather seen it be used for its intended purpose but things do change. You know how much I appreciate you and value our friendship. Thank you 🙏

[@VWJawbreaker]

Volkswagen Fetish 😂🤪

[@shaydickinson3236]

Enjoying your videos and all your knowledge. I found some old hemostats I had laying around and use them for gas lines when working with fuel. I have a few different sizes and keep them in my car tool box for emergencies

[@VWJawbreaker]

Shay Dickinson good idea. Thank you for watching and commenting! I never flame to know it all, I’m just sharing what I do know and things that I run across.

[@tedborder8751]

Thanks for the video as I'm new to VW maintenance, Me and my son are rebuilding my daughters car. It's so good to see your lad getting involved, this is a great learning curve for him, doesn't have to be cars, any engineering is good in my book.

[@VWJawbreaker]

Ted Border glad you hear you and your son are working on a project also. To me, spending time together is the most important part. I’ve always told him that I don’t want him to be a mechanic, just don’t be sacred to work with your hands and find out what’s going on. Thanks so much for being here, hope you have a good week.

[@zimms-world]

Awesome video...I might have to do this on my bug

[@VWJawbreaker]

It’s pretty straightforward.

[@DuckmanCycles]

Good stuff! Not something that I have ever done! But I need to for Eleanore!

[@VWJawbreaker]

DuckmanCycles and VW Garage it’s really straight forward and not very difficult. This is the second time I’ve swapped a beam in this car, first time recording it

[@stevevisek7422]

Thanks for this excellent vid! I recently bought a '67 sedan and have been wrestling with the front suspension to correct ride height issues. Mine involve burning rubber when ever I turn the wheel from straight ahead. I think I'll soon be doing exactly what your video shows. Great to see your son working with you. Looks like he's pretty comfortable with the tools and tasks.

[@VWJawbreaker]

Glad to hear the video helped you out, that’s the purpose behind them! We want to help one another and keep these classics on the road. I’m lucky that my son likes to be involved most of the time. He’s pretty smart and enjoys getting in there and doing the work. Thanks for commenting, stay safe and healthy out there.

[@Fastvw1]

Rag joint lol Great video

[@jimlester5003]

Great job! I could use a Levi sometimes. Lol. He's a great help! Thanks for the video.

[@VWJawbreaker]

Jim Lester it’s a blessing having my son out in the garage with me! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🤙

[@dougcurtis578]

I'm definitely going to need to do this, so great video. You guys made it look easy. Great experience for your son.

[@VWJawbreaker]

I hope the video will help you tackle your project. Things always seem easier on camera, trust us lol

[@nosvw2122]

Cool video :)

[@VWJawbreaker]

Thanks!

[@CTmoog]

Great job guys! Hey Levi nice work buddy! I just got back from the PNW! Man this heat is brutal! Stay cool and hydrated! =)

[@VWJawbreaker]

CT welcome back, hope you had a great trip!

[@busman5429]

Great seeing you and Levi working on the vw, I think you need to change your channel name" Gary & Levi's VW Garage Time" That right folks Tune In to Gary & Levi's VW Garage Time & learn how to do a basic tune -up or even rebuild that vw motor .. Cool I .like the sound of that..has a ring to it.. Thanks for sharing looking forward to part 2..I really enjoyed all the years my son worked with me in the garage on VW's when he started at the age of 12. We both learned a lot about the vw's and each other skill sets.

[@VWJawbreaker]

Dan Love the channel idea is a great one, I’ll keep it in mind for sure as things may change later down the road. Working with Levi helps him learn and it also helps me teach, learn and grow also. I’ve always enjoyed anytime he has spent with me over the years, just hope he doesn’t grow out of it lol

[@MrRon6977]

Sweet. Nice video. Its also nice to have cheap labor too.

[@VWJawbreaker]

+Ron Cooke you bet it is!! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@benkanobe7500]

Sidebar question: Realisticly, how much a difference did the front disc brake conversion make in day to day driving?

[@VWJawbreaker]

In all honesty, night and day difference. Plus no needing to adjust the front brakes ever.

[@billygoatracer]

alos just caught the last part of your video, stock tie rods won't work right, I can just replace the tie rod ends

[@VWJawbreaker]

If you’re going from a regular beam to a narrowed beam, stock tie rod setup won’t work as they will be too long. In your case since you already have a narrowed beam, you could replace just the tie rod ends themselves.

[@billygoatracer]

@@VWJawbreaker ok thanks alot, just sitting around thinking about this stuff, still no power from the hurricane 🌀 🤔👍

[@VWJawbreaker]

@@billygoatracer oh that sucks man, hope it comes back on soon!

[@billygoatracer]

Hey Gary, another great video I'm me doing the tie rods and ball joints on my 67 this week, mine is a narrowed front beam, do you think I will have any problems, or are the ball joints still the same, also I should remove the arms to press out and in the ball joints right?

[@VWJawbreaker]

Hey buddy! Ball joints are the same regardless of a narrowed beam or not. Would definitely be easier to pull the arms off to get the ball joints pressed in and out.

[@demRucks]

Good video. Not a 73 however.

[@VWJawbreaker]

Thank you for that. But it is a ‘73…. Vin plate matches the title.

[@Mike-pu3ot]

Definitely cool to see father and son working on a car new or classic. Great info on the new beam I'm sure with that and new joints no more teeth chatter lol. Now love the new intro what happened to the beard?? Lol

[@VWJawbreaker]

Mike L thanks man, he’s usually working with me but recently allowing me to film him 😂 I’m just happy to have him around and wanting to learn! As for the beard, it was in that awkward stage.... long but not long enough to do much with plus it’s been brutally hot down here.

[@bigalforsyth]

So your inner bumper brackets are already gone which is why the beam just dropped out right?? Mine is currently stuck in the car w all 6 bolts out. Only thing I can figure is my iner bumper brackets on each end is clamping beam in

[@VWJawbreaker]

+Forsyth HotRods that might be, I only have the nerf bars on the front.

[@lawrenceirvine8759]

Yes pn the bumper brackets They provide impact resistance ( torqing moment stability if you will). They have to come out. If you install a 4" narrowed beam you will have to cut your brackets down.

[@mikabottorff]

Is there a reason you have no front shocks? Or did I just not see them?

[@VWJawbreaker]

Didn’t have them on at the time.

[@Doubleodude]

Great video!

[@VWJawbreaker]

DoubleODude VW Garage thanks! Just subbed, going to have to check out your vids soon!

[@DuckmanCycles]

0:38 Gary gets electrocuted

[@VWJawbreaker]

DuckmanCycles and VW Garage 😂🤪🤙

[@vintagespeedvw7864]

Whoa!!! Gary had shoes on?

[@VWJawbreaker]

Vintage Speed VW haha, you noticed! Have a blister on the bottom of my foot from a hot piece of charcoal 🙄

[@SLAYERCAM]

2:33 ... that front end image is unconsciously irking me without a set of eyelashes on the headlights lol!!!

[@RikardoKermat]

Hello! so i have a 1974 bug project car with widened fenders front and rear and it has 195mm wide tyres on pontiac rally 2 rims (front and rear).. i will be putting drop spindles on it and welding adjusters to the beam( i will still be running the stock drum brakes).. and i still want to run the pontiac rally rims on it but with the stock fenders at the front atleast because the widened ones look awfull.. how many inches do you think i need to narrow the beam? and are they even going to fit without rubbing even with the narrowed beam? and i don't want to go crazy low but just a bit lower (about 2.5 inches). I will also be putting a 1600 single port in it which i will be doing a full rebuild of. i will add a full flow oil system(oil filter), doghouse shroud with oil cooler and the wider doghouse cooling fan and maybe some cool tin, 4 into 1 exhaust, 2 carburetors(solex 30pict-3), and maybe an aftermarket SVDA distributor if i will have the money for it.. and also i need to repaint the interior and bottom of the floor pan and a bunch of other stuff except the body because it has a bunch of surface rust and also change almost everything(brakes, seals, fluids, seats, wiring...)

[@VWJawbreaker]

random person I would start by measuring how far out those rims and tires are when mounted to the front of the car, the total width. Then figure out how many inches the wide genders are vs the stock fenders. The offset on the rims will be the biggest determining factor. Off hand without measuring it or seeing it I could not give you an honest accurate answer on how narrow the beam needs to be. As for the rest of the car, sounds like you have some cool projects coming up! You should think about recording them, we’d then be able to see what you’re doing and give more accurate answers when you ask questions 😎

[@RikardoKermat]

@@VWJawbreaker thank you for the reply. I have thought about being a ''youtuber'', learning how to edit and recording how i go along with my bug. But i want the videos to be good quality so i'll propably need to invest in a camera.. And i'm only 16 years old right now so in a year or two if i'll definitely consider recording videos if i'll have some extra money for a camera. The budget for the car will be around 1400 euros (1551 usd) and i already have all the tools and a whole workshop for the job.. My brother(the one with the long black hair) and his friend also did some youtube videos which were recorded using a phone and they aren't that bad quality in my opinion. So this is the minimum quality i have in mind when making a youtube video: You can check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXuuko2GZpVsgK8

[@VWJawbreaker]

random person I’m honestly only using my iPhone most of the time with a cheap tripod and use iMovie to edit things together if I need to. I’m not trying to be some huge channel, just trying to pass on some knowledge and help a few people. Congrats on your car, enjoy it!

[@RikardoKermat]

@@VWJawbreaker Thank you, cheers!

[@kg4qpb243]

why a 2" Short what different make compared to stock size?

[@VWJawbreaker]

kg4qpb Laureano this beam is narrowed 4” which allows for different tire and or rim setups, disk breaks, etc. it pulls the tires in closer to the center which slows that offset. Plus it gives the car a different look

[@nestorespinoza6515]

Hey can you send me a email I have a question regarding the beetle and the front end I’m trynna fix mine and figure out if I can replace some stuff

[@VWJawbreaker]

There’s a contact section on my web site that’ll email me, link in my bio.

[@CarsAndCoffeeKings]

Thank you for this. I just bought a 69 today and it's been over 20yrs since I had my 66, I'm a little rusty. Check out my channel. I think you'll enjoy it. I subbed you❤

[@VWJawbreaker]

I’ll definitely check you out!!