Spring Plate Set - VW Swing Axle - Adjustable - 5.91" Collar
Application: Classic Volkswagen vehicles equipped with a Swing Axle rear suspension layout (commonly found on early Beetles, Karmann Ghias, and Type 3s).
Adjustability: Provides 1 1/2" of precise mechanical adjustment both upward and downward. This allows you to fine-tune your exact rear ride height, compensate for battery or driver weight bias, and square up your corner weights without pulling the splines.
Usage: Ideal for street performance, lowered air-cooled cruisers, vintage drag racing, and rugged off-road Bug/Baja applications requiring quick track-side adjustments.
Material: 1/4" High-Strength Spring Steel. Laser-cut from thick, premium-grade spring steel designed to flex dynamically under heavy load without taking a permanent bend or cracking under structural stress.
Precision Manufacturing: Fusion-Welded Splined Collars. The internal splined collars are precision-aligned and robotically welded to the plate to ensure flawless engagement with your factory torsion bars, preventing rotational slop or slip.
Coating: Silver Zinc Plating. Finished with a heavy-duty iridescent silver zinc plating that actively fights off harsh road grime, moisture, and debris while delivering a clean, classic look.
⚠️ Caution: The Outer Spring Plate Energy: When removing the factory spring plates, the suspension operates under massive downward pre-load against the lower chassis stop. Before unbolting the spring plate cover, use a dedicated spring plate floor jack adapter or a heavy-duty chain/clamp system to safely control and lift the plate over the lower metal stop. Unbolting a fully loaded spring plate carelessly can cause the assembly to snap down violently, risking severe personal injury or damage to the axle housing.
🧮 Understanding Spline Math: These adjustable spring plates are designed to fine-tune your ride height, but they must still be indexed correctly onto the torsion bar splines during installation. Classic VW torsion bars utilize an unequal spline count (typically 40 splines on the inner end and 44 splines on the outer end). This allows for micro-adjustments via "hunting tooth" rotation where turning the inner and outer splines in opposite directions changes the resting angle by fractions of a degree. Set your base angle with the splines first, then use the Sway-A-Way adjustment screw for final leveling.
❌ Clean and Degrease the Sockets: Old air-cooled chassis are notorious for accumulating decades of hardened oil, road tar, and rust inside the torsion housing. Thoroughly scrape, wire-brush, and solvent-wash the inner and outer splined receivers. If the new splined collars do not slide onto the torsion bar smoothly by hand, check for burrs or debris. Never force the plates onto the bars with a heavy mallet, as this can crack the internal spline teeth.
❌ Inspect and Replace Rubber Bushings: Never reuse worn-out, dry-rotted rubber spring plate bushings. When upgrading to high-performance plates, install new high-durometer urethane or fresh factory-style rubber inner and outer bushings. Distortions or sagging in the bushings will cause the spring plate to bind against the housing cover, causing annoying suspension squeaks and uneven tire wear due to shifting rear alignment.
- ❌ Anti-Seize Preference: Apply a thin layer of marine-grade anti-seize or a specialized graphite lubricant directly onto the torsion bar splines before sliding the new adjustable collar in place. This seals out moisture, stops internal rust welding, and ensures the plates can be easily serviced or re-indexed in the future.
Premium Construction
🇩🇪 Air-Cooled VW Suspension Tech & Installation Notes
Upgrading the spring plates on a classic Volkswagen swing axle setup requires a firm understanding of spring tension and torsion bar load distribution:
What’s Included
- Pair of adjustable spring plates
- Urethane bushings
- End caps
- Hardware
Warranty
Backed by a 1-year warranty for peace of mind.
Available on backorder