Bus reduction gears

Stinky

Stinky

Active member
Joined
May 9, 2021
Messages
467
Reaction score
180
I have the itch to start going back to the ISD.  We moved to 21 years ago and have rarely been back.  I sold my rail just before we left and now have 3 utility type ATVs.

But I am looking at getting something street legal and will probably never see the dunes...asphalt and dirt roads.

I am a cheap bastard....if in doubt, look in most any dictionary and you'll see my pic.

I have been monitoring CL and from time to time I check Marketplace on FB....nothing much w/in 250 miles.

Anyways....finally for the Q.  I was buying some rims, w.good tires the other day from my Volvo guy the other day (I only wanted rims to swap out my knobby studded snow tires, but 200 bucks for rims and good tires sounded like a deal to me).  He rents out some of his yard.   What did I see in his yard but a Baja w.a sliding sunroof on it.  It has bus reduction axles on it. 

What years did the come on?

Are they problematic?

As I was building my buggy, I rode in a pan-frame that had them on it.  The only thing that I remember is that it would rise up in the back when you laid on the gas.

Do they come on syncro-swing axles?

As the parts to fix em still available?

 
64 they came on the bus, a little extra ground clearance, but mainly for guys that wanted to run large tires 31 in or bigger, without having to regear the trans. They are pretty hard to break, CV axle or ring and pinion will usually let go before the reduction unit. and parts are mostly found in vw specific junk yards. Non syncro swing axles for the most part. this setup would be cool for a Baja because I believe it makes the rear track width wider than stock also.

 
These came on 1961-1967 buses. They are actually a Type 1 (Beetle) swingaxle transaxle with the reduction boxes at the hubs. The ring gear is flipped to the passenger side (as opposed to the driver side in every other transaxle) to correct the drive direction with the reduction gears at the hubs.

Parts are getting hard to find for these. The transaxle parts are still somewhat common, but a lot more expensive than they used to be. Gone are the days of cheap VW parts as they are going obsolete.

 
I don't remember....when did Vee-Dub go away from the non-syncro 1st gear?

 
Stinky said:
I don't remember....when did Vee-Dub go away from the non-syncro 1st gear?
Click to expand...
1961 and later have all synchronized gears (except reverse). The early 60's units have an earlier style synchro that is obsolete, but can be converted to the later style with proper parts.

 
I used to have a baja with the reduction axle/trans and it was a blast. Good hillclimber.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top