Narrowed Beam on a Bay - What is it like to drive and advice

[adamski]

Hi,

Probably just about to book my van to T2D for a new narrowed front beam, and wanted peoples thoughts and experiences.

What is it like to drive with a 4 inch narrowed beam?
Should I just go for the 2 inch narrow beam? As I will not be going super duper low?

Any advice and pics of bays with narrowed beams would be great!

Thanks

->Adam

 

[Araon]

think seriously about the wheel choice on this as it will affect the ride but more importantly the look on a 4in narrowed beam....

 

[adamski]

Hi There,

I've got centerline wheels as shown below. Should look Rad I think?

There is too much air in the arch, I want the wheels further in, and the use of a split beam with my disc brakes (Paul at T2D says it can be done!) will give me a better ride due to dropped spindles.

 

[Araon]

I like centrelines too and should look better tucked in a touch :wink:

 

[jabbo]

Awesome looking bus! Narrowed beam will finish it off perfectly!

 

[Tofufi]

I've got a 4" narrowed beam and it drives nice.

Only driven a stock beamed on around a car park, and the ride is firmer than stock on mine.
Still, yours is lowered already so I doubt it would change much

 

[adamski]

Cool! I think it would change the ride quality as I'll have a couple of extra inches of suspension travel due to the dropped spindles fixing the ride quality. Plus I have standard shocks at the moment!

I am booking it in with T2D now!!

->Adam

 

[Justin & Muttley]

Good choice!!!

 

[adamski]

All booked in!!

Then will be getting new engine built over the winter, and just need to work out how to pay for a freeway flyer gearbox!!!

->Adam

 

[gninnam]

Can't wait for you to tell all what the ride and more importantly, the
handling is like - plus the piccies.

 

[faux]

I went for the 2" narrowed beam from T2D, and was glad I did. The SpeedMaster wheels have a 21 ET.

It is on link pins and CSP discs which do narrow the track. I wouldn't want to go narrower.

 

[BigG]

Love the grille trims and the towel rail bumper, 8) tell us more.

 

[kempy]

I went down the narrowed beam route with my last bus A 65 split.
I ran a 4 1/2" narrowed beam with csp discs that also reduced the track together with Flat4 sprints.

I also fitted dropped spindles and it handled and felt like a stocker.

My only problem at the start was the correct tyre choice, but this was mainly down to the drop and the suspension bottoming out.

I'm so tempted to go down this route again but not yet.

Mike

 

[EgoTrippin]

Mines a 2'' narrowed CB performance split bus beam - drives good with the king and link pin dropped spindles.

 

[slammedresto]

what has it cost for the set ups you guys have gone for??

looking at this option myself soon

 

[kempy]

I would say the set up using king & linkpin dropped spindles would cost between £1000 - £1500 depending if you did it yourself or got someone to do it for you.

Thats based on standard brakes.

Mike

 

[adamski]

Well I plan to go for a 2inch narrowed beam (at the mo) but maybe 4inch not really sure! I only want to go a inch or two lower at the front though, not a complete weedeater!

The towlrails are from a split and front indicators are moved up about 0.7 cm so they fit!

 

[faux]

The cost varries as Kempy says.

I went for a full front end swap, so if I want to put it back to standard I can just fit up the new beam with everything attached.

Beam - £275 +Vat
Dropped spindles - £295 + £100 exchange
2 x Torsion leaves - £40 pair
4 x Late split trailing arms - £60
Split steering arm - £40
CSP Discs - £640
Narrowed track rods and new ends - £80
Steering damper and bracket - £15

I would also recomend Adjustable spring plates - £190

If your bus was built after august 69 this changes a few things.......
The beam will need modifying to fit the new beam bolt pattern (Ego's bus has had this done) and adjustable spring plates wont fit the later spline pattern.

Also dropped spindles for a ball joint beams are hard to come by and will drop by 2.5" (and widen the track by 10mm i think).

 

[adamski]

I spoke with Paul from T2D and my bus is a 1971 and they can do some wizardry to convert the front to an early beam, and fit the king and link pin dropped spindles.

Does anyone have any pictures of a Bay with a 4inch narrowed beam?
I'm wondering if that will too extreme...and to go for 2inch narrowing

 

[kempy]

I spoke with Paul from T2D and my bus is a 1971 and they can do some wizardry to convert the front to an early beam, and fit the king and link pin dropped spindles.

Does anyone have any pictures of a Bay with a 4inch narrowed beam?
I'm wondering if that will too extreme...and to go for 2inch narrowing

Double check when people talk about 4" & 2" narrowed. The reason being is that i had a custom made 4 1/2 " narrowed one. The 4 1/2" was in total so just over 2" either side so may be refered as a 2".

Get where i'm coming from.