Throughout the production years of Swing Axle rear suspension Beetles, there has been 3 iterations of Swing Axle length.
Misidentifying your axle setup could mean your new wheels won’t fit or your tyres may rub on the inner arches – both are not ideal!
With this little walkthrough we will show you the measurements and what length Swing axles your vehicle should have:
1948-1965 Beetle
This year range typically has the Short Axle & Short Spline combination.
The measurements for this model would be as follows:
Axle Length: 67.63cm / 26.625″
Spline Length: 5cm / 2.0″
Bearing Housing Length would be: 8.73cm / 3.44″
1966-1967 Beetle
This year range typically has the Long Axle & Short Spline combination.
The measurements for this model would be as follows:
Axle Length: 70.80cm / 27.875″
Spline Length: 5cm / 2.0″
Bearing Housing Length would be: 11.75cm / 4.625″
These modifications should allow the IRS installation to compress fully and allow the car to sit lower. (Please note that by reducing the pull down bar/drop link length does in turn reduce the overall lift that the kit provides as standard)
1968-1979 Beetle (1968 US Models)
This year range typically has the Long Axle & Long Spline combination.
The measurements for this model would be as follows:
Axle Length: 72.00cm / 28.375″
Spline Length: 6.67cm / 2.625″
Bearing Housing Length would be: 11.75cm / 4.625″
Note: Fitting Short Axle/Short Spline assembly to these model years will reduce the overall track width at the rear by approximately 35mm. This is beneficial if you are looking to fit wider wheels and tyres. To do this, you will require Axles, Axle Tubes and Bearing Caps from a 1965 & earlier model.
