VW Bug Convertible Front & Rear Suspension Parts

Buy your Volkswagen Beetle Convertible suspension parts here

Whether your Karmann Cabriolet has torsion bar suspension or is a later 1302 / 1303 Convertible with MacPherson strut suspension, Heritage Parts Centre has all the classic VW Beetle Convertible suspension parts you require in stock, along with a huge range of air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle Cabrio front suspension rebuild and upgrade parts.

To browse or buy the parts you need, simply follow the links above, or read on for more information on the different types of Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet front suspension.

Types of VW Karmann Cabriolet suspension

All early Volkswagen Beetle Convertibles had torsion bar suspension. By early we mean soft top Beetles with a flat front windscreen and 5-bolt wheels. Up until August 1965, all Beetle Cabrio used king and link pin beam.

Outwardly similar to the other type of Volkswagen Beetle Convertible torsion bar front suspension it comprises a pair of axle tubes running across the car with the Beetle Cabriolet torsion bars inside and trailing arms and Convertible Beetle stub axles attached at either end. On the earliest Karmann Cabriolet king and link pin assemblies secure the stub axles. To be sure this is the type of Beetle Convertible front suspension you have, check if the shock absorber ‘towers’ are straight and if your front VW Beetle Cabrio shock absorbers have an eyelet and through bolt at both ends.

All Volkswagen Beetle Convertible suspension from September 1965 onwards (but not 1302 / 1303 models) use a balljoint front beam, which has a pair of VW Beetle Convertible balljoints supporting the stub axle at either end. These give a smoother ride and require less maintenance than a king and link pin suspension. To check, again look under the front of your soft top Beetle at your shock absorber towers. They should angle outwards at the top and your Cabriolet Beetle shock absorbers will only have a loop and a bolt at the bottom. The top will have a nut on a rubber Beetle Cabrio top mount.

1302 / 1303 Karmann Convertible front suspension

Lastly, all 1302 and 1303 Beetles use MacPherson strut front suspension. On these Convertible Beetle models, there are no horizontal beams and a noticeable bulge in the front bodywork. Each Cabriolet Beetle stub axle is connected to a ‘strut’ with a coil spring around it with control arms that mount to the chassis. The other easy check is to open the bonnet on your Volkswagen Karmann Convertible Beetle. If your spare wheel lies flat, you have a MacPherson strut Beetle Convertible.

Volkswagen Cabrio Beetle front suspension parts

We have all the suspension rebuild parts in stock for all of these systems, as well as an extensive range of Convertible Beetle suspension parts to upgrade and modify your Beetle’s front suspension. These include complete stock width and narrowed VW Beetle Cabriolet front beams, Sway-A-Way and Avis beam adjusters, stock and narrowed Beetle Convertible anti-roll bars, a huge selection of Volkswagen Beetle Cabrio shock absorbers, reconditioned Beetle trailing arms, stock and Cabrio Beetle long travel balljoints, stock height and VW Beetle Convertible dropped spindles and even complete replacement Cabriolet Beetle MacPherson struts, to suit both stock and VW Beetle Convertible lowering springs.

Types of VW Beetle Cabrio Rear Suspension

There are two different kinds of rear suspension fitted to the Beetle: the standard ‘swing axle’ assembly, that uses rigid axles, and the ‘IRS’ type – fitted only to certain models. Below is a brief breakdown of the different types of Volkswagen Beetle suspension:

Swing Axle – used on most standard models

The swing axle assembly consists of a pair of rigid axles that pivot from the gearbox. These were used from the very earliest cars right up until the end of Mexican production in 2003. If your axles only have rubber boots on the ends of the axles that join the gearbox (and not at the hub ends), then you have a swing axle model.

Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) – used on 1302/03 & Semi-Auto

IRS is a more advanced type of Volkswagen Beetle suspension that features CV (constant velocity) joints both next to the gearbox and also at the hub end of the axles. These were only used on some later models, including 1302 / 1303 (Superbeetle) and Semi-Automatic cars. If your axles have rubber boots on both ends of axles (next to the gearbox and at the hubs), then you have an IRS model.

Of course VW Heritage stock an extensive range of parts for both types of VW Beetle rear suspension, including axle and CV boots, hub seal kits and bump stops. Plus a great selection of performance and styling parts, including adjustable springplates and uprated shocks.