Replace the frame head... (any help?)

caslor · Post by **caslor** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 6:11 am

hi my name is antony and i am from greece.
i decide to change my old 61 frame head for king & pin beam to a newer 66-78 frame head for ball joint beam...

i have the series of bug me video but nothing there for that....
one told me to cut the head at the spot that is welded and then weld the other there....

i look carefuly and see that inside the tunel where the head should join with the chassis is complety smooth like it is no weld.. so dont know if cut it like that is a good idea....

Has anyone do that before?
any site or manual to say the right way to do it?

below in red arrows are some of the spots in frame head tha is welded in main chassis tunel...

if it was welded ...shouldnt have a small cut line or weld marks inside? (see below pic)

blue arrows are the spot where firewall is (i will remove it as it is rust) and red arrows where should be some cut. or weld marks should be if the frame head was welded from the factory as a part...

cwhuntersr · Post by **cwhuntersr** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:37 am

I know on my 74 SB, the framehead connects to the rest of the body beneath the firewall/crossbrace. I would assume that the standard beetles from the same era would have the standard framehead connect in the same area.

Maybe you should get the new framehead first (if you haven't) and see where it attaches before cutting out the old.

soon2bturbo · Post by **soon2bturbo** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:48 pm

Wow! Great pics. Sorry I don't have any to share. I recently did a ball joint
for ball joint head swap. Much, Much easier than I thought it would be.
Bought the head, measured 2-9 times, cut, cleaned, welded, painted=done.
The frame head I used was slightly "female" if you will as the old frame tunnel slid within the new. Prior to attaching I drilled holes through the new tunnel so I could weld the old and new together in the middle of the overlap
and not just the end seams. It came out great!!! Good luck with yours!!

soon2bturbo · Post by **soon2bturbo** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:52 pm

One other thing. The rear edge of the new frame head landed underneath the the firewall lip. I replaced that too.

caslor · Post by **caslor** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:42 am

thanks for the intersting...
i decide to keep my original frame head and bought new axle beam....
but replace the firewall as it was rusty..