BUGPACK Urethane Spring Plate Grommets — Smooth/Round, 1-7/8" I.D., Small O.D., Red, Pair | VW Beetle & Karmann Ghia Swing Axle thru 1959 (B6-5881-3)

BUGPACK Urethane Spring Plate Grommets — 1-7/8" I.D., Small O.D. (B6-5881-3)

If the back of your early swing-axle Bug clunks over driveway lips, wanders on the highway, or sits crooked no matter how you set the spring plates, the rubber grommets that locate the torsion bars have probably turned to mush. BUGPACK B6-5881-3 is a pair of red urethane smooth/round spring plate grommets, 1-7/8 in I.D. with the small O.D., for early swing-axle cars. Urethane doesn't crush or bottom out like soft stock rubber, so the spring plate stays where it belongs.

Key Features & Benefits

• Red performance urethane: it resists crushing and bottoming out, which is the usual failure of soft stock rubber grommets.
• Smooth/round profile: the plain round style, not the knobby type.
• 1-7/8 in I.D., small O.D.: the early swing-axle size, used inner and outer on pre-August-1959 cars.
• Sold as a pair: two grommets. Two pairs do both rear sides.
• BUGPACK by EMPI: made in the USA and sold by an authorized EMPI dealer.

Fitment

These grommets fit the rear torsion housing / spring plate of early VW Beetle and Karmann Ghia swing-axle cars through July 1959, in the inner and outer positions.

• CONFIRMED (EMPI catalog): VW Type 1 Beetle swing axle, inner and outer, 12/1947–07/1959, and Karmann Ghia swing axle, inner and outer, 08/1955–07/1959. This is the EMPI price-file fitment for the identical-size black version B6-5882-3. The EMPI description for B6-5881-3 is "1-7/8 in I.D., Small O.D., Early Swing Axle."
• CONFIRMED (dealer-listed): SoCal Imported Auto Parts lists B658813 for 1949–1959 Beetles and 1956–1959 Karmann Ghias, inner and outer.
• NOT CONFIRMED: 1960-and-later swing-axle cars, all IRS cars (they use the large-O.D. B6-5881-2), Type 3s and Buses. One dealer lists this grommet much more broadly, but that disagrees with EMPI's own size split, so measure your parts before you order.

Technical Specifications

• Part Number: BUGPACK B6-5881-3 (B658813)
• Type: Smooth/round spring plate grommet
• Inside Diameter: 1-7/8 in (1.875 in)
• Outside Diameter: Small (early swing axle)
• Material / Color: Urethane, red
• Quantity: Pair (2 grommets)
• Softer alternative: BUGPACK B6-5882-3 (black)
• UPC: 707924457087
• Country of Origin: USA
• Shipping Weight: 0.35 lb
• Package Dimensions: 12 x 6 x 2 in

Installation Notes

• The spring plate is under load. Support the car on stands and use a proper spring plate tool or jack to unload it before you remove the cover bolts.
• Mark the spring plate and torsion bar positions before disassembly so you can put the ride height back, or reset it to your spec.
• Clean the rust and old rubber out of the housing, and lightly coat the grommet bore with a urethane-safe (silicone or lithium) grease so it doesn't squeak.
• Urethane is firm, so a little extra force is needed to seat the cover. Draw the bolts down evenly and in steps.
• Re-check rear alignment and ride height after the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does this fit a 1957 VW Beetle? Yes. EMPI catalogs the same-size small-O.D. grommet (black version B6-5882-3) for the Type 1 swing axle, inner and outer, December 1947 to July 1959, and dealers list B6-5881-3 for 1949–1959 Beetles and Karmann Ghias.
• Will it fit my 1966 Beetle? NOT CONFIRMED. Later swing-axle and IRS cars use different grommet sizes (for example 1-3/4 in I.D., or the large-O.D. B6-5881-2 for IRS). Measure the torsion bar end and the housing, or match your old grommet, before ordering.
• How many do I need? A pair is two grommets. Each rear side uses an inner and an outer grommet on early cars, so a complete rear job (both sides) takes two pairs.
• Why urethane instead of rubber? Soft stock rubber crushes and lets the spring plate clunk and bottom out. Urethane holds the spring plate firmly for sharper, more predictable rear handling. The trade-off is a slightly firmer ride and more road feel.
• Is there a softer version? Yes. BUGPACK makes the same small-O.D. grommet in black urethane (B6-5882-3), which some owners pick for a softer ride.
• What is the part number? BUGPACK B6-5881-3 (also written B658813). UPC 707924457087. BUGPACK is EMPI's performance brand.
• How does it ship? As a normal parcel, about 0.35 lb in a 12 x 6 x 2 in package. It is not hazmat and has no ground-only restriction. It is set up as backorder-OK: if it is not on our shelf, we order it from EMPI and ship when it arrives.
• Are you an authorized EMPI dealer? Yes. Washburn's Metal is an authorized EMPI dealer (account on file), and this is a genuine EMPI-catalog part shipped in the manufacturer's packaging. BUGPACK is an EMPI brand.

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Prop 65 Warning

⚠ WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. All parts legal for use on pre-pollution controlled vehicles only.