Restored German VW Ball Joint Front Beam — Complete Spindle-to-Spindle, Powder Coated | VW Beetle 1966–1977 & Karmann Ghia 1966–1974
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Restored German VW Ball Joint Front Beam | Complete Spindle-to-Spindle Front End
Short answer: This is a complete, fully restored German OEM ball joint front beam, sold spindle-to-spindle: the beam, upper and lower trailing arms, spindles and new Italian ball joints, stripped, inspected, powder coated and reassembled. It fits 1966–1977 VW Beetles and 1966–1974 Karmann Ghias with drum or disc brakes, ready to bolt on and accept your brakes. Ships freight.
Rebuilding a tired VW front end piece by piece takes weeks of stripping, blasting, pressing and chasing parts. This is the whole front axle done for you. We start with a genuine German factory ball joint beam, take it all the way apart, and put it back together ready to bolt on. The beam, arms and spindles are stripped, measured for straightness, blasted to bare metal and powder coated. The torsion leaf packs come apart too: every leaf is wire-wheeled and checked for cracks, and any leaf that isn't right doesn't go back in. New Italian ball joints are pressed in before it ships. Every one is done here in our shop in Orange, California.
Fitment
- VW Beetle (Type 1): 1966–1977 (ball joint front end)
- VW Karmann Ghia: 1966–1974
- Brakes: works with drum or disc brake setups
- Does not fit: link pin cars (1965 and earlier) or Super Beetles (MacPherson strut front)
Why Choose Washburn's Metal?
Every beam is built from a genuine German OEM core and rebuilt in-house through a documented restoration process, so you get factory-grade German steel with a fresh, road-ready finish, and you know exactly who touched it and what was done.
Key Features & Benefits
- Complete Front End: beam, upper and lower arms, spindles and new ball joints, assembled spindle-to-spindle.
- Genuine German OEM: original factory ball joint beam, arms and spindles, not reproductions.
- Precision Inspection: every core is measured for straightness and structural integrity. If it isn't straight, we don't use it.
- Deep Cleaning: fully dismantled, washed, dipped and media blasted to bare metal.
- Powder Coated: Cardinal semi-gloss powder coat for UV protection and durability against road debris.
- Leaf Pack Blueprinting: both torsion leaf packs are disassembled and cleaned; each leaf is wire-wheeled and inspected for cracks, and only good leaves go back in.
- New Italian Ball Joints: pressed in before it ships.
- Ready to Bolt On: ready to accept your braking system.
Technical Specifications
| Beam core | Genuine German OEM ball joint beam |
|---|---|
| Arms & spindles | Genuine German, inspected and powder coated |
| Ball joints | New, Italian-made |
| Hardware | Zinc-coated German grub screws and nuts |
| Finish | Cardinal semi-gloss powder coat |
| Sold as | Complete spindle-to-spindle assembly |
| Fits | VW Beetle 1966–1977, Karmann Ghia 1966–1974 (ball joint front, drum or disc) |
| Weight | Approx. 155 lb |
| Rebuilt by | Washburn's Metal, Orange, California |
| Shipping | Freight (LTL) only due to weight and size; local pickup available in Orange, CA |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this a genuine German VW front beam or a reproduction? 100% genuine German OEM. We start with original German factory ball joint cores, inspect them for straightness, then media blast and powder coat.
- What's included? Sold spindle-to-spindle: the beam, both upper and lower arms, the spindles, new Italian ball joints, and zinc-coated grub screws.
- Does it come ready to install? Yes. It's ready to bolt to your chassis and accept your brakes.
- What years and models does this fit? VW Type 1 Beetle 1966–1977 and Karmann Ghia 1966–1974, anything with a ball joint front suspension, drum or disc.
- Does this fit a 1967 VW Beetle? Yes. 1966–1977 standard Beetles use the ball joint front beam.
- Will it fit a Super Beetle or a link pin car? No. Super Beetles use a MacPherson strut front end, and 1965 and earlier cars use a link pin beam.
- Why German OEM instead of a new aftermarket beam? Original German steel is thicker-walled and more dimensionally consistent than current reproductions.
- How does it ship at 155 lbs? Due to weight and length, the beam ships via freight (LTL). Local pickup is also available at our shop in Orange, California.
- Who restores it? Washburn's Metal. The core is genuine German; the rebuild is done in-house at our shop in Orange, California.
- Is there a part number? It's a restored German assembly sold without a catalog number. The bare-beam version is #R51.
Related front end parts
Want to restore it yourself? Start with the raw, media-blasted bare German ball joint beam (#R51) and the refurbished German ball joint arms. Installing this one? Add the front beam mounting hardware kit and eccentric camber adjusters, or browse Suspension, VW Beetle and VW Karmann Ghia.
If you have a question about your chassis year or brake setup, call before you order and we will walk through it with you.
Prop 65 Warning
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
