Torsion Housing End Plates, Long Travel, Inner, Pair

OVERVIEW

When you are pushing the limits of your air-cooled Volkswagen off-road, the factory suspension components quickly become the weakest link in your chassis. The EMPI Torsion Housing End Plates are engineered specifically for long-travel rear suspension setups where stock stamped steel components simply won''t cut it. These inner end plates provide the critical structural foundation required to support high-clearance spring plates and heavy-duty torsion bars. By replacing the thin, factory-style ends with these robust plates, you are significantly increasing the rigidity of your rear torsion housing. This is essential for preventing the housing from twisting or cracking under the violent loads experienced during high-speed desert crossings, rock crawling, or technical trail riding. If you are building a Baja Bug, a Class 5 racer, or a dedicated sand rail, these plates are the professional choice for a bulletproof rear end.

Fabrication is at the heart of any serious off-road build, and these EMPI Long Travel Inner End Plates are designed to save you hours of layout and cutting time. Precision-cut from high-grade steel, they offer a perfect fit for the inner section of your torsion tube assembly. Because these are weld-on components, they allow for a custom level of reinforcement that bolt-on parts can never match. They are typically used in conjunction with outer end plates to create a "boxed" structure that distributes suspension forces across a much larger surface area of the torsion tube. This design not only accommodates the increased pivot angles of long-travel trailing arms but also ensures that your alignment remains consistent even after the roughest landings. Don''t settle for a flimsy rear suspension when you can build a race-ready foundation with these heavy-duty inner plates.

FITMENT

• Volkswagen Beetle: All years (Standard and Super Beetle)
• Volkswagen Karmann Ghia: All years
• Volkswagen Type 3: Squareback, Fastback, and Notchback models
• Dune Buggies: All tube-frame and pan-based sand rails
• Baja Bugs: Custom off-road conversions
• Meyers Manx: Original and replica fiberglass buggies
• Woods Buggies: Custom fabrication projects

SPECS

• Manufacturer: EMPI
• Part Number: 17-2698-0
• Material: Heavy-duty cold-rolled steel
• Application Type: Long travel / Off-road
• Installation Method: Weld-on (requires professional welding skills)
• Position: Inner section of the torsion housing
• Quantity: Sold as a pair (Left and Right)
• Finish: Raw steel (ready for prep and welding)
• Compatible Components: Designed for use with long-travel spring plates and custom torsion housings
• Weight: Approximately 5.4 lbs per pair

PRO TIPS

1. Precision Alignment is Critical

Before you lay down your final beads, it is absolutely vital to ensure that your inner and outer plates are perfectly aligned. We highly recommend using a precision-ground "dummy" shaft or a spare torsion bar to line up the centers of both plates. If the plates are welded even slightly out of parallel or concentricity, your spring plates will bind, leading to harsh suspension movement and rapid wear on your bushings. Take the time to tack-weld everything in place and check the rotation of your spring plate through its entire range of travel before completing the weld. It is much easier to fix an alignment issue at the tack-weld stage than it is after you have fully burned them in.

2. Proper Surface Preparation for Structural Integrity

Since these plates are shipped in raw steel, they may have a light coating of shipping oil or minor surface oxidation to prevent rust. To achieve a race-quality weld with maximum penetration, you must clean the welding surfaces down to bright, shiny metal. Use a flap disc or a wire wheel on an angle grinder to remove any contaminants from both the EMPI plates and your torsion tube. This is a high-stress area of the vehicle, so ensuring a clean, contaminant-free weld is not just about aestheticsit''s about the safety and longevity of your chassis. Once the welding is complete, be sure to prime and paint the area immediately to prevent corrosion.

3. Boxing the Housing for Maximum Strength

For the ultimate off-road setup, don''t stop at just welding these inner plates to the tube. To truly handle the leverage of long-travel trailing arms, you should "box" the entire end of the torsion housing. This involves using these inner plates along with a set of outer plates and then welding a "bridge" or "gusset" plate across the top and bottom gaps between them. This creates a solid, three-dimensional box structure that is exponentially stronger than a single plate. This technique prevents the torsion tube from "tearing" out of the chassis under extreme bottom-out conditions and is a standard practice on professional Class 5 and Class 11 desert racing builds.