Aircooled VW South Africa

will a super beetle gearbox work/fit in my normal beetle

if they both swing axle, then it should fit. You might have different nosecone mounts, but you can swap the cones without issue

Yes it will ,unless it is an IRS gearbox.
Only real worry would be the gear ratios.
Post your old gearbox code together with the replacement gearbox'code then our resident gearbox guru , Bugger will give you some advice.......
http://WWW.BUGGERTRANSMISSIONS.CO.ZA

If It is a Real Super bug box then it will not work as Super bugs had IRS and our normal bugs swing axle

Take a Pic and I can give you some advice

thanks so long guys. will take some pics and try and get the codes. they are both still in the cars. I'm still new to the beetle world and a lttle clueless with beetles and beetle terminology. the first visual difference i noticed was that the super had cv joints and mine doesn't.

myvwpuma wrote: the first visual difference i noticed was that the super had cv joints and mine doesn't.

that is the difference. Two totally different rear suspensions, so no, your gearboxes are not interchangeable.
The one with the CV's is referred to as the IRS
The other is the normal swing axle design

thanks tony z. I've read that some says irs is better than swing axle and vice versa, I'm doing a transplant and just thought I'd do the motor and box together but I 'm happy with my swing axle so i'll leave well enough alone

theoretically both setups are independent rear suspensions (IRS) but the swing axle is a "swing axle" type of IRS and the "IRS" is a true IRS setup.

But in VW slang, the twin CV joint setup is called IRS while the other is the swing axle - think of the tyre swinging as it moves (thats pretty much what it does).
Will look for pics

Swing axle (mine)




IRS (not mine)

To put it in layman's terms, the swing axle rotates the wheel and side shaft around the gearbox, that is why the wheel is tilted when you jack the car up, and when heavy loaded, the wheel tilts the other way.
With the IRS the wheel goes up and down but will not tilt, this is like all other cars.
Hope this helps

Herman

I definately have the one in the 3rd picture(irs) as well.All's well I'll keep my swing axle one in place. thanks