[T3] T3 Front end bushings

[Jim Adney]

On 19 Dec 2012 at 6:53, timothy kuehn wrote:

> Passenger side wheel moves around way more than you'd want it to.  1st
> thought wheel bearing - but no, they're tight and wonderful.  What's
> moving is the lower arm.  In fact, what's moving is the torsion bar
> whose splined end sticks out throught the lower arm.

The first problem is that the torsion bar has managed to move in the 
arm. It should always be flush with the face of the arm. If it can 
move, there's a problem with the set screw that is supposed to bind 
it in place. Check those.

Sounds like the bolts that are supposed to hold the far ends of the 
torsion bars are also loose, allowing the torsion bars to move 
sideways, out of the beam. That should also not be possible. Fix 
that, too.

The little plates that you have to remove to get the arms out 
normally have nothing to do with keeping the arms in place. They are 
only there to keep the arm from sliding out if the torsion bar 
breaks. Normally the side to side position of the arm is held 
completely by the torsion bar, so make sure the fixing bolt on the 
far end is tight and the set screw in the torsion arm is securely in 
the groove in the torsion bar.

> So, pop the arm off.  Seal looks okay, bearing looks okay.  But behind
> that, the bushing's in pieces.  Big piece about 2/3 of the original
> item, smaller piece about 1/4 of it, jagged break btw the 2, and a
> chunk missing completely.  Flushed the area, didn't see any
> 'quicksilver' remnants of the rest of that bushing. Didn't seem like
> the bushing had been fully seated down into the the beam.  Reached
> large chunk with my finger, smaller chunk w/ forcep.  Torsion bar has
> some scrapes, but they're real shallow... is this enough to worry
> about?. 

Okay, bearings good. Keith explained about the two parts of the 
bushings. What do you have left in there? You may have to replace 
both parts, which you may be able to get from Keith, or it might be 
possible to have replacements made. I may have parts I could copy if 
necessary.

I would try to polish up any scrapes on the torsion arm bearing 
surfaces with fine sandpaper. Just enough to remove any sharp, high 
spots.  

Are both sides broken? Are both torsion bars loose?

Also, check the upper arms. Is there play there, too? That's a much 
more common problem.

> So I wonder how long the bushing had been busted in there, or how the
> thing went together at all with bushing mis-placed? Zealously regreased
> everything, put it back together without the bushing.  Torsion arm now
> fits down over the end of the splined bar about 1/4" further than it
> used to. (Why would this be?)  The bar-end wiggles way less, steering
> wobble virtually disappeared. Driving very little / very carefully
> 'til I know more and get this better sorted out. 

You don't want to drive much with that inner end unsupported. The 
twisting that would allow will be hard on the bearings.

-- 
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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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