[T3] Front beam is loose

[Dave Hall]

The upper axle tube just houses a sway bar.  It has flats at the ends to
locate in the torsion arms and a dimple that is locked by a pointed
socket-head screw and locknut.  The other end has a lockplate and an M8 bolt
that tightens into the bar and takes up the slack.  It probably just needs
adjusting, but sometimes the dimple wears oval.  You may need to tidy up the
dimple, but some people have had to drill a dimple on the other side of the
bar instead.

It's a lot less work than changing the beam!  Try the adjustment first.

Dave
UK VW Type 3&4 Club
===================

-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org
[mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org] On Behalf Of Chris
Slaymaker
Sent: 05 November 2012 22:11
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: [T3] Front beam is loose

 Sometimes, when going over bumps (are even driving straight down the road)
the steering wheel will develop a major shimmy that I can calm by applying
the brakes.

I have tried to fix this, but I believe things are worn so much that
replacement is necessary.

The front beam that's in there (and all the bits therein) are surely
original to the car.  I got new ball joints (and a front end alignment) last
year.  The rubber stops are long gone, and the wings that they mount to are
so badly rusted that they are porous.

There is a good bit of axial play in the right upper torsion arm (the source
of the shimmy?) so that I believe a new thrust ring is in order. My
questions are thus:
1)  If a replace one thrust ring, should a replace the other one (on the
other end)?
2) What about the needle bearings and the bushings while I'm in there?
3) What is the likelihood that the stabilizer bar needs replacing?

I don't think I want to touch the torsion mechanism in the lower tube.

Should I instead get a new (to me) front beam with good rubber stops?

Chris Slaymaker
1971 Westfalia "Lurch"
1971 Squareback "Foster"
Knoxville, TN

". . . at least I'm enjoying the ride."

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL:
<http://lists.vwtype3.org/private.cgi/type3-vwtype3.org/attachments/20121105
/9dcef4e7/attachment.htm>
_______________________________________________
VWType3.Org mailing list - type3 at vwtype3.org
http://lists.vwtype3.org/listinfo.cgi/type3-vwtype3.org
Contact gregm at vwtype3.org if you need help with the list.