[T3] Front beam is loose

[Dave Hall]

You're likely to wear the outer part of the tread on the 'new' fronts.  You
need to find out why they are wearing like that. It's usually too much
toe-in, but I suppose if the ball-joints have been replaced, they may not
have set the camber right. I'm not sure how that shows up in tyre wear,
though.

I suggest you get the toe-in checked at least, but see if you can sort the
slack in the sway-bar first in case that changes anything in the alignment. 

You shouldn't have significant slack in the sway-bar adjustment, so I reckon
you need to look at what's happening there.  Presumably you have slackened
off the locknut on the socket-head screw and seen if it tightens more.  If
not, try that - it may seat the point of the screw more firmly - and
re-tighten the lock-nut.  If it doesn't make any difference, you're
committed to removing the bar and seeing if you can improve the dimple,
which has probably elongated.


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: 09 November 2012 21:58
To: type3-vwtype3.org at lists.vwtype3.org
Subject: Re: [T3] Front beam is loose


On Nov 9, 2012, at 9:56 AM, Bobsnotch wrote:

If I  understand correctly, repair would involve removing the upper bar
completely  and drilling a new, deeper "land" for the right side set screw 
(bolt).   Alternatively, a new land could be drilled on the opposite side of
the 
bar  (the arms would need to be turned around 180  degrees).

> I'd try and do an adjustment first (working on the right side), and 
> see IF that fixes it (see Bentley for the procedure). If it doesn't, 
> then you'll need  to do the above. I only say that, as it should get 
> an adjustment every 3000  miles (just like adding a drop or 2 of oil 
> to the felt pad under the distributor rotor), but is commonly 
> forgotten. And it's usually not until everything is loose that it 
> becomes a problem. Out of the 5 or 6 T-3s that I worked on, everyone 
> of them needed an adjustment (including my 42,000 mile T-34).
> 
> Another thought is that you could have a tire that is out of  
> balance/out of round, that's causing the shimmy. BTDT before too.

I spent more quality time underneath Foster this afternoon.  Per Don
Robertson's suggestion, I inspected the steering damper. I disconnected it
from the drop arm (the nut was loose - a little more than finger tight) and
I was going to disconnect the other end from the beam, but I didn't want to
mess with the lockplate.  Anyhoo, while the pushrod was disconnected from
the drop arm, I tried to actuate it.  It took considerable effort, so I
judged the steering damper to be in good shape probably replaced in recent
history by the previous owner - I've had Foster for 6 years now..

Yesterday I rotated the tires, as the outer tread of both front tires showed
considerably more wear than the middle and inner treads.  Rotated back to
front on same side.  The rear tires were in better shape.  The rear tires
are 9 months old, the front tires are two years old.

Today driving to and from work (15 miles one way over hill and dale - mostly
freeway speeds) the steering wheel was not as jiggly.  It seems before, it
would oscillate the most when no rotation was on the steering wheel, and
would go away with a slight turn to the left or the right (mostly to the
left).  In retrospect, it seems that at times these oscillations would grow
in amplitude (if allowed to continue) and would wrest the steering wheel
from my grip.  Again, as I said before, braking would stop it and I'm pretty
sure turning the wheel would stop it too.

The problem seems to have gone away with tire rotation, but I'm still not
happy with the axial play in the upper torsion arms, and yes, I DID adjust
the right side per the Bentley Manual.  A front-end alignment with new ball
joints was done 9 months ago.

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

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

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