| [ Total Views: 1212 | Total Replies: 15 | Thread Id: 91481 ] |
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 vvwbeetle
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| posted on July 9th, 2011 at 10:23 PM |
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Turning circle - shocker!
Hi guys
Took the car for a quick drive through the Glaston Gorge today and had trouble taking the hairpins.
On one I had to reverse to make it around.
Have others had this issue? Is there something I can do to sort it out or get a better turning circlie.
The car drives great on all other roads so far.
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Sides
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| posted on July 9th, 2011 at 10:27 PM |
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Hmmm... bit more info needed really.
Beetles aren't the sharpest turning cars in the world, but they're normally pretty good. Should certainly be able to do Galston Gorge no worries.
What size tyres and rims are you running, and have the steering limit stops been adjusted in by any chance ???
Rim offset, tyre width, castor, wheel alignment, even tyre pressure can affect how well a car turns...
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greedy53
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| posted on July 9th, 2011 at 10:32 PM |
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first think would be the jacking up front and having a look and is it a narrowed front beam,also does it do it on both sides
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Paulc1964au
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| posted on July 9th, 2011 at 10:40 PM |
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If your car is lowered like mine the steering has been adjusted to limit the turning circle as the tyres probably hit the headlight inserts hence why
mine has had its turning circle limited, i am going to lift my car about an inch so as so increase the turning circle
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vvwbeetle
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| posted on July 9th, 2011 at 10:51 PM |
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Thanks for the replies.
The car sits very low the tyres don't rub so sounds like someone in the past has adjusted the steering.
Running 195/50/15.
Tyre pressure was at 28 I did increase it to 34 today after the run.
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Craig S
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| posted on July 9th, 2011 at 11:08 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by vvwbeetle
Tyre pressure was at 28 I did increase it to 34 today after the run.
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Not that it will change your turning circle, but I think you'll find your tyre pressure is too high. Beetle being a rear engine and rear drive car
have no weight up front and don't need much pressure at all, especially up front, compared to most cars on the road.
More discussion about it here:
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=90417&page=1#pid841125
If you don't have original owners manuals, search the Samba for a PDF copy and it will give you the original factory specs.
I know with mine it handles much better at factory spec. I think you'll find pressures as high as what you've put in will make it less predictable
and more dangerous.
1969 Beetle - June
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2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita
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Sides
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 05:02 AM |
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Yeah, lowered and with 195's not rubbing someone has definitely adjusted the limit stops !!!
Also tyre pressures way too high IMHO... think something more like 20 front and 24 rear I'd say. I actually used to run as low 18 up front with 195
tyres without any issues (and got over 60,000 km out of those tyres)
Sorry to disagree Craig, but tyre pressures do affect how a car turns, mostly the turn-in... usually higher pressures means understeer, and lower
pressure oversteer.
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vlad01
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 09:32 AM |
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Dave is correct. I experimented with this on a squareback years ago and found anything more than 20psi at the front caused a lot of under steer.
the back wasn't so sensitive so I just ran under 30psi but was good all the way down to 25psi.
I ran on 185 tyres all round with 17-18psi on the front and 28psi on the back. This maximized my grip and also gave a good over/under steer balance.
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HappyDaze
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 09:39 AM |
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Right on Sides. One more thing to check is toe-in.........a lot of TOE-OUT will cause a lot of under-steer on tight corners.
Although it is not really possible to have a VW handle well at both 'fast' and 'slow' corners, I found that running up to 3mm toe-OUT for circuit
racing, and up to 3mm toe-IN for hillclimbs [and the road] seemed to work OK. Much testing is needed for individual cars, to get it 'just right'.
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
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Brian
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 10:23 AM |
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If you use a narrowed and lowered beam then your turning circle , ride and handling all go out the window.
The other thing is that they look stupid with a lowered and narrowed beam.
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Craig S
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 10:38 AM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Sides
tyre pressures do affect how a car turns, mostly the turn-in... usually higher pressures means understeer, and lower pressure oversteer.
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Yep, my bad  , didn't think about that
aspect.
What did Top Gear say about that "Understeer means you see the tree you're about to hit, oversteer means you don't see the tree before you hit
it."
1969 Beetle - June
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vlad01
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 03:41 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Brian
If you use a narrowed and lowered beam then your turning circle , ride and handling all go out the window.
The other thing is that they look stupid with a lowered and narrowed beam.
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Finally! someone that actually has the same idea. Good on ya mate
narrowed looks and is sh!t
71 notchback,
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ian.mezz
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 06:21 PM |
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dropped spindles give you a shocking turning circle, we been down that road in roses lowered oval and didn't have any trouble.
You must have something out of whack.
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vvwbeetle
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 08:54 PM |
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Thanks for the comments guys. Drove the car today & felt like I might need to drop the pressures. Didn't give it much but it did feel like they
may have been to high. I'll try lower pressures.
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Craig Torrens
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| posted on July 10th, 2011 at 09:15 PM |
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Lowering the pressures will do 'sweet F all' for the turning circle in the Gorge.Your front suspension needs to be sorted out, and has NOTHING to do
with pressures. You are having problems going around a 1st gear hairpin, so i have NO idea why people are suggesting changing tyre pressures !!!!!!
Caster/Camber/ rim offset, rim width, steering box stops and tierod length all need to be checked.
I can pop around during the week to have a look if you like 
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zayus
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| posted on July 12th, 2011 at 06:14 PM |
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Hey hey,
You definately shouldn't have a problem going through the Gorge's hairpins.
The only time you need reverse on the Gorge, is when the drums have faded! 
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