VW Handling - Vague and Floating

Blue65 Officially Full-On Dubber

298 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 22 Dec 2007, 7:52 pm

#625525

Hi,

My VW Beetle steering at high speeds around slight bends in the highway - is not good. It feels vague and there is a floating sensation.

I'm not too sure what I can do to improve it.

Here's what was done to the Beetle - a VW 1964 Type 1 model.

Let's see... the mechanics Aust VW Performance
Centre lowered the front end with adjusters, with caster shims, bump stop, a BWF2 Sway Bar, a BWR11Sway Bar, Steering Coupling, and added a extra labout
to replace bump stops...

(should I now replace the rear anti-sway bar with a camber compensator?)

I also have 15 x 5.5 Mangel Rims matched with (correction 195/60 R15 Intensa and Vredstein ProtracTyres).

The engine is a 1641cc (Engle 110 camshaft/Mahle piston and barrel set) with a late model gear box.

Top speed done so far is about 80mph+. Fast pickup. But the old drum brakes are a constant fear of a lock up.

______________________
Owner of a 1964 VW Beetle, 1641cc engine, etc..

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 22 Dec 2007, 9:24 pm

#625536

Only thing I can think of would be ;
is your rear end lowered?
maybe you have too much positive camber at times...
this is normal for a standard 1966 beetle...

do You have a steering damper fitted at the front?

no play in the steering?
tie rod ends in good condition?

Maybe someone with a standard beetle [swing axle rear]
can help you... [king pin front]

cheers

Lee

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 22 Dec 2007, 9:33 pm

#625539

engine mounts???

BTW
do your self a favour and wack some discs on there

Futue te ipsum!!!

hellbugged 48's and straight cuts

5,080 posts · joined Apr 2003 · 22 Dec 2007, 10:19 pm

#625543

what did you do with the shock absorbers,front and rear?

what's the rear height at and is there a sway bar back there?

it's important to do both ends of the car when adding bars and lowering.

can you explain the the front sway bars a little better, ie....WHY TWO NUMBERS, WHAT DIAMETER ARE THEY AND HOW DO THEY ATTACH TO THE SUSPENSION

60 series tyres would be better for feel, 55 or 50 better still but a sacrifice to ride comfort and engine revs at speed

ARE THEY DECENT TYRES?

(oops caps lock, sorry, not yelling🤓)

remember, drums stop fine just not as often😉

Blue65 Officially Full-On Dubber

298 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 22 Dec 2007, 11:31 pm

#625550

Hi,

Its KYB shocks in the front and rear.

I didn't lower the rear only the front... probably about 3 inches. But I guess I could get Aust VW to raise the front a bit to align them (horizontally).

The tyres are ok. Got them at Bob Janes for $100 each. But the front and back are different brands. The reason was that when I first got them the exhaust kept on scrapping on my exceptionally steep driveway - so I swapped the rear for bigger tyres - 205s.

Later I switched back to 195s - but they had a diff brand in stock.

______________________
Owner of a 1964 VW Beetle, 1641cc engine, etc..

Blue65 Officially Full-On Dubber

298 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 22 Dec 2007, 11:36 pm

#625551

dumone wrote:what did you do with the shock absorbers,front and rear?

can you explain the the front sway bars a little better, ie....WHY TWO NUMBERS, WHAT DIAMETER ARE THEY AND HOW DO THEY ATTACH TO THE SUSPENSION

I think the front is a BWF2 and the rear is a BWR11. The reason being is that the rear ones bend around the transmission. I can take a photo tomorrow and post it.

______________________
Owner of a 1964 VW Beetle, 1641cc engine, etc..

VWCOOL 23 Windows of Awesome

5,158 posts · joined Jun 2003 · 22 Dec 2007, 11:55 pm

#625552

Check the tightness of ALL then nuts on your front end adjusters - the height ones and the 'clamp' ones that go into the beam/torsion bars. If these clamp ones are loose, it will make the steering feel a bit 'disconnected' on the highway as the torsion bars may wander sideways within the tubes...

Pay your debts, CxxT

crewcabconnection Being Sid James

1,922 posts · joined Apr 2003 · 23 Dec 2007, 7:22 am

#625561

thats because its not a type 3.

Loves a lolcat

Blue65 Officially Full-On Dubber

298 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 24 Dec 2007, 10:22 pm

#625748

I've posted the photos in the Pic of the Week section.

Check them out!

Thanks!!!

dumone wrote:what did you do with the shock absorbers,front and rear?

what's the rear height at and is there a sway bar back there?

it's important to do both ends of the car when adding bars and lowering.

can you explain the the front sway bars a little better, ie....WHY TWO NUMBERS, WHAT DIAMETER ARE THEY AND HOW DO THEY ATTACH TO THE SUSPENSION

60 series tyres would be better for feel, 55 or 50 better still but a sacrifice to ride comfort and engine revs at speed

ARE THEY DECENT TYRES?

(oops caps lock, sorry, not yelling🤓)

remember, drums stop fine just not as often😉

______________________
Owner of a 1964 VW Beetle, 1641cc engine, etc..