I have heard that the M/Strut front end beetles get a wobble up, Mine gets one about 80kph and gets quite violent, i have adjusted the slack out of the steering box to about 25mm free play at the outside of the wheel, struts arent leaking , wheel bearings have been done. any help appreciated
Cheers
RJ
1957 Oval type IV
1956 Oval poss project
1954 Oval impossible project
Ass 70's Beetles
http://www.users.on.net/~rogerbyrne/index.htmget a wheel balance
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“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
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After the above,80kph is the critical wheel balance speed,also check steering damper and fit a strut brace.
Mine does it at 55km/h, quite specifically. It's fine below about 53km/h and the wobble goes away at about 58km/h. I feel quite happy with that, whereas if the wobble was at 60km/h I would be extremely angry!
joel always suggests just moving the front wheels 90 deg, or one bolt to the left/right... not a permanant fix though i dont think..
Hi
I've had supers since 1973, I battled the dreaded shimmy for years, fitted new steering boxes, universal steering joints, lower ball joints, tie rods & steering dampers.
All these things helped but the most useful things to stop it were Urethane bushes in everything and skinny struts with heavier front springs, I personally believe that the front springs are too light which causes most of the problems.
Steve
Steve there's always one to give you a headache, I have a client with a super cab, with 4 stud chromies, strut brace and all good nick suspension joints and urethane bushes.....it's constantly on the verge of shimmy if you have uneven road surface....I am wondering about lifting the rear as it has the saggy rear torsions look and way in the air in the front, so maybe caster has quite an effect ???
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE
Hi Mat
I had heaps of problems when I was running 14 inch 7 & 8 inch Magnum eliminators (OK it was the 70s), I had to get an on car balance or have the shimmies.
When I went to 15 inch wheels, then 16s & 17s it seemed to go away.
When I had the shimmies bad, I found a quick flick of the steering wheel would get rid of it.
Even my sons bug with stock wheels, skinny V Force struts and Urethane bushes had no shimmy, for a short period of time it had a loose lower ball joint no shimmy, now with 17 inch wheels its a steady as rock. It has a worn steering damper bush in the pitman arm now, still no shimmy.
Steve
I have found that simply having the wheels balanced on the car was mysolution many years ago.
regards
Jak
I dropped 35kg in the spare wheel well this afternoon and I have managed to shift the wobbble start point to 60 - 65 kph checked all the bushes and ball joints, they seem OK have organised new ones any way, will fit on weekend and booked in for an alignment and balance Monday, will keep you posted
Cheers
RJ
1957 Oval type IV
1956 Oval poss project
1954 Oval impossible project
Ass 70's Beetles
http://www.users.on.net/~rogerbyrne/index.htmIf your wheels' contact patch is out board of the point on the ground
where the imaginary kingpin axis intersects, it will aggrivate the problem.
This is common on aftermarket wheels.
Added caster can help, as can better steering damper, but it is probaby a bandaid.
westi wrote:That's mad Alan.
mine got the wobbles and was just the wheel balance.
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car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲
get a wheel balance and go from there a $35.00 fix
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I had this problem. The bushes, ball joints etc were fine. A new steering damper was an instant cure.
Cheers,
Brett.
Brett Nicholson
Melbourne, Victoria
1974 VW Superbug L - Olive 😎
1971 Morris Mini Moke - Mopoke
1966 Austin Mini - Audrey
1965 Morris Mini Traveller - Trixie
2007 Land Rover Freelander 2
2009 Nissan Pathfinder
mine was fixed with a good wheel alignment
after replacing all the rubbers to nolathane stuff
Had a wheel alignment and set the camber at max allowed in at the top, toe in was out and balance wasnt to bad, drivable? sure is, just need to replace the bush or bearing what ever at the steering wheel end of the collum as there is a bit of movement there and hopfully Ive got it by the balls definetly drives better thou
RJ
1957 Oval type IV
1956 Oval poss project
1954 Oval impossible project
Ass 70's Beetles
http://www.users.on.net/~rogerbyrne/index.htm57 oval wrote:just need to replace the bush or bearing what ever at the steering wheel end of the collum as there is a bit of movement there
If you are after the universal that joint the steering shaft to the box i have a REALLy good one for sale
Futue te ipsum!!!
Thanks ,but I need to take the steering wheel off and apparently there is a bush or a bearing in there, I can actually lift my steering wheel up and down and side to side
1957 Oval type IV
1956 Oval poss project
1954 Oval impossible project
Ass 70's Beetles
http://www.users.on.net/~rogerbyrne/index.htmYeah - the is a plastic sleeve/bush that has ka-putted
Futue te ipsum!!!
those plastic ones always fall apart
a 72 probably should have had the metal sleeve though.
re. the shimmys what wheels are you running?
with nearly all the supers I've owned 90% of the time if the balljoints and bushings are even half decent its the rims that cause it
small diameter seems to amplify the problem but the worst are all those dreadfull 70s ROH wheels like hotwires, globes, hurricanes etc with the square shank bolts that dont center properly but stock steelies with small buckles/wobbles seem to bring it on too
as mustard said above I;ve found moving the 1 wheel at a time 90 degrees on the bolts can sometimes atleast dampen it if not cure but only if all the rest is good
Running 5" chrome mangles I think they are called.
Seems todays effort, alignment and balance has got rid of them for now.
1957 Oval type IV
1956 Oval poss project
1954 Oval impossible project
Ass 70's Beetles
http://www.users.on.net/~rogerbyrne/index.htmthats an Lbug you have there so its after 73 which is why its got the disintegrating plastic steering shaft sleeve instead of the metal one, more cost cutting on vw's part
Sometimes the offset of those wider rims can upset the shimmys by widening the track
57 oval wrote:Thanks ,but I need to take the steering wheel off and apparently there is a bush or a bearing in there, I can actually lift my steering wheel up and down and side to side
Hi
I had the same problem, I just cut plastic sleeve and fitted it in the gap. If you cant find the correct size plastic sheet I have a heap of it, I can send you a bit in the mail.
Steve
