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Wobbly front end ? - Kombi
fatboy - December 6th, 2003 at 09:02 AM

HI,

On my '72 Kombi I get get a pretty severe side to side shake under moderate braking.
Gentle braking is fine as is hard braking.

Any ideas where to start ?

fatboy - December 6th, 2003 at 07:15 PM

bump

modulus - December 6th, 2003 at 07:25 PM

Check your front disc rotors for out-of-round.

Jack up a front wheel, put an axle stand under, remove wheel, set up a crayon/chalk to just touch the outer polished brake area of the rotor and give it a spin; repeat other side. Almost any out-of-round is going to cause vibration under moderate braking.

Failing that, check your front wheel bearing play as per the service manual.

hth

Andy - December 6th, 2003 at 08:23 PM

A little hard to diagnose, what exactly is side to side wobble?
If the discs are warped, or the brakes are bad you’d get inconsistent braking, just like pushing harder and softer on the pedal.
If one calliper isn’t barking properly the whole bus will pull to one side.
Could it be bad bearings, shocks or loose steering??
:thumb

MickH - December 6th, 2003 at 09:18 PM

Does the brake pedal "pulse" when you apply the brakes???Would suggest a set of pads and disc machine if bearings check out ok.Check rotor thickness when the machining is done to make sure they as within wear limits...:bounce

fatboy - December 6th, 2003 at 09:27 PM

No pulse.

What I get is the steering wheel shaking from left to right and back - total movement of about 3 inches

fatboy - December 7th, 2003 at 09:21 AM

Just to carify I mean as though you were steering left and then steering right :D

Andy - December 7th, 2003 at 08:51 PM

Dude,
That sounds BAD!!!! :o
Amongst the other things to check, also do the front wheel alignment.

fatboy - December 15th, 2003 at 12:29 PM

OK So far I have found that if I grip my front passenger wheel at 12 & 6 o'clock I can wiggle it maybe 2-3 mm - would that cause these symptoms ?

How do you fix it and of course how many $$$$ do you reckon I'm up for ?

fatboy - December 15th, 2003 at 02:41 PM

bump

Bizarre - December 15th, 2003 at 02:55 PM

Sounds like wheel bearing.

Might just be loose. Take the dust cap off and there should be a lock allen key nut thing. Loosen the allen key and tighten the nut. It is a reverse thread. Mayas well take it off and repack the bearing with some fresh grease. Then put it back.
I tighten it up tii i can just move the tabbed waser underneath with a screw driver. Dont over do it.
Just make sure the bearing aint shagged. If so replace it

KruizinKombi - December 15th, 2003 at 10:20 PM

I'd check the wheel bearing first, but it could also be tie-rod ends or even ball joints. :)

MickH - December 16th, 2003 at 06:10 AM

Does any business down there offer a free holiday safety check??Could be worth while going to one of these if your not to sure.......just a thought:jesus:tree

modulus - December 16th, 2003 at 12:29 PM

Good thought from Mick H. You can get a Pedder's $14 (??) suspension safety check done.