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can i use extra shims
cnfabo - October 25th, 2009 at 04:43 PM

we set the trailing arms up to have 5.5mm differerence... but when we modified my k&l beam for negative camber we havent quite got the camber perfect each side.

can i do i bit of shimming to fix it... one of my mates has used 12 shims and never had a problem, and i pulled out 10 shims of mine....

and if so how much is one shim worth in mm or cm's.....


matberry - October 25th, 2009 at 05:04 PM

Each shim is .5mm. Early frontends that dont use the O-ring and associated 1mm thick spacer need to have two more fitted for the proper linkpin alignment. I have extrapolated the stock shim table to correct a problem frontend, but always the correct stack is used.


cnfabo - October 25th, 2009 at 06:27 PM

mine is a 64 beetle and i did notice it doesnt have the o ring and spacer... so do need a extra 2 shims ??

extraspolated ??


dangerous - October 26th, 2009 at 05:29 AM

Too much camber using the shims will bind the link pins.
If they are 'worn',
you can get more angle before ithey bind,
but it is not the "correct" way to do it.

The only limitation using more shims is the adjustment of the link pin.
Too may shims will not allow the pinch bolt to be inserted, and cause more leaverage.

I once fitted undersize-bore linkpin bushes,
and 'bored and faced' them at 2 degrees negative camber.
Once the new bushes, and body were faced square, I needed more shims than standard,
but sounds like you have a prob with your beam if it is outside the factory list of offsets.


cnfabo - October 26th, 2009 at 08:39 AM

both sides are offset at 5.5mm, so there in spec.. we modified the beam like typethreeking has on his tube chasis racer,,,.. the ends have been welded on a angle that we used a protracter to measure 3 degrees... when i put the beam on and spindles , wheels etc one wheel has more camber then the other, so was just wondering if i could use a few shims to help fix it, as long as no binding..

the kingpins and linkpins are new.....


vw54 - October 26th, 2009 at 08:58 AM

B 4 u start doing the measuring and adjusting its a good idea to check all the trailing arms in the VW jig for straightness and alignment

not much u can do with the stub axle except use a small engineers square to check that the axle is at 90deg to the face and it aint bent

after you have renewed the K & Links then do the measuring with both arms in and tight hopefully the inner torsion arms bearings are good to not have too much movement

the shims dont adjust the camber they only align the link pins to stop binding through the up n down arc

havent tried bending the arms like a ball joint front end to get more camber

but maybe you can bend both upper n lower arms the same and get some more neg camber


cnfabo - October 26th, 2009 at 09:13 AM

there a guy over here who bends the arms for f vees, and i spoke to him yonks ago and he has them already bent.. he told me hell just do a swap with me... 4months of occasional phone calls and still never got anything happening so thats why we moded the beam....


vw54 - October 26th, 2009 at 10:37 AM

sounds good as long as there all the same angle

what did you do to the beam bend it or cut n weld ??

where is " over here "


cnfabo - October 26th, 2009 at 08:52 PM

welded it.

over here in perth..he does earoplatting whatever that is,he bends them for 2'5 -3 degrees and u still can shim to factory specs.....


matberry - October 26th, 2009 at 10:16 PM

Extrapolate is in the dictionary.....something like - extend beyond normal limits.....guess...nah ......educated guess.


vw54 - October 27th, 2009 at 05:59 AM

sounds good hope you get some more neg camber

so this is in a stock street car or race car ?? how come you need more neg camber


cnfabo - October 27th, 2009 at 07:45 AM

its a second daily, turning more towards race now..autokhanas,sprints hillclimbs, whatever.... soon to have 10.2:1 comp and the heads and pistons are getting ceramic coated as we speak. so yeah , less daily driver now.. its still stock bodied, no cage..... we aimed for 3 degrees but one side looks to much so well re cut and fix it up....