Had something similar on an old ford. Check the steering coupling disc. It's located Inbetween steering box and steering wheel

I'd be getting it looked at before you drive that sucker again! scary stuff... did you just tighten the big grubscrew all the way up and lock it off? i made the mistake going on some info i was given to tighten the screw up, when in actual fact its a worm gear and you need to adjust the play out of the steering then lock it off....

If it's a super are no couplers to fail look the old bugs. I would start at the hubs and work my way in. It sounds like something is collapsing or suddenly moving. Maybe a ball joint?

Is it lowered or anything similar which could affect castor?

Quote:

Originally posted by dubai Hi, I have an issue where the car when turning left at speed appears to lose control of the turning. example it just seems to let go and I quickly turn the steering more to the left to catch it. I hope I am making sense. I opened the steering box all looks good inside no apparent issues so i greased it up tightened the screw and lock nut for the steering adjust ment and it still happens but only on left gradual turning the steering wheel is straight and can end up 45 degrees to the left and then it slowly works its way back to the centre crazy and scary its a type 1 beetle. it has super bug front end discs and ball joints. Please give me any tips or advice on how to correct. Regards d

Umm... is it a Super, or a Ball Joint bug but with Super Bug discs mounted on ??? Not sure from the way you've worded it...

Anyways, I know nothing at all about the front susp and steering on Super's, but for a beam bug things to check are:
- that the steering box isn't moving on the beam
- that the pitman arm isn't moving on the steering box output shaft
- that the coupler disc is nice and solid
- that the splined mountings for the coupler disc are nice and tight on both the steering box and steering column sides
- tie rod ends don't have excessive play (would normally give a different symptom tho)

And yeah - no way should you drive that sucker. Good luck !!!

Quote:

Originally posted by dubai Hi, I have an issue where the car when turning left at speed appears to lose control of the turning. example it just seems to let go and I quickly turn the steering more to the left to catch it. its a type 1 beetle. it has super bug front end discs and ball joints. Please give me any tips or advice on how to correct. Regards d

have you had a wheel alignment done recently?

OK.. You have a ball joint front end by the sounds of it most probably the normal beetle torsion bar front end with disc brakes..
[best not to mention Supers as it makes the equation harder..:lol]

Yes,
its most probably one of the clamps either side of the steering rubber coupler..

they have A FLAT spot OR GROOVE In them , so the boltS can be pushed thru the clamps..

I had an issue with one of those last year, and one of the bolts
was actually worn where it was moving in the flat spot..

Now, the easiest way to get at those... I'm sorry to say..
is to remove the fuel tank...

actually easier on your car as You don't have a fuel filler hose to disconnect [hardest part]

replace the two bolts [either side]

and tighten.. use nyloc locking nuts..

the BOLTS are 8mm x 30mm long Hi Tensile bolts.

[35MM OR 40MM BOLTS WOULD ALSO FIT]

[Only other thing I can think of is a broken torsion bar..
the one with the grub screw groove in it..
which only allows the LH movement AS THE TORSION BAR MOVES IN AND OUT]

cheers

LEE

see if I can get a better pic..

Wow Lee... that framehead and beam... finally somewhere on your car that isn't painted all technicolour !!!



But yeah - I'd be betting one one or other of those clamps being loose, or maybe the splines stripped.

Hmm... dodgy spline on a steering wheel sounds pretty suss to me.

I reckon send ReubRevhead a PM... he's around Darwin somewhere, and sure with his menagerie of Volksy'ness would have a steering you can at least try to rule the steering wheel in or out as the cause !!!

Take it to a volksie specialist before someone gets injured or killed,there are plenty of them out there and this is why they are good at their trade.

are you sure its not way out of whack with alignment. I know when I lowered my super the geometry changed and the steering after about hafl lock sort of fell towards full lock?

is the car lowered, do you have castor shims etc?

if all the mechancicals are good, it may be the geometry, or even if the car has had a whack in the front?

Maybe a good general suspension place and get them to check it all out. Let them put it on the alignment system and check to weird toe or castor changes through the full range of steering movement. they should also be able to check the steering sytem, balljoints etc. A beetles steering system is not rocket science!

has it EVER worked??
Is this something new??

Where abouts are you and we can suggest some peoples

Taking a modified Volkswagen to "the suspension place" will not get the answer you are seeking

Have you DEFINATELY checked the coupling clamp bolts are TIGHT with a spanner. If it's been 'doing it for ages' the splines will be quite worn so the clamp bolts will need to be super tight.

Yeah, I'm with Matt and thinking it's one or other of those gooseneck clamp bolts. There are two... one above and one below the rubber coupler. If either is loose and relying on the splines, when the splines give the shaft will "slip" until the edge of the flat fouls on the bolt. The effect would be VERY like what you're describing I think.

Tell ya what - can you reproduce the problem sitting in the car stationary and turning the steering wheel ???

If so, pull the fuel tank and get a helper to WATCH what's happening with the shaft and coupler while you repro the fault.

Hi, Thanks for the feed back I am in DARWIN NT. The issue cannot be replicated when stationary which is a real pissa cause you would then pin point it. the coupler is solid and so are the goose neck things however I will be checking everything again tomorrow I have to find this issue its really bugging me I enjoy a challange but this is really the biggest mystery yet for me with VW's. It only occurs on left turns and will stay to the left but the wheels return to centre. if I make a left turn the batwing will stay vertical to the left and only throught right hand turns or if I am stopped at lights quick turns to the right will it centre. if i try it slowly the wheel stays to the left and the wheels are very responsive. I thought it had to be a single point of failure due to it only happening to the left but with a new box and tie rods and ends there is only ball joints but they are in pairs. I will check it out again in the morning and advise but I am stumpedany one have any more directions?

Hi
I take it you don't have a super bug...

so You have torsion Bars....

and the problem most likely is a broken torsion bar leaf

and the torsion bar moves in & out... when it wants to... lol

the two clamps on the steering shaft need to be done up very tight with NEW bolts and nyloc nuts...

I've had all these problems... lol

took Me a long time to find the torsion bar moving when I was reversing... usually..

when I had tightened everything else including the steering box etc...

it used to go clunk when I was reversing...
and hit the brakes...

the wheel on that side was always positive camber...

best of luck

LEE

I believe it is one solid bar....

see if You can pull the top of one of the tyres in & out
its not going to move much but at least You will hear it...

I think You said You checked the steering wheel splines..??

cheers

LEE

Steering column SHOULD be a single solid shaft on an oval, but it may not be... 68 and later bugs had a collapsible section under the tank that looked like it was made out of mesh.

You can just see the bottom of it in Lee's pic above.

If you've got one of those style steering columns I guess it's possible for the collapsible bit to separate from the main shaft... can't say I've ever heard of it tho !!!

Oh you said you've replaced the steering box... is it secured to the beam solidly (no movement), and what were the splines on the pitman arm like ???

Yes Dave
the collapsible piece in the steering looks like its stretched
and welded onto the shaft , so it can concertina in an accident

I don't mean its still stretched... lol

so its solid as.. I have one in My shed I have painted... lol

the splines on the shaft etc are very fine...

there is a cutout section so the bolt can go thru so if its loose
it still can;t come off...

it looked like My steering box was moving a mm just by looking at the paint... I tightened and tightened...

even though i thought it was already tight..

LEE

still scarey that You didn't find anything...
maybe something was catching and something slipping??

I changed front end. new VW shocks with the rubber top piece,
new brakes, replaced the steering box, ball joints etc
and found the bolt in one of the steering shaft clamps had worn and was moving when I hit train tracks, I drilled out the clamp & put a larger bolt in it... replacements made hell of a difference...

steering box is much better.. everything is...

cheers

LEE

I bought a silver Ghia on this site and it had a loose pitman arm, loose bolts in the steering coupling, a empi steering wheel that was not fitted with the flat washer so the nut bottomed out in the thread with out clamping the steering wheel and a collapsed bearing in the top of the steering column, when i drove the car on the test drive it changed lanes on a round about by itself, i said to the owner that something was wrong, his response was it was a old car and thats how they drive which is utter crap, it had been like it for years, it got a road worthy in that condition, he could have killed some inocent person or his family. he should drive it now after all the crap was fixed,