Hi,

I noticed today when servicing my bug that the front tyres have worn out due to what appears to be negative camber.

The inner edge is down to the treadwear indicators and the outer edge still has about 2-3mm before it reaches the indicators (165/80 R15 SONAR tyres on stock rims). Both tyres are the same.

I can't find anything loose or warn in the front end bushes or ball joints and I did have a wheel alignment 10,000km ago. I rarely carry anything in the front boot and the height is stock L bug with nose in the air.

The car does suffer from the usual "shimmies" at 80-85kph but otherwise drives and steers fine. I do have a tendency to throw it around all the roundabouts on my daily commute, it usually oversteers, not understeers. The rear tyres are wearing evenly.

Cheers,

you can get the camber changed on the front end and rotate your tyres every 10,000 klm's

My guess is you problem is what ever is causing the shimmies

Rebuild the whole front end and it will be fixed
My front wear even and I have no shimmies after rebuilding the front

You checked for wear in the center drag link?
The spindles can work loose over time so you get the toe in changing which scrubs out the inside of the tyres and could also cos the shimmy.

Yep that's the one.



the stubs on either end for the drop arm and idler arm often work loose, but usually you can tell, gives the steering a very vague feeling.

Quote:

Originally posted by Joel Yep that's the one. the stubs on either end for the drop arm and idler arm often work loose, but usually you can tell, gives the steering a very vague feeling.

When we bought our strut bug, it had real bad shimmy.

I can't pinpoint it to any one problem, because I did the following

Lowered front 60mm
New strut shocker inserts
new urethane swaybar bushes
new steering damper
Set the toe-in to 3.0mm

The shimmy has never returned, and the tyres wear evenly.

I forgot to mention, the steering damper was replaced two years and 10,000km ago. I thought that would cure the shimmy. It didn't but as I rarely need to drive it over 80kph I haven't worried about it.

An inexpensive next item to replace is the swaybar bushes. Get Urethane ones.

Check the toe-in is 2-4mm. Personally I like 3mm

Ok, how's this for a plan of attack:

- Check everything in the front end again for play.
- Replace swaybar bushes with urethane as they are easy to do.
- Move rear tyres to the front and replace rear tyres with new. That way I can use up the crap SONAR brand tyres on the front as they still have loads of tread.
- Wheel alignment with camber set to ?? and 3mm toe-in.
- If I see signs of uneven wear again and/or the shimmy is still there, I tear down the front end and do the lot. Strut inserts, springs, every bush and anything else with the slightest sign of wear.
- Once happy the problem is solved I replace the front tyres.

I have a week off in July when the missus and kids are away. I was planning to build the Moke's new engine. I guess I can do Olive's front end first.

Suggestions of some good 165/80 R15 tyres welcomed. I plan to keep this car a long time, so spending on good tyres does not phase me.

Cheers,

Continentals ..... Have them on the front of my bug. Exelent tyre

I haven't had time to do the front end bushes yet, but I came across a pair of near-new Michelins at a bargain price.

My spare wheel had an old Hankook on it with sidewall cracks that would not hold air. So I had the "new" Michelins swapped onto what was the spare and the original RF wheel. The LF wheel is now the spare.

I drove it to work in the city yesterday and guess what? The freaking shimmy I have put up with for two years has gone and it handles SOOO much better with the Michelins on the front!

Maybe the main problem all along was an out of balance or possibly bent left front wheel!

During my week off in July I'll replace the bushes and then get the alignment done. I already have the bushes ready to go.