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link pin camber problem
Alfonso56 - June 27th, 2017 at 05:22 PM

Hi guys, my 1956 beetle has too much postive camber on the passengers side. It has drop spindles, disc brakes, all on a new 4" beam.

My floor is level, the beam is straight, all according to a spirit level. Ive swapped out the control arms from the good side to the bad... no change. The offset is within tolerance (5mm). Placing a spirit level only on the face of the bottom control arms reveal same vertical reading with a level, while the same approach with the top control arms do differ, left to right. The spirit level bubble on the bad side being more positive.

Basically I'm giving up! Does anyone know a shop/person I can take my bug to that is a gun on suspension. I live at Sawtell, so Im probably closer to Qld but anything is possible.

Cheers and any help greatly appreciated.


vw54 - June 27th, 2017 at 06:42 PM

you need to get the 4 trailing arms checked in an original vw test jig i think you will find one or more bent. you need to check this first, Grahame Melling up at Coffs might have one also get a piece of steel or a 1 meter rule something that has a good straight edge and put across the upper and lower tubes to see if straight from side to side

hows the bearing surfaces are they worn

Also check with a steel square if the stub axle are at 90 deg to the face they could have been welded incorrectly

VVDS in Sydney have all the jigs and test fixtures


Alfonso56 - June 27th, 2017 at 07:03 PM

Thanks vw54, much appreciated. I will contact Graham and check if he has a jig. The bearings are good. I will find a long straight piece of steel and run it along the beams, hope its straight as its new and done no work as yet. Im getting pretty good at ripping off the hubs etc!!
CHEERS


vw54 - June 28th, 2017 at 07:29 AM

Who made the beam has it been made from scratch has it been narrowed or lowered

With the wheels off does the arms travel up and down with out sticking


Alfonso56 - June 28th, 2017 at 11:17 AM

Hi vw54, back again.

The beam is created from scratch, an English manufacture and is 4" narrowed with the proper rubber/roller outters and the Dacron or whatever inners. All the arms move freely. Graham Melling doesn't have the jig tool. I will try to check the beam with a straight edge end to end.
Cheers


vw54 - June 28th, 2017 at 06:22 PM

Ok so pull the arms and send to VVDS after you have checked the beam for straightness

also check measure between the upper and lower tubes to see if they are same size each end and in middle if this varies too much it will effect all other tolerances camber and castor

you may have to create a hollow on the straight edge to allow for the lowering adjustors or any weld protrusions


Alfonso56 - June 28th, 2017 at 08:46 PM

Thanks again vw54.
I think I will take them off and send or wait until next trip to Sydney and get VVDS to check them.
In the meantime will measure them up as suggested. I might even remove the whole beam to better check it. I also have 2" narrowed beam sitting around with little use so might measure it up also.
Cheers


psimitar - July 22nd, 2017 at 12:58 PM

You could also try removing the torsion leaves and then placing the arms back in the beam. If properly supported then they should have no rocking movement in them. If however the inner micarta bush is missing or poorly remaed then the arm will have incorrect support on it's inner end.

Also a proper LP beam should have needle bearings top and bottom and not be using rubber/poly bushes.


vw54 - July 22nd, 2017 at 02:46 PM

Quote:

poorly remaed then the arm will have incorrect support on it's inner end


very valid point Mike makes here

I was presuming that the bearings have been reamed correctly I shouldn't presume anything with any after market items

not many people have the correct tool to do this job.


mackaymanx - July 22nd, 2017 at 05:06 PM

I have a buggy that I'm presently working on that has excessive camber on the LH side, narrowed it done to the fact that beam adjusters (raised) are not in line. This puts the arms out off alignment. Beam was "professionally" built in Brisbane.