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New project: wheel spacers for my 1979 Super-Beetle (correction: SB Shimmy!)
Chris:
--- Quote from: kinggeorge13 on April 17, 2019, 06:32:30 AM ---Ok, been meaning to post an update for a couple days and finally have some time. So the front wheels are fine. I think I found what the tech thought was a problem with the back wheels but I'm now kinda thinking it's just the way they are. When you put the rear wheel on, it definitely goes up against the hub nice and flat. However it is not "snug" on the center part of the hub that juts out with the large bolt. It's got space to move around. However as I experimented with putting the lug bolts in and slowly getting them in enough that they were lightly holding the wheel up against the hub but not tightly. I found I could just barely move it at all. Just a wee bit tighter and it no longer allowed jiggling. So I assume this means that the wheel gets centered properly by the tightening of the lug bolts rather than the center hub. I think the tech probably thought it was moving around too much after putting the first lug bolt on or something. Anyone think I have this incorrect, please let me know. So yep, just you guys suggested: not a problem that has anything to do with needing spacers.
So I did some driving tests. The car does have a shimmy for sure. When I get over 80km/hr going straight it's ok. But any kind of turning at 80+ even a minor gentle one gets a shimmy in the front end that directly affects the steering wheel in the range of "Bloody Hell!" all the way to "Holy Crap!!". Slowing down and straightening out is the only way to solve it. So it did not take too much time to research and confirm what some of you guys suggested: I'm fairly sure that our little Beetle has the renowned Super Beetle Shimmy. So looks like time to get under there and figure out what parts/connectors are worn and then order some parts.
Of course during all this it stopped cranking over when I try to start it so it appears the starter motor wiring needs a little attention first. Battery has lots of power. When the rain stops I'll get her up onto jack stands and start poking around the starter first and get that fixed up and then move the jack stands to the front and start looking at all the steering/bushing components. First time for this for me, should be interesting!
-George
--- End quote ---
You have described exactly what was happening with my car.
pittwagen:
How many kms on this puppy?
Before I slid under the car to check the control arm bushings I would do the following:
Check the lateral play in the steering wheel. 1" is ok. Is it more and how much? Steering box will need to be adjusted at some point.
Jack the car up and grab the left front wheel at 6 and 12 o'clock. Any play.
Then at 3 and 9.
If so, adjust your wheel bearings to eliminate that as a contributing factor. Do the other side next.
Now look at the control arms. Bushings on one end and ball joint on the other. Check for play.
Then check the tie rods and the ends for slop. Repair as needed.
As Bruce said check the steering damper. If it is really rusted or has oil leakage, I usually just replace them.
Finally check the idler arm for play and the tightness of the bracket. Repair as needed.
Back to the steering box adjustment.
Check those joints on the lower steering box shaft and clamps for tightness.
What is the condition of the struts? Tight? How is the upper mount? Oil leakage? Rust in the mounting area?
Off the top of my head. Others will chime in if I missed something.
kinggeorge13:
I will be under there hopefully Sunday/Monday. Should be not raining and cannot do on Saturday because its Dubs in the Barn!!!!
Thanks for the advice. I will be doing all those checks.
The steering from the steering wheel is luckily already nice and tight. I have buses that I feel like I am in one of those old movies where the person is pretending to drive and they are over-moving the steering wheel back and forth a bunch as they drive along. Need a little road-correction to the left? The steering wheel finally starts having effect after you turn it at least 1/4 of a turn. Not good, yes I know. Yes, it can be fixed (and one day will) but the bizarre thing is how much you get used to driving it like that. Then hop into a bus that has tight steering and you just about put yourself in the ditch the first little correction you need to do going down the road. The fun never stops!
-George
kinggeorge13:
Well some minor progress but happy progress. Not with the shimmy but with getting the poor thing even started. The corrosion and rust was typically epic around the starter solenoid. As the sun was quickly waning in the sky late yesterday and I was getting plenty dirty, greasy and personally rusty under there with my wife working the key in the ignition I finally got our little Super Beetle going so assuming (possibly wildly) that it starts again this morning and was not just some bizarre fluke yesterday, we'll be driving to Dubs in the Barn in just a few short hours! Wooo-Hoooo.
Sunny and relatively warm today and tomorrow means convertible top gets to be down for first time this season! Bringing tools, parts, jacks, jumper box, jackstands, wiring, electric impact wrench, breaker bar and of course a hammer. You just never know.....
-See ya'll soon!
kinggeorge13:
So I have an update. Not only did we make it to the show but the Super Beetle had no problems. Other than lots of smoke when accelerating. Hmmmm.....was it really doing that last fall? Oh well, I will get to that eventually. Meanwhile, back to the shimmy diagnosis. When I was working figuring out why my starter motor was not coming on, I had to remove the rear right wheel. So that wheel in particular fits so large around the middle hub it's got nearly 1/4 - 1/2" space between the center hub and the center of my actual wheel. I'm betting if I cranked down on one lugnut at a time when I put it back on that there would be a really good chance that it would not be nicely centered and balanced. So what I did was carefully slowly hand-tighten each lugnut going from one to another and slowly tightening each one more and more and ensuring the wheel was as centered as possible until they were all snug and the wheel longer moving around against the hub. I figured that would ensure it was about as centered as it could get. Then I cranked them on for good tightness.
Here is a photo of the wheel. You can see the significant space between the center of the wheel and the actual hub. Is that normal? Or am I missing something?
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