I just rebuilt the entire suspension and steering on my 63 std beetle, front and back. Now my sterning is stiff and my wheel will not center after turning a corner. I got everything aligned thinking that was the problem but that had almost no influence on the problem. Help! Is my sterning box to tight? My back end out of alignment with my front? Do I need to add more caster or camber? Any ideas would be appreciated.
David
I do have stiff new joints everywhere, but I would think that would not be enough. The box is a rebuilt unit and when I installed it I had about 6" of play in the steering wheel. So I adjusted it down to about 2" of play and just before the point where it is no longer smooth to turn. But honestly, before I adjusted the box I was having steering problems (but that was before the alignment). I was a little concerned that I had the rear wheels out of true with the front and that was giving me troubles. What would be the symptom of a misaligned rear end?
David
How did you adjust the King and Link pins after you rebuilt them? Did you lube them? It has been decades since I have done any, and probably forgot everything except maybe where my reamer is. lol I guess I would test each wheel with the tie rod ends off. Usually they are smooth moving.
Steering box does not seem right though. Is the steering shaft properly attached to the box? Do you have oversize tires on the front? How is the steering stablizer?
I vote for too tight steering box...
If you had it aligned by a shop, then it should not be a caster or camber problem. Assuming they bothered to adjust caster and not just toe. (I bet most wouldnt)
You could also have stiff new joints everywhere?
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