Handling of VW Beetle at freeway high speeds problem

Oh yeah, my '64 will do right at around 88 mph but I haven't really looked closely at the engine yet to find out if it's the original

1200. Hell, I haven't even adjusted the valves yet. :-)
Reply to
Shag
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gotta get that shop built so you have somewhere to adjust em!!

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

Not a problem. Stay off the interstates. You'll be surprised about the number of very good and accessible two lane roads that are available.

Reply to
74 Daily Driver

Hi all,

I dug up my VW journal where I kept all the receipts and records of whats been done to the Beetle. Let's see... the mechanics Aust VW Performance Centre lowered the front end with adjusters, with caster shims, bump stop, a BWF2 Sway Bar, a BWR11Sway Bar, Steering Coupling, and added a extra labout to replace bump stops...

should I now replace the rear anti-sway bar with a camber compensator? Like this one

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Reply to
Blackadder XXIV

Yes, the one uploaded by Lugnuts seems to be a well constructed unit. It is hinged in the middle comes with Urethane bushings and what looks like some sort of Urethane swingaxle to compensator fittings.

If you look at the cheaper units the are connected to the swingaxle tubes by a simple steel clamp, not good. Sooner or later it will gnaw a hole..

J.

Ps. Since your front end was fitted with adjusters, you could raise it to either stock or nearly stock height. But the you would loose the kewl look....

Reply to
Berg

Thanks Berg. Much appreciated with the advice. I'm actually not too sure what the lowered height is. But its not terribly too low.

I think raising it about 2 inches up would make it horizontally in line with the rear.

The mechanic (who lowered it) did tell me to go back to readjust it if I wasn't happy with it. I'll go and see him in Jan.

Reply to
Blackadder XXIV

It is not hard to do it yourself, involves a floor jack, Unbraco sockets/tool/key and a spanner.

Have you got a digital camera? If you took a picture and mailed it to me(Or post them here if Jan is not looking) I could give you a more exact procedure.

J.

Reply to
Berg

Yes, I do have a digital camera. I'll take a photo and post it to a relevant binary group to avoid censure.

:)

Blackie

Reply to
Blackadder XXIV

O.O

Reply to
Jan Andersson

I posted the photos up on alt.binaries.automobiles

Have a look and see.

There seems to be a fair amount of hydraulic fluid thats leaking - by looking at the pictures.

The gear box is also wet looking underneath. And it was reconditioned 1000 miles ago.

Reply to
Blackadder XXIV

That group is not covered by my I.s.p., perhaps Jan could take a look if he reads this. He knows those front ends at least as well as I do.

Merry Christmas !

Jørn.

Reply to
Berg

you are better off to post it to a picture hosting site, then post up a link....some folks won't have all groups available and some, like me, are too lazy to go look for it....

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

Sorry, my ISP doesn't carry binary groups.

Jan

Reply to
Jan Andersson

R.E. brake fluid. In one picture the rim had what appeared to be a damp spot at the top where, when that part of rim would be down, could have corresponded to a brake fluid drip. The back plates on the wheels appeared to have something on them, but if it is brake fluid it did not appear to be very wet... as a matter of fact it apeared to go from top to bottom.

Folks can correct me if I am giving bad advice, but I would park the car on level ground and check the tranny fluid, adding some if it is low. Then go to a self-service pressure wash place and spray/clean off the bottom of the tranny. Check the bottom of the transmission over the next few days, a couple of times a day and try to see where the transmission fluid seems to get it wet first. On my car the place where the nose cone meets the rest of the transmission case seems to be the culpret. A couple of years ago I had leaky rear wheel seals, and it ended up getting too low just 3 days after filling up the tranny..... enough that it hurt the bearings associated with

4th gear. It has run fine since..... but there is a whine that accompanies 4th gear that can be annoying. Given that it is a daily driver and it still works great, I caught it in time, but if the rear back plates are dripping fluid but the brake fluid is not getting low, then it may very well be your seals.

KWW '65 Beetle (Jenny the IOC) '64 Beetle

Reply to
Kirk

Hi Berg and Jan,

I posted the photos on flick.

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I don't dare drive the car now - petrol seems to be leaking from the engine and fluid from the gear box.

Reply to
Blackadder XXIV

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