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Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:43 am

Hello all. I'm back on TheSamba to pick your brains...so here goes. My Splitty needs front end work. She wonders (darts) around a bit, especially when I hit a bump, etc. I'm hopeful that it is not the ball joints (1967). The steering box seems tight and the wheel bearings are adjusted. Who in the Ventura area could look at the front end with me? Because of my budget (what budget?) I would like to do most of the work myself.

Thanks man,

Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:48 am

Since you own a '67, chances are you have a link pin front beam unless it was changed.

Your culprits are, wasted tierod ends, blown steering dampener, unadjusted linkpins, loose wheel bearings (even though you said they are adjusted), bad tires, and last but not least, alignment.

If your bus is the one in the avatar it looks like it might be a little lowered. If you used a straight axle kit, make sure the axles are pulled all the way to the rear of the slots in the springplates. If not it'll feel all weird when the suspension moves around.

HTH

Fri Feb 11, 2005 8:58 am

how is the front lowered?

Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:12 am

have you had a freind move the steering wheel through the steering wheel play while you are underneath looking for play in the center pin and tie rod ends?...i replaced my centerpin and everything was 100% better ($30-$40 for the new part)...took a jerry rigged pipe, threaded rod, nuts and washers rig to remove the old bushings (they need to be pressed out...about $4 in materials) and you can get a cheap bushing reamer from enco.com (about $12 shipped) for reaming out the new bushings..total repair time about 2-3 hours for my first time...it's not perfect, i think i slightly overreamed just a hair :evil: so be careful with that....

Sat Feb 12, 2005 1:11 am

marklaken wrote: ...took a jerry rigged ....
:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

Sat Feb 12, 2005 8:22 am

Thanks guys. The Splitty was lowered when I got it. I like it that way. BUT I'm not sure how it was done. Perhaps dropped spindles on the front. I've got a Freeway Flyer & the backs quite low. :oops: I thought I had ball joints; must have read my "Idiot" book wrong. Link pins are easier to work on I guess. Anyway, lots of good ideas here, thanks. It's been learn as I go with the VW...so I guess it's time to learn about front ends!

Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:30 am

Every milimeter of play in each part of the front end, tie rods, connecting rod, center pivot link, etc., will be highly "pronounced" when it gets to the steering wheel. You will always have a bit of "play" at the steering wheel but more than a couple of inches means exesive wear in some parts.

The center link pin is the most common point of wear in the early buses. It does not have a good enough seal to keep the grease in there as the fatchick front end does. The manual also calls for lubing the front end every 1200 miles. How often do you do yours? :? If your bus is a daily driver that could easily be a weekly job! :o

The best way to inspect for "looseys" is the "friend moving steering wheel back and forth while you look under" method. :wink: Not trying to actually turn the wheels, just back and forth within the "play" area. You will see all the parts that are moving "loosely" before the wheels actually start to move. The first item you will see moving is the center pivot pin. Then any worn ball joint connection of the tie ords and the link rod (the rod that links the steering box to the center pivot pin).

Though it could very well be a worn out steering box, that is the last thing you want to replace since it costs the most. More often than not, replacing the other components will take the "play" to a more tolerable amount.

Hope this helps you some. Good luck! 8)

Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:51 pm

Thanks Pyro. That's what I figured. Good to hear it from you guys who know your $#it. It's always something, eh? Lube the front end every 1200? Er, um, yah, I'll get right to it... 8)

Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:30 am

my manual says lube at 3000. a little more reasonable wouldn't you say?