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Wed Jul 13, 2016 7:16 pm

I just did an IRS conversion on my 64 bus. I used a kit from Vintage Vdubs. My rear right tire is toe'd in and I can't figure out how to straighten it. I've tried everything I've found regarding adjusting the trailing arms, and the spring plates.

How to I measure my toe in, and what is within tolerance?

Is this something I can take to a shop? If so, should I take to a shop that specialized in aircooled VW's or an alignment shop?

Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:01 am

Springplate indexed incorrectly?
Sheared torsion bar?
Trailing arm binding on something?

Can't think of much else...

Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:41 am

ManFromNapa wrote: How to I measure my toe in, and what is within tolerance?
On a flat level surface roll forward and stop the bus without brakes. Mark a sharp "V" (vee) in chalk on both rear road surface areas of the tires at the rear halfway up. With someone to hold the other end measure from the crotch of the vee to vee as high as you can clear the undercarriage stuff. Roll the bus forward until the front vees can be measured the same way. If one or the other is larger then post which one. Subtract the two numbers and post that.

Basically you want it to read the same but maybe a blond hair more in front.

ManFromNapa wrote: ...and what is within tolerance?
Don't know about IRS but regular bus tolerance is -25' (toe out) to +or-25' or zero to 50' with -25'(minutes)(a minute is 1/60th of a degree) where the best is.

In inches or mm I don't know what that becomes but it isn't much. Maybe someone else knows the numbers.

Thu Jul 14, 2016 10:57 am

Just done did this for the Dormy. After getting 45,000 miles from the front tires but much less than half of that for the rears, I measured the toe in on them and it read over a half inch!!! :shock:

Anyway, I did not "research" what exactly it should be but figured it is either dead straight or at the very least the same as the front which for most all vehicles is usually 1/8". I use a tape measure from the center tread of one tire to the center tread of the other, the difference should be wider at the back of the tires by the 1/8". 8)

To adjust it, I "slid" the trailing arm back at the torsion plate roughly about 1/8" per side and that came right in to the 1/8" toe in... luckily after the first try! :P