1974 Super Beetle Steering Question

[Tim Donahoe]

I went to the post office today and while turning out of their driveway, I had to stop for a light. My wheels were not aimed straight ahead. I'd say the steering wheel was turned to about 3 o'clock.

I have a habit of checking my steering play from time to time, and just happened to do it when my steering wheel was turned--as opposed to checking the freeplay with the wheels pointed straight ahead.

I had about an inch of play at the steering wheel--about twice what I normally have when checking the play in my garage with the wheels pointed straight ahead.

I got home and checked the proper (Bently-wheels-straight-ahead) method, and I only got a little less than a half inch play.

Is this normal? Is this why Bently says to check steering play with the wheels aimed straight ahead?

If you have a Super, could you check yours to see if you get the same results?

Thanks,

Tim

[EVfun]

This is normal. It is common to machine steering boxes so they are tight in the middle but looser as moved away from center. This way when the box wears some it can be adjusted tight again. Since most of the time the box is moving near the center point most of the wear is in that one area. When turning play cannot be felt because the car is trying to pull back toward strait ahead.
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[allsidius]

My 73 has the same effect. It's the geometry of the box that does it. When driving, the wheels try to align dead ahead in any case, so any play when the steering wheel is off-center is not too critical. After 120.000 miles I tightened the box using the wheels in the air procedure, and the play at the extremes could not be eliminated. If you tighten too much, the steering wheel will not pass the center position. That's why you should have the wheels in the air when doing this adjustment, otherwise you may not notice that the nut is tight when passing the center.
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[VWCOOL]

It's a good idea to adjust 'box' cars (beam and Super) 1/8-1/4 turn awaty from dead-ahead. Adjusting with the steering at centre can often result in a tight steering because your car spends 99 percent of its time at-centre so this is where wear (and therefore 'slack') is concentrated; all those pieces of gravel, potholes, speed humps etc will slowly but surely hammer the steering internals at-centre, even though they are not moving (ie: steering movement) very far.

Moving and adjusting the steering away from this 'groove' results in smoother steering with no on-centre grumbles