Rear wheel alignment on 60 bug

[booger36]

Hi everyone. I just finished installing 3" drop plates, new shocks, and disc breaks in the rear of my 1960 vw bug and I'm trying to align the rear without going to an alignment shop. I realize that the camber is never gonna be perfect, however I do need the toe to be correct.
I have been reading online and I've been reading my vw Workshop Manual and I need a little assistance. The manual explains I can use a "rear wheel alignment gauge" or I can do it a second way. I'm not quiet sure how to do the second so I'll just write exactly what the workshop manual states;

"The holes on provided on the spring plates for attaching it to the axle bearing housing are elongated. To make it possible to carry out wheel alignment sufficiently accurately without the aid of a rear wheel alignment gauge a groove is provided on the side of the spring plate and on the axle bearing housing above the top mounting hole. When adjusting the wheels without an alignment gauge, these two grooves must be dead in line.

Having said that. I don't have grooves on my 3" drop plates but I do have elongated holes to adjust toe. My spring plates were purchased from Atomwerks. Here is the second part......

With the vehicle is in unloaded condition the track values of the rear axle is -5' plus/minus 10' which is achieved in the factory by special equipment and ensures precise alignment. When carrying out repairs such as rear axle removal or loosening the spring plate at the axle bearing housing, the exact position of the rear wheels has to be marked to ensure proper wheel alignment when reinstalling. This can best be done by marking a mark on the top of the spring plate dead in line with the groove in the axle bearing housing.

Since I have new drop plates I was unable to make any marks because obviously the new plates weren't on the car when I removed the old stock drop plates. After reading a little more in this book, it states that the Rear Wheel Tread must be adjusted as follows.

Adjustment; toe-in 1.0mm----toe-out 2.5.
Specification chart: -5' plus/minus 15'

Does anyone have a way of doing a toe alignment on a rear by measuring? I've read and read and I can't figure this one out.

Thanks in advance

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The classic definition is to Measure the distance between the rims on the back of the two back wheels, measure the distance between the front of the rims on the two back wheels, should be 1/16th inch more for the front of the rims.

Lets say you want 1/32 of an inch of toe out, that is about 1 mm of toe out.

I don't have narrowed beams. My front wheels are the same distance apart as the rear wheels. So if the rear wheels are toed out if I were to site along the rear wheel it would site along just under half an inch outside the front wheels. You have to do the math. Something along the lines of 1/32 of an inch for 15 inches comes out to 1/5th of an inch for the 94 inches between the front and back wheels. So lets say I am using a 2 X 2 as my straight edge, which is really a 1.5 x 1.5. That means I need to put something to sight to 1.5 + 1/5th inches outside the front wheels. Be sure to measure everything from either the rim, or the tire where it does not bulge at the bottom. And again check the manual, I don't remember exactly how much toe out there should be, I did the math based on 2 mm toe out.

So this mean you can sight along the rear tire using a straight edge and I aim at something I have set on the floor that is the width of the straight edge plus just a hair over a quarter of an inch.

You can set them to zero by simply sighting something as far away as the width of the sighting tool.

I use a big square so I can measure on a part of the tire that is not bulging.

The reason for the toe out is the suspension flexes a little under the push of the rear tires.

[booger36]

[KTPhil]

If it were me, I'd take to a shop and have it aligned. Unless you change ride height again, you won't have to ever adjust it again. Have a shop do it, then make your own marks, so you can return it to this setting even if you disassemble it later. Rear toe, especially on a modified car, is critical to safe handling.

[drscope]

Take all that information and specs you have in your service manual and throw it out the window because none of that is going to apply once you lower a swing axle or install drop plates.

The addition of the negative camber you got when you dropped it is probably going to make it very difficult to find a shop willing to take it. Then once you find a shop that will deal with it, you run the next hurdle of finding a tech that knows what they are doing on a swing axle!

Get out your tape measure and play. Learn how to deal with this yourself. Chances are if you stay low, you will get tired of driving the car since it becomes somewhat impractical and in many cases uncomfortable. So you may as well learn how to set it up so you know what you are doing farther down the road when you want to change it back closer to stock.
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Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

[buggeezer]

My 1958 VW European Beetle has no provision that I can see for rear axle alignment. The plates are not slotted as later models are. I would guess that if alignment is needed, one would have to elongate the plate holes with a carbide burr. The 1958 Owners manual makes no mention of this and I find nothing using Google search. Comments?

[esde]

[buggeezer]

I have made a tool (long ago) that works just great. It's iron pipe with one sliding into another with 90 degree elbows on both ends and upright pipe ends about a foot long inserted into the elbows with two welded pointers, one is adjustable. The two pipes are locked with locking screws, two to be secure. I have also made two pieces of 1" channel that bolt to the drums with a pointer on both ends, I found this system to be easy to use and extremely accurate. But......back to my original problem. My 1958 spring plates are stock and not slotted for adjustment. If forum members want to see what I have made, I can provide photos. My son and I use the sliding pipe tool not only on VWs but other cars we have as well. All we can set with this tool is toe in . I have angle gauges we use too. Thanks to all who reply.

[Busstom]

buggeezer, I'd definitely like to see what you came up with. Between yours and that tool 'esde' shows, I might want to cobble something together.

I wonder why you said you can only do "toe in," you mean you can't do toe out?
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My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom) 😏

[Busstom]

[esde]

[ZEKE65]

I have been using two drywall squares bolted together and trued for years to do my own alignments. They reach outside the tires, set one side to a certain distance and measure the other side, front and back to get toe. Also can use them to check camber. I also use a laser level on top of a level across the tires pointed front, and the same distance rear to check toe, and will also show you tracking.
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1965 VW Sedan, 1968 C10 Step BB, 99 C5

[buggeezer]

Thanks guys, and I will post photos of the tools I made when I get the chance. I go by the "centerline" of the tire when I can. By that I mean the tire mold line in the center where the two molds meet when the tire is made. That is not always visible. You can scribe a line on the front tire by supporting a screwdriver and turning the front tire. Then you can use tape to make that line easier to see. It is always best to check the car alignment on the ground and I use two pieces of black construction plastic, one on top of the other that are so slick and that enables the tires to "settle" into the normal position. I bounce the car a little too to help the tires spread out, especially on the rear tires. Without using the plastic, you would have to roll the car back and forth. The tool I made is very similar to the tool in the photos. The uprights are longer and if laid back a little still works on the car on the ground. It must be made of heavy material so that it doesn't flex at all, therefore the iron pipe. For accurate measurements the rear tires must be on the ground.

[Busstom]

[esde]

[buggeezer]

Excellent tool!

[Busstom]