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Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:06 am

At about 30 mph steering wheel shakes like something is loose on front . I have checked for loose or worn parts everthing is tight . Had the wheels balanced. I have 235/70/15 ofront. When i speed up shake goes away. Do es anybody have a steering dampner t

Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:39 am

A steering damper and caster shims will both help.

Mon Aug 12, 2013 7:35 am

You're obviously using front rims that are wider than stock - are wheel adapters being used?

235-series tires are a bit much for the front - any tire damage/blistered or ballooning sidewalls?

bnc

Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:08 am

I have dis brakes on front with spacer no damage to tires they only have about 1000 miles on them. Where can i buy steering damper. This is why i love this web site you always get alot of help

Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:24 am

Any VW part supplier should have it. I get mine from www.cip1.com
The damper is very important. Wide track does not affect it too much. I have many VW cars with disk brakes {kits push the wheels out 1/2 inch on each side} Wide tires and rims.

Does the wobble/shake return at 50mph? If so you still have a balance issue. If not and everything is tight look for a tristed tire.

A damper will help but you should not have any shakes even without it on flat ground. You could get the dreaded death wobble after hitting a bump. A good steering damper will fix this. Death wobble usually happens around 40 to 60 mph and is so violent that you cannot steer or brake. The only way out is to clutch in and ride it out. Hopefully the road ahead is straight.

Here is an example of a Jeep in a death wobble.

Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:42 am

Shake goes away after 30 mph does not return. Had my tires balanced. I run with only15 psi in front and 20 in rear . Tires did not take alot of wait. I will try damper tbanks.

Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:34 am

Jack up the front of your car and spin the front tires and see if you have any high or low spots on the tire. I've seen them out of round from new. With that wide of a front tire you need every part on the front end to be like new, no play at all because that much rubber on the road will amplify any bit of play. A steering dampner may help. At that low of speed where the shake occurs it won't be a balance problem or wheels wandering from lack of caster.

brad

Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:29 pm

If you have a 59 front suspension, I don't believe it came with the mounts for a damper. Here's a bolt on clamp to attach the fixed top end

http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C26-750-103

You'll need the correct tie rod end with eye for the other end

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1308512

Caster shims will increase trail which will increase your steering's centering and stability

With your wobble occurring at low speed I would first suspect a rim being out of true rather than being out of balance. You might try jacking up the wheel, spinning the tire and mounting some kind of scale beside and above the tire to detect wobble

Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:09 pm

Wheels bought new when i got tires ss cragers. I have jacked up and spun them cant get any better. I will inspect it more thanks for all the help. I will check with the place i buy all my buggy parts from in OK city i live in a small town Indiahoma Oklahoma. I will try to post pic when i get time.

Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:10 pm

Wheels bought new when i got tires ss cragers. I have jacked up and spun them cant get any better. I will inspect it more thanks for all the help. I will check with the place i buy all my buggy parts from in OK city i live in a small town Indiahoma Oklahoma. I will try to post pic when i get time.

Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:46 pm

Find a buddy or a willing stranger with a set of stock vw wheels and tires and mount them on your car. If your shake goes away, it should give you some idea that something with the tire and wheel combo is out of sorts.

Sometimes the way a wheel torques down to the hub will distort the hub and make it shimmy. This is more common with aftermarket wheels.

Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:53 pm

Are the rotors the same bolt pattern as the wheels or are you using wheel adapters?

brad

Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:29 pm

Rotors are the same bolt pattern as wheels have to use 5/16 spacer behind wheel to clear calpher. I did torque to right pattern. 80 ft lbs .

Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:29 pm

Rotors are the same bolt pattern as wheels have to use 5/16 spacer behind wheel to clear calpher. I did torque to right pattern. 80 ft lbs .

Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:32 pm

Rotors are the same bolt pattern as wheels have to use 5/16 spacer behind wheel to clear calpher. I did torque to right pattern. 80 ft lbs .

Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:21 pm

Sorry guys hit button to many times

Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:22 pm

Sorry guys hit button to many times

Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:40 pm

I've had a couple different experiences with steering wheel shake. The first issue was a "cowl shake", where the entire assembly - the windshield, steering column, and dash would all shake back and forth, mostly at 60 MPH. It would get into a rhythm where it would shake hard, almost stop, then shake hard again. The steering wheel wasn't rotating at all, the shaking was literally side to side.

The fix was to build a cage and attach it to the windshield frame. It solved the problem 100%. My theory is the shaking was caused by a combination of body/chassis flex and aerodynamic forces on that flat windshield.

The other issue was where the steering wheel would rotate back and forth A LOT, especially when I was on the brakes.

The fix was to remove the totally worn out needle bearings and bushings in the front beam and replace them with delrin ones.

I have no idea if either of these two apply to you, but I wanted to share my experience and hopefully add a couple more ideas to the mix.

Lee

Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:34 pm

The shake is just in the steering wheel cause when i let go of it at that speed it feels like one wheel is super loose. I have it in my shop checking everything out real good let know what i find out thanks.

Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:34 pm

The shake is just in the steering wheel cause when i let go of it at that speed it feels like one wheel is super loose. I have it in my shop checking everything out real good let know what i find out thanks.