TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:54 pm

What’s up guys? My first post. I have a 63 beetle. Needed a front end rebuild so I put new king pins in links and all new steering linkage. I chose new 2 inch drop spindles and also added a caster shim. It’s still super sketchy above about 45 miles an hour. I read a lot of you guys too alking about doing 60 and 70 miles an hour in your beetle and it scares me to death. Anybody have any pointers to smooth out my twitchy handling at highway speed ‘s?

Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:01 pm

Did you have it aligned?

Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:09 pm

Correct tire pressure, alignment, good spring plate bushings, tires, shocks, tie rods and steering box. When I had the upright Type 4 in my 61, I could drive it one handed over 100 mph, very stable, but all the above was new or like new and I have wide tires both ends, sway bars on both ends and the car is evenly lowered (no rake to cause the wing lift affect)

Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:22 pm

Glenn wrote: Did you have it aligned?

Yes it was aligned. I forgot that part.

Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:36 pm

What size tires are you running and what pressure do you have them set at?

When you had the car aligned, did you get a copy of all the alignment specs they set it to? If yes, please post them up.

Have you verified the link pins and front wheel bearings are properly tightened with no excessive play?

Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:28 pm

Tire/wheel balance can make a difference too. Years ago I bought my own bolt-on balance adapter because most tire shops didn't have machines that the VW wide-5 rim fits onto any more.

Wed Apr 21, 2021 6:34 am

glutamodo wrote: Tire/wheel balance can make a difference too. Years ago I bought my own bolt-on balance adapter because most tire shops didn't have machines that the VW wide-5 rim fits onto any more.

Same here

Wed Apr 21, 2021 7:07 am

Since you have new king pins, there is a possibility that they are too tight & do not allow the steering to self center, this will cause you to constantly correct the steering & then re-correct as you drive which becomes twitchier as you increase speed.

Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:55 am

TDCTDI wrote: Since you have new king pins, there is a possibility that they are too tight & do not allow the steering to self center, this will cause you to constantly correct the steering & then re-correct as you drive which becomes twitchier as you increase speed.

Exactly the case with my new front end rebuild. The shop had to ream them out again and what a difference it made.

Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:58 am

what tire size and tire pressure?

Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:42 am

Air pressure, good steering damper are the two things I would check since you did the others.

Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:21 pm

Yes what’s the air pressure of the tyres. If you aren’t running something like 18 psi up front and around 24 at the back then you’ll have problems. Find the correct pressure in the manual or Technical Archives here.

Unlike modern heavy behemoths you don’t need 36psi or more all round.

Too high a tyre pressure will make it handle like a pig.