DIY Wheel Alignment

[nmerrill]

So, one thing I've been wondering about:
The Bentley indicates that the ride height measurement must be done without occupants or cargo.
But, are folks are setting the Toe with the vehicle weighted (weight in drivers seat at least) as typical for the other settings?

I was also surprised to find that my many year old Schwenk springs give me a ride height that barely fits on the graph! 480-85 mm.

[jseehorn]

Chris,

Great posting! Thanks! Can anyone tell me what the Bentley manual means on page 44.2 at the top left of the spec spreadsheet in the front axle toe section. They refer to the toe per wheel being "not pressed" and "wheels not pressed" for total toe. What do they mean by the term "pressed"?

[iceracer]

I believe pressed means weight in van vs not pressed means no weight.
_________________
86 Syncro Wolfsburg edition
63 Beetle (The Iceracer)

[o-town]

Syncro related question. The Bentley and other sources only list the caster spec (empty 4 degrees 40’ plus/minus 15’ /// full load 3 degrees35’)

without giving the additional calculation for corresponding caster difference of wheel on lock from 20 degrees left and right does anyone have this number for the syncro, preferably syncro camper?

I am otherwise going to try some kind of rough calculation based on how the 2wd vanagon specs are shown in the Bentley (7 degrees 15’ plus-minus 15’, equalling 4 degrees 50’ plusminus 10’ difference between left and right 20 degrees wheels)

I calculate the difference on the 2wd spec as 2 degrees 25’

So perhaps I should take that away from the syncro spec, see how the van feels. Set 2 degrees 15’ difference between front wheels 20 degrees left and right. Waldo, any thoughts?

[o-town]

I think now that the syncro caster spec is based on 20 degrees front wheels left and right difference, 4 degrees 40’

I had a lot of difficulty getting my two sides to be similar, no idea why. Left side is quite loosened, right side is tightened up almost all the way, still has right side out of spec.

I’ll have to see how it drives. I had updated a lot of the front suspension components and only set camber and toe in the past. Van drove well but had consistent pull to the right side. Makes sense now, the caster was much less positive on the right side.

I’m still puzzled why I am wildly different in adjustment left side vs right side.

[T3TRIS]

I'm seriously considering doing this once I'm done with our front end rebuild on our syncro. The information available on this forum has been invaluable and this DIY alignment post from Christopher is no exception. I have wondered though if there were some updates or new tips with other tools available. I was looking for the alignment tool Chris recommended in his original post and couldn't find it. However I found this caster/camber tool that seems to be very useful and would, theoretically, greatly simplify the setup (though I do realize the initial intent was to make it as cheap as possible). In any case, it looks like the FastTrax 91000 Caster Camber Gauge allows for measurements without needing to level out the van, would this be too good to be true?

Link


On another note, someone had mentioned about a potentially easier way to measure caster, using a flat surface on the vanagon's upright itself. I don't think anyone answered them, unless I missed the answer.

[tjet]

I think it would be hard to see in that spot.

I use a vintage magnetic camber/caster gauge like the one below. Note the 4 levels. 2 are fixed, and 2 have an adjustment on the bottom. This give one the ability to calibrate it.

Woah, it says King Pin on it. Cool.

[ZsZ]

I am not sure what is in the Bentley, but VW manual says you can do a caster and camber alignment with a special protractor and the toe with a track gauge
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mqhb3lb17uatbwg/Running%20Gear%204WD.pdf?dl=0
_________________
Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008

[bobbyblack]

With the original tool ChrisToph3r having used in the making of the original DIY being NLA, here is one that was an (albeit more expensive) option in an email answer I got form him:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sps-91000?seid=...fgQAvD_BwE
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[T3TRIS]

[T3 Pilot]

You're doing a good job working out the details of your suspension refresh.

Check out the phone app Clinometer, you might find it useful for taking measurements. I printed out a copy of the alignment spec page, then converted it to decimal degrees. the phone app is excellent for use with shop made conduit tools like Chris shows on page 1. I made something like it out of aluminum angle iron. Hat tip to poster ZsZ for sharing the original Factory manual
_________________
1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[ZsZ]

I have the 2wd version too
https://www.dropbox.com/s/044ncz638a69xyb/Running%20Gear.pdf?dl=0
And a few other factory manuals in english and german
_________________
Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
Van since 2006, engine since 2008

[T3TRIS]

[fxr]

[T3TRIS]

Ok, good news so far... I've been exchanging emails with Christ at T3 regarding our front end rebuild and I asked him about that steering knuckle surface. Today, he went to his syncro, set his digital angle finder on the frame to compensate for the van not being level and measured the angle of that flat surface on the upright.
Van's measurement: 0.80°
Caster measurement: 8.05°
Adjusted caster angle: 8.05-0.80=7.25°
Which is exactly what the specs calls for: 7° 15' ±15'

That's amazing and makes caster measurements and adjustments INCREDIBLY simpler than a 20 degree caster sweep, with the setup required to do so on an uneven surface and without alignment shop tools. I'd love to see if others out there who might have had their van measured by a shop or done the caster sweep confirm if they get similar results. Thanks Chris for sharing your measurements!
Let's not forget mutanfab who first pointed that surface out and everyone else who contributed with other service manual information!

[?Waldo?]

A couple things bother me about that method of checking caster.

One objection is that they do not specify that the wheels need to be centered straight ahead. It seems that if the wheels are turned at all, the caster angle will not be pure and will have the camber enter into it.

The other objection is quite a bit more serious. The castor angle is the angle of the line of the ball joint pivots relative to flat and level ground. It is not the angle relative to the body. The van body might have been level relative to level ground when it left the factory, but I doubt there are very many that still are. If the sliding door area is no longer level when the van is on level ground then that method of measuring castor will be skewed by that discrepancy. E.g. if someone lifted the rear more than the front, or if the rear now sags more than the front, etc... then that method of measuring castor will be skewed by the amount of the lift/sag.

[T3TRIS]

[?Waldo?]

If you are measuring with the van on ground that is flat and level, then yes, using the machined flat surface on the knuckle is a really good tip. I appreciate you pointing it out. That should significantly simplify the alignments I do in the future. I just wouldn't use the van body as a method of compensating for unlevel ground unless you confirm that the van body is parallel to the ground first.

[ALIKA T3]

I have always wondered how they did it out of the assembly line, they must have had some fast setting tricks to do it, no?
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[ZsZ]