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imported_brackie
07-06-2005, 05:12 PM
Sick of paying $40 to set the toe in (track) of your VW? Well here's an easy way to do it.

First, the toe in/out on most water cooled VWs is almost zero. I know that the manuals say otherwise but the amount that they differ from parallel is negligable.

Here's how I did mine.
1. Jack up each wheel and with a brick or a block of wood as an anchor use a nail or a pencil to mark a centre line around the circumference of the wheel in the middle of the tread.
2. Let the car down and roll it backwards and forwards bouncing at the same time to settle the suspension.
3. Find a straight piece of timber (I used a piece of angle iron) and two pieces of sheet metal at least 7" x 3"
4. Nail the sheet metal to the timber (or use clamps if you have angle iron) so that the distance between the sheets is approximately the track of the front wheel centres.
5. Slide the timber under the car at the rear of the front wheels with the sheet metal lying flat and then turn the sheets through 90 degrees so that they touch the rear of the tyres.
6. Transfer the centre line that you marked on the tyre to the sheet metal with a pencil mark.
7. Withdraw the timber and sheet metal.
8. Roll the car forward through half the circumference of the wheels.
9. Place the timber and sheet metal at the front of the wheels and line up one of the marks you made with the centre line you marked on the tyre.
10. Go to the other front wheel and check the distance from the mark you made to the centre line of the tyre.
11. Slacken the lock nut on the track rod end and turn the steering rod until the distance from the mark you made to the centre line of the tyre is exactly half of the original distance in 10.
12. Tighten the lock nut and if necessary adjust the centring of the steering wheel.

You just did KMart out of $40!

If anybody wants photos of how to do this just ask.

Yeah... Here are the photos. Sorry it's taken so long but well..... Oh. Please don't look at the unrestored front skirt!

http://home.iprimus.com.au/brackie/vw/track1.jpg
http://home.iprimus.com.au/brackie/vw/track2.jpg
h100vw
08-06-2005, 05:38 AM
Post those photos.....
Gavin
syncro
08-06-2005, 08:05 AM
You still have spend the $40 to get the camber done anyway. The toe in normally does not need adjusting unless you hit something.
imported_brackie
09-06-2005, 06:52 AM
OK, castor and camber can't really be set in your own backyard. But in 40 years of owning cars I have never had to have them set. In fact, the only times that I have had to set toe in is when I've bought a used car (almost every time), after replacing steering parts and when someone driving my car has abused it.

Bit flat out at the moment and the Audi is still in my workshop in bits (MC seals still not here...but this is, after all, Tasmania!) so I'll take photos when I can.
imported_brackie
17-10-2005, 06:07 AM
Post those photos.....
Gavin
Just did it if you want to look.
worm
26-04-2006, 08:08 PM
I went up to buerepairs (spelling?) today to ask if I can get a wheel alignment and he told me that it cant be adjusted. Will have to inspect the car to see if it has anything ben which is causing the negative cambe. Does this sound like bs?
GoLfMan
26-04-2006, 08:23 PM
nothin wrong with neg camber mate :wink:
syncro
26-04-2006, 08:30 PM
I went up to buerepairs (spelling?) today to ask if I can get a wheel alignment and he told me that it cant be adjusted. Will have to inspect the car to see if it has anything ben which is causing the negative cambe. Does this sound like bs?

The guy's an idiot! Go somewhere else.
golfvr6
27-04-2006, 04:10 PM
i agree- must be an idiot - or can't be bothered!

same problem with my mk3 - tells me the camber can't be adjusted...
imported_brackie
27-04-2006, 04:51 PM
Maybe he's just not eccentric enough :shock:
syncro
27-04-2006, 07:42 PM
Maybe he's just not eccentric enough :shock: :lol:
Edison
13-05-2006, 01:47 AM
I went up to buerepairs (spelling?) today to ask if I can get a wheel alignment and he told me that it cant be adjusted.

Idiot to human translation "I don't know how, but I have a uniform on, so I won't admit ignorance"



The guy's an idiot! Go somewhere else.

Damn straight,.


Maybe he's just not eccentric enough

Typical golf entusiast: "I'd like Rocket boosters fitted into the boot of my Mk1 golf"
Appropriate professional response: "Solid or liquid propelled?"

Once upon a time at KFC it was my hobby to go in and see just how much of their time I could waste and how many of the staff I could get to explain to me why I couldn't get a 3 peice pack with no legs and no wings. I could sometimes get a MANAGER to waste 20-25mins on my devious little anticapitalist plot... "So if I have to buy an extra peice so there are 4, will you throw away the one I don't want for me, or do I have to throw it away myself??" Needless to say the labour cost always exceeded any saving they'd make that day 8-)