Useful information from Paruzzi magazine and from our YouTube channel :
camber and King Pin The most visually striking of all wheel geometry settings, is wheel camber. We also discuss the King Pin Inclination and the Scrub radius in this article.
Caster and Toe In the previous edition, we explained what Camber and King Pin Inclination (KPI) are. An important consequence of KPI is the Scrub Radius, which is the friction radius of the front wheels. In addition to Camber and KPI, there are other important parameters, such as Caster angle and Toe.
wheel play adjustment The front and rear axles of your VW are mechanical parts that have to withstand a lot of forces. They are designed to withstand the full weight of the car, but they are also designed to absorb the forces that occur during acceleration and braking, which are several times greater than the weight of the car.
measuring front wheel geometry In this edition, we will explain how to measure front axle wheel geometry, and what the values are for each type of classic VW. Camber Angle, Toe and Caster are discussed in this edition. Measuring the rear axle is covered in edition 28, and in edition 29 we will show how to adjust front and rear axle wheel geometry.
independent suspension Fixed one-piece front axles with leaf springs or torsion springs as on the VW Beetle, were widely used until the end of the sixties. Due to the demand for more comfort, better steering and by driving longer distances, the independent front suspension became more and more popular on luxury cars.
front wheel bearing replacement If the wheel bearings are worn or damaged, there is no point in adjusting the wheel play. You will first have to replace the wheel bearings to get a good result. In edition 18 we tuned the wheel play of the front wheels to the feel, in edition 19 we fine-tuned the wheel play by using a measuring clock. In edition 21, we are replacing the front wheel bearings.
removing the MacPherson Sometimes it will be necessary to disassemble the MacPherson. It is located at the front on younger Volkswagen models such as the VW Beetles 1302 and 1303 and the VW Vanagon and at the front and rear on the VW Golf and VW 411/412. We will show how it works on a VW 1303, repair the bearings and install.
the VW suspension Ferdinand Porsche came up with an ingenious concept at the beginning of the last century. A car that was built on the basis of a steel chassis plate with an independent and self-supporting body. Most of the cars from that period were built around a tubular chassis, so the Volkswagen Beetle (then still a Kdf-car) was revolutionary.
measuring rear wheel geometry In the previous edition of this series, we measured the wheel geometry of the front axle. In this edition, we will measure the wheel geometry of the rear axle. The adjustment of both front and rear axles will follow in the next edition.