[Vwdiesel] wheel alignment

[Sandy Cameron]

http://www.familycar.com/Alignment.htm

Note this is a generalized course, not step by step.

After I had studied it, I was able to adjust the camber to stop a pull to
the left, and adjust the toe to neutral, which eliminates tire scrubbing,
although the price paid is a certain amount of skitishness in side winds and
a tendency to wander a bit if you dont keep your mind on driving. It does
make for responsive, light steering and quick response.

If you want your car to steer itself, add some toe-in to suit.

It will make the steering heavier, the tracking steadier in side winds and
rough roads, and if overdone, wear the tires out sooner.

If your car is realy out of whack, find a flat, level concrete floor,
inflate all tires to normal, unload heavy cargo so the car sits level,  (200
lb sandbag in driver seat??) Then use the carpenter square to ballpark the
camber.
Don't use string to check toe, use a steel tape or wire that won't stretch.

There are several creative ways to measure toe-in, (not rocket science)
just get it neutral to slightly toed in for safety. then drive it and see
what happens.

Toe is easy, My Bentley says 0 degrees, +/- one third of a degree. Err to
the toe-IN  side if necessary.
This must be re-checked after every camber adjstment as any camber change
changes the toe setting.

Bentley says, for frumpy old diesel jettas and golfs, camber is negative
half a degree. That is, the wheels are leaning IN at the top and OUT at the
botttom. (better cornering)
The camber angle is only a half a degree, so if you can get them as sraight
up and down as possible with the carpenter square, and then  "tune out" any
tendency to pull ot one side by moving the bottom of the appropriate  wheel
out (refer to article) you should be there . 
Although Bentley warns not to do it, for small adjustments, I adjust the
camber by loosening and sliding the ball joints in or out. If the struts
have not been monkeyed with, this is usually enough, but if you have had
them off the knuckles,  there will not be enough range in the ball  joint
slots and you will have to set the camber the "approved" way, with the strut
bolts. The ball joint bolt slots are used to set the CV joint operating
positions, and are ""optimized at factory assembly, and should not be changed"".

YOU ARE WARNED.

When you have set the toe to "0", and the car no longer pulls to either
side, you are there !

This is definitely a matter of patient finesse, but if the car has not been
"bent", you CAN do it, and how sweet it is when you hit the sweet spot and
suddenly you are driving a responsive sports car. Goldie, my 87 jetta TD
with over 300,000 miles on it, makes my 94 A3 feel like an old buick.

Good shocks and a good set (not expensive, [walmart] ) matched tires help too.

Be sure to re-read the paragraph on camber adjustment several times befor
doing it.
It says the car will pull toward the side with "too much positive camber"
Correct by moving the BOTTOM of the wheel on THAT side OUT, or the BOTTOM of
the opposite  wheel IN.


Works for me.

Sandy

Boy, it's good to be back on a full-size keyboard instead of that fruity
lap-top!

Had an MRI today, guess we'll find out next week how much brain I have left.
Fortunately the BP spikes and TIAs have stopped for now. (Altase 10mg/d)