Date:         Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:47:23 -0700
Reply-To:     neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Trying To Understand Tie rod Adjustments
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi all.

In partially rebuilding my '81 Westy front end, I:

- swapped out lower control arms, one tie rod, and a radius arm.
- transferred # of turns form old tie rod to new. Double checked by
measuring from inner end
  of threads to face of new tie rod adjusting nut with calipers.
- transferred inner nut position from old damaged radius rod to new one.

Prior to work, it tracked straight. Now it drifts to the right. Not
drastically, but at highway speeds I let go of the wheel, it starts
drifting at end of 1 second count.

I understand toe in. Front portion of each tire points in a *little*
like snow plow skiing. What I don't get is if one tire can be
straight, and another pointing in or out.

Could drift be due to a tie rod being too "long" thus positioning a
wheel in or out when compared to the other wheel? If so, is this a
separate alignment parameter?

In my case, is the goal is to get each wheel straight, then adjust toe
in. Am I on the right track?

Neil.






--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines