FRONTEND REASSEMBLY
OK everythings ready to go? king pins are solid, ball joints are tight, wheel bearing are good to go?
Well OK then let put the thing back together.
- Reinstall the beams.
- Install the two body mount bolts.
- Reattach the steering arm to the steering box.
- Reattach the steering column.
Now comes the tricky part. You may need a little patience here. You're going to reinstall the springs.
NOTE: You can install the leaves individually, just make sure you keep them in the correct order. If yo don't the set screw indentation will not be right.
Intall the trailing arms.
- Be sure to give them a good coat of grease.
Install and tighten all the set screws.
- Be sure to lock them in place with the jam nut.
Ball joint people skip to here.
king pin people only
In this section you're going to determine the link pin shim placement for proper wheel alignment.
- Place you staight edge on the trailing arm end where the link pin goes through.
- Measure the distance between the straight edge and the upper trailing arm link pin mount.
- Use the diagram and proper chart below to determine the correct shim placement.
1960 and earlier (10 shims per pin) |
|
Upper arm |
Lower arm |
| Offset | Shims A | Shims B | Shims C | Shims D |
| 5 mm | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| 5.5 mm | 4 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| 6 mm | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| 6.5 mm | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| 7 mm | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 7.5 mm | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 8 mm | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 8.5 mm | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 9 mm | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
1960 and later (8 shims per pin) |
|
Upper arm |
Lower arm |
| Offset | Shims A | Shims B | Shims C | Shims D |
| | | | |
| 5.5 mm | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| 6 mm | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| 6.5 mm | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 7 mm | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| 7.5 mm | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| 8 mm | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 8.5 mm | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
* diagrams and tables from The VW Manual for the Complete Idiot.
- Do this next part one pin at a time.
- Lightly grease the link pins and shims and install the outer shims.
- Slide the pin through spindle assembly.
- Make sure your placement in correct.
- Install the inner shims.
- Install the "O"ring and sealing plate (thick shim) onto the pin.
- Repeat for the remaining pins.
- Install the spindle assembly onto the trailing arms.
- Install the link pin locking bolts.
- You may need to use a wrench to spin the link pins untill the groove lines up.
- Turn the link pins until they pull tight.
- Once they are tight back them off slightly.
- Tighten the locking bolts.
King pin skip down.
- Reattach the spindles.
- Tighten the nuts and install the cotter pins.
- Reattach the tierods.
- Install the steering stabalizer.
- Install the brake backing plates.
- Reattach the brake lines.
- Install brake drums.
- Adjust the brakes.
- Bleed the brakes.
- Install shock absorbers.
- Grease all the fittings.
- Install the gas tank.
- Install the bumber.
- Install the tires.
The car is now back together but the front end will need to be aligned. King pin people should only need to do this next step and you will be done.
I recommend that ball joint poeple follow the next step then take it to a shop and have it aligned.
Adjusting the toe-in
- Place a spay piant can on the ground close to the center of the tire.
- Spin the tire.
- Spay a line on the tire while it's spinning.
- Repeat on the other tire.
- Take the car of the jacks.
- Bounce it up and down a few times to settle the springs.
- Make sure the wheels are straight.
- Use your tape measure to measure the distance between the lines.
- Measure from about axle height.
- Do this on the front and the rear of the tires.
- you want the distance to be 1/4in. narrower in the front.
- If the distance in the front is larger than the rear lengthen
the tie rods.
- If it's to narrow, shorten the tierods.
- You adjust the tierods buy loosening the jamb nut or clamps on both ends then turn the rod with a set of pliers or vise grips.
- Once you get it close retighten the tierods and drive it around the block.
- Recheck and adjust as necessary.
CONGRATULATIONS YOU'RE DONE