Extreme shimmy/wobble when towing Bug
CLYDE W JOHNSON
making turns at intersections, it will (sometimes) wobble so bad that it
sways my F350 Crew Cab, even at low speeds. It is a 'listing' type motion,
rather than a 'yawing', of about 10-15 degrees each side, in rapid
succession. If I stop, then continue, it still does it. The only thing
that ends the problem--until next time---is stopping & turning the steering
wheel lock-to-lock a couple of times. It has new had wheel bearings, new
ball joints & new shocks
installed; a new steering dampener; a brake & drum job; wheel balancing; and
steering box adjusted, all to no avail, trying to cure this.
It ONLY does it at 90-ish degree intersection turns; NOT everytime I turn;
does NOT matter whether I had to stop or not; doesn't matter whether it is a
right or left turn. Turning the steering lock-to-lock only once, and
recentering doesn't help; it has to be at least two complete sets, then
recenter.
Any other suggestions of what to check?
Thanks,
Clyde
Mel P.
I'm not sure how you towbar works, but it could be stressing the front end
at the turns which may 'pinch' the joints or linkages. When you turn it
the couple times it releases the 'pinches'. I've seen a similar problem
when you lift the front end and then bring it down. Until there is some
weight put on it don't settle into position.
I may be wrong, but I hope I at least spark some ideas.
Good luck
Mel P. (77 Bug in de-rusting)
CLYDE W JOHNSON <CLYDE_TH...@prodigy.net> wrote in article
<7bqmir$3tdc$1...@newssvr03-int.news.prodigy.com>...
CLYDE W JOHNSON
It is a straight stock 69 Type 1, stock rims all around, same size (stock)
rubber all around. This is a very ordinary little beastie in all respects,
that never used to do this. I may have described the motion poorly. It is
a rocking from side to side, like it is going to do a full roll-over, first
one side, then the other. Imagine running onto blocks with both wheels on
one side, then off, & onto another set on the opposite side.
The axle tube towbar is quite common here, or was when I bought it several
years ago to use on my 65.
I have changed trucks, and the new one is higher in the rear, so the
previous answer may have hit on it. I am going to try using a different
stinger on the receiver to lower the hitch ball height by about 4-6", and
see if it is a front end loading problem.
*
Clyde
Per Jørn Berg wrote in message <7c4rav$13s$1...@romeo.dax.net>...
>The type 1 was never designed to work with a axle tube tow-bar.This is a
>very American way of transporting a vehicle,probably not allowed in most
>Western country's either.But to the cause of your problem,do you run same
>size front and aft rims?If so,next question :has it been lovered up front?
>If so has the castor angle been adjustet to compensate for this? If so,have
>you made any alterations to the rear?Last go: are the rolling diametre the
>same for front and aft tires?Go thru this and you should be able to find
>your problem by the method of eliminnation.
>
>Joern Berg.
>
>--
>P.J.Berg
>Ph.# +47 22594552
>Fax.#+47 22569587
>Mob.#+47 905 67487
>E-mail: Berg...@c2i.net
>
>
Per Jørn Berg
VWdoc1
Are you slowing down before the turn or into the turn??
Slow down before the turn, keep the same speed during the turn or accelerate
while turning. Try this. Otherwise you will need more steering/turning
resistance on the towed vehicle.
dave
vwd...@aol.com
John Willis
type ones I've towed. What happens is the steering wheel goes from
lock to lock as the front wheels go first one direction and then the
other. I am not clear on why some cars exhibit this tendancy and
other do not as I've towed other type ones hundreds of miles with no
troubles at all. I assume it is something to do with the height of
the vehicles (towing and towed) relative to each other, some variable
in the front steering geometry in the towed vehicle, tire type and
inflation variables, tendancies of the driver of the towing vehicle,
not to mention the relative humidity :) I too just stop, get out,
turn the wheel of the type one I may be towing back and forth, hop
back into my truck and go on my way.
John.
On Fri, 5 Mar 1999 23:53:49 -0800, "CLYDE W JOHNSON"
<CLYDE_TH...@prodigy.net> wrote:
>I have a 69 Beetle, that I use an axle-tube type towbar with. After
>making turns at intersections, it will (sometimes) wobble so bad that it
>sways my F350 Crew Cab, even at low speeds. It is a 'listing' type motion,
>rather than a 'yawing', of about 10-15 degrees each side, in rapid
>succession. If I stop, then continue, it still does it. The only thing
>that ends the problem--until next time---is stopping & turning the steering
>wheel lock-to-lock a couple of times. It has new had wheel bearings, new
>ball joints & new shocks
>installed; a new steering dampener; a brake & drum job; wheel balancing; and
>steering box adjusted, all to no avail, trying to cure this.
>
>It ONLY does it at 90-ish degree intersection turns; NOT everytime I turn;
>does NOT matter whether I had to stop or not; doesn't matter whether it is a
>right or left turn. Turning the steering lock-to-lock only once, and
>recentering doesn't help; it has to be at least two complete sets, then
>recenter.
>
>Any other suggestions of what to check?
>
>Thanks,
>Clyde
>
>
>
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Willis
jdwi...@airmail.net
CLYDE W JOHNSON
>One question.........
>Are you slowing down before the turn or into the turn??
They are intersection turns, sometimes from a complete stop, other times
just a slow-down & turn.
Other times, it is when pulling onto the road from the driveway or a gas
station, etc.
Turns in the road itself, which I normally accelerate through, don't bother
it at all. It
also isn't consistent. After 4 turns including from a left from a complete
stop that didn't cause problems, I made one left turn from a stop, and it
did it. The next turn was a right, without stopping, and it did it. At the
next left (at a *STOP* sign), it didn't do it; nor did it do it at the next,
non-stop right; nor at the next (stop-&-turn) right. These were on the way
to the shop, to get some odds & ends done. I had it worked on--including
steering box adjust & dampner changed--and picked it up. It made it through
several intersections in town, but did it again coming out of a gas station,
and again at the next intersection right turn.
The several tight, near-90 'S' turns on the 6% hill between town & home
didn't bother
it all, going either direction.
I bought a new reciever stinger last night that has an additional 6" drop,
to see if the change in towing truck--the new one sits much higher in the
rear--is causing it, as I actually have to take a strain on the tow bar to
get the hitch on the ball now. Before, I only had to raise the hitch within
the normal travel limits of the bar to hook it up.
Thanks for the interest & feed-back.
Clyde
CLYDE W JOHNSON
Again, a notation about relative heights. This gives me renewed hope
the new, lower ball-height cures it. I won't find out for a while, as we're
leaving for a few weeks, and as the trailer goes with us this time, the
watch-beetle stays home. <G>
Clyde
John Willis wrote in message
<243012E3CF9773F6.7A270CD4...@library-proxy.airnews.ne
t>...