suspension set up

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by andyv, Oct 30, 2019.

  1. For your consideration, this is what I got when I had my suspension aligned yesterday. A while back I put it back to stock height and have noticed tyre wear on the back. They say this as close to correct alignment they can get. I suspect it might involve rotating the spring plates to improve on it. What do you think? IMG_1458.JPG
     
  2. Pudelwagen

    Pudelwagen Supporter

    Silly question but are your tyre pressures correct?
     
  3. It's not so silly. I did check them maybe two months ago, before my trip to Wales, but it's worth another look.
     
  4. bluerustybucket

    bluerustybucket Supporter

  5. Yes it's the numbers I'm concerned about, as I can see my settings aren't optimal, but it does seem to drive better.
     
  6. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    Front camber needs tweaking as that setup will try to drive in a big circle. Same both sides is needed.

    Rear is probably correct if stock. It is designed to twist so that as the body rolls compressing one side of the rear suspension the camber changes, effectively tucking the top of the outside tyre in towards the body and the inner one outwards, so the bus sits square on the tyres when you corner at a reasonable speed.
    If your bus is lowered, as mine is, that top-in camber caused by going down splines makes it difficult to run a rear tyre for anything like its full wear life as it rapidly takes off the inside edge of the tread at stock pressures..

    I am currently running 45 psi on my 50 psi rated rear tyres to try and slow the inevitable wear by deliberately inflating them harder than normal.
     
    bluerustybucket and andyv like this.
  7. bluerustybucket

    bluerustybucket Supporter

    Mike do you know why they say positive camber in the front ? I understand the negative on the rear but why positive up front ?


    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
     
  8. Makes the steering lighter.
    Campers usually have a difference in camber at the rear, more negative depending on which side the furniture is, but your rear toe needs to be adjusted as well which will be more the cause of the tyre wear.
     
    andyv and bluerustybucket like this.
  9. Rather than hijacking the thread on steering dampers, I thought I’d revive this. Following advice I’ve kept the tyres well pumped up, but they’ve still continued to wear. Last year I got a new ball joint fitted and the front alignment checked, but the wear continued. Once tyres start to wear it’s hard to know whether you’ve put a halt to it.

    Not long ago I was given a free set of steel wheels with winter tyres. I had the wheels powder coated and the winter tyres put back on and balanced. The original tyres are still legal but unevenly worn, so I might just get a new set, but I need to be sure the suspension is aligned right.

    You can see the results from when the set up was aligned in 2019. Nothing seems to have come out quite right. It’s almost like it’s had a shunt sometime, though you can’t see anything amiss.
     
    Huyrob likes this.
  10. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Have you fixed (at the vey least) the RH rear wheel tracking? 3 degs! Does it squeal like the sweeny when you corner?

    The place that couldn't do the rear I don't blame them, it's not straightforward, but you know that as you put it back to stock height. Seriously, just looking at your bus from behind it must be obviously out of whack. You could guess it better than that!
     
  11. You can't see anything seriously amiss, though I just checked and the right hand rear arch is 1 cm higher than the left. I've put that down to the weight of the cabinets on the left. It doesn't squeal round corners.
    I'm hoping that Lasty's contact in Leeds will be able to sort this out. Clearly a conventional tyre shop's not up to the job.
     
  12. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    I'm surprised... if those readings are correct. I wish I still had the paperwork but one day I visited 2 laser alignment places just to see what they reckoned. I also have my own Dunlop tracking gauges. Both places came up with wildly different results and were both a mile out from my gauges ( which cannot lie). So... I don't have any faith in laser alignment places. Good luck at Lasty's place but I doubt they'll adjust the rears for you.
     
  13. I've just spent a couple of hours trying to get my head round the chart above. The front wheels have three sets of figures going across the page. Similarly the back wheels. These I take to be toe in (or toe out). What I've taken to be camber and caster are given in degrees and minutes, but I assume toe in/out is millimetres. Up front the figure is +1.4 and I'm guessing this is a 1.4 mm toe in so the back of the tyres are 1.4 mm further apart than the front. Similarly the rears are toeing out 3.5 mm, but the chart seems to think both 1.4 and 3.5 are good numbers, though not so the numbers either side. The camber's not good either.

    You can see why I need somebody to do this properly.
     
    Lasty likes this.
  14. Do the rears really need sorting ??
    My rears have never needed adjustment , not perfect but near enough not to be scrubbing off tyres and that's good enough for me . I'd get the fronts done and go from there....

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
     
    andyv, nicktuft and snotty like this.
  15. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Maybe when Andy raised it he lost track of setting, or maybe whoever lowered it did and Andy scribed the carrier/spring plate and copied the error. As ALL his tyres are wearing it seems likely that the rear shown on his readout is correct?
     
    andyv likes this.
  16. Sorry, I didn't read the full post - he's got 2 posts going at once ...

    Fronts are do-able at the tyre place , rears - not so sure they'd be willing to spend hours twiddling around but gotta be worth asking their advice and maybe show willing by making sure it'll all move and make things easier , that'll get em interested if it's a slow day !!

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
     
    andyv likes this.
  17. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Absolutely, they'll be at least able to measure the rear tracking and advise - I can do that with my Dunlop gauges. What I can't do is measure whether as a pair of wheels they are actually in line with the van if you see what I mean.
     
    andyv and Lasty like this.
  18. Most tyre places will find it hard to understand how to adjust our old vehicles especially when there is usually only one adjustable track rod. On your front I suggest setting the right hand side camber first by adjusting the eccentric cone on the top trailing link knuckle joint then reassess toe in which should be 0 to 3.3mm measured at the wheel rim. Unfortunately their starting point is steering wheel spokes perpendicular to centreline, hence toe in is not evenly split left and right. But we can remove steering wheels and rotate to better aligned splines when the toe in and camper are good. Its probably a good idea to rotate the rear torsion bar splines on one side to level the van. Gap between arch and top of tyre is a good guide but try ground to gutter as well. The manuals say rear camber and toe in can be adjusted by loosening the 4 bolts that clench the spring plate twixt hub and diagonal arm. The elongated holes certainly allow adjustment of toe in but not much scope for camber correction, both adjustments are difficult without VW special tool or some imaginative levers. The rear camber seems well out so have a look at the bushes that attach the diagonal arms to the rear beam. Hope you can find a garage experienced with T2's.
     
    andyv and Zed like this.

Share This Page