Thanks guys. It's pretty scary when I go over about 30mph and I'm swerving all over the road! Think I'll take it to my local garage and ask them to check the wheel alignment and camber. I'll check the tyre pressures too.
Is it worse over bumps? Only one I ever drove that was scary at 30mph, the ball joints had been fitted the wrong way round. Did your garage change ball joints for the MOT and are they a normal garage or an air-cooled specialist one?
Won't be that then Take it back? As it passed MOT, yet is really bad, I think it's got to be tracking/camber/tyres.
I had the play in balljoints advisory last january on Major - but the steering was nowhere near as bad on ours as yours. However, we replaced the whole suspension, steering arms, dampers, brakes all round & the tracking & camber was way way out & did drive like it wanted to throw you into the nearest hedge bottom (it really was scary on a motorway). Absolute VW set the camber front & rear, set the wheel alignment and tracking & hit handles superb - and seems to go a bit better than before - I even went over 70mph!! Worth getting the geometry checked out Mr Bear!!
Check the damper, Tilly drifted quite badly, I changed the steering idler but when I took the damper off it was more decorative than useful, changed and did over 1700 miles in Germany and even the draughts from the trucks on the autobahn didn't shift her. I agree an under body check while someone wiggles the steering would not go amiss. Steering mounting bolts, free play, excessive track rod movement, play in swivels all the usual stuff. Excess track adjustment would be easy to spot by tyres feathering. Good luck
Thanks all. Will get geometry and camber checked asap, will also check the damper. I'll let you know how I get on. I was hoping to drive to the beach at the weekend but I don't think I take the swervey ride!
Here's the results from the geometry test - seems better but not been anywhere to get up to 30-40 mph yet to really test it out. Going by your experiences - was the geometry way out? Guy at the garage (just local - not aircooled specialist) said its still got some play, but it's just because of the age of the van, and it may need a new steering box. Never too sure whether to trust their word if they don't deal with a lot of bays.
If you're drifting all over the place, check the points earlier in the thread: balljoints, idler pin, steering box.
It's a pity they didn't set the front camber right! That's a problem. If you have one +ve and one -ve you will drift to one side. When you apply a little steering to straighten up it'll do nothing until you apply a little more, then shoot across the road as if you overdid it. Sound familiar? Also the toe in wasn't far out in the first place - they've made that worse. They've done bugger all to the back - just measured on a different part of the wheel - wheels are never quite straight. Verdict - FAIL Look for a garage where they race bangers or the like at the weekend (usually one sat on a trailer somewhere). These chaps will be more use - they'll have old style camber and tracking guages and actually know how to set it on an old vehicle. Your chosen garage didn't have the figures so they guessed, or they're just not up to the job. Your settings aren't wildly out though apart from front camber). My guess is a pair of front tyres wouldn't go amiss once you get the alignment right.
