New tires, now pulls to the left

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sped372
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New tires, now pulls to the left

Post by sped372 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:07 am

So I got a good deal on four new rims and tires from craigslist (for the beetle). I swapped them this weekend and now the last remnants of the infamous Super shimmy are gone. :cheers:

However, I now have a definite pull to the left. I'm perplexed as it sure doesn't seem like just changing wheels and tires should cause this. Pressures are ok, no brakes are hanging up. Could I have had a loose alignment adjustment somewhere that just decided to slide when I jacked up? Thoughts? What to check?
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BellePlaine
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Post by BellePlaine » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:21 am

Why did the last guy sell them? :geek:

Have you taken the rims/tires to a shop to see if they are bent?
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Post by Sylvester » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:31 am

I had a bent rim on my 72 Gremlin back in the 80's. I know, flashback, but it would pull in one direction and wobble the car above 65. It can do strange things, get them checked.

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sped372
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Post by sped372 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:53 am

They aren't bent, as I have no wobble. The last guy sold them cause he decided to go baja. They're new (not just new to me) tires and new rims.
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hambone
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Post by hambone » Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:07 am

Check for incorrect bearing play, worn steering parts, or brake adjustment (both wheels). Does this happen when braking?
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Randy in Maine
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Post by Randy in Maine » Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:23 am

What happens when you swap them left to right?
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sped372
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Post by sped372 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:25 am

Randy in Maine wrote:What happens when you swap them left to right?
This was going to be my next test.

Braking doesn't seem to affect it... and as I mentioned above the brakes aren't hanging up. I'm perplexed.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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Post by vdubyah73 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:28 am

to check for bent rims jack up, place something heavy next to tire and spin. watch the tiny gap between tire and heavy object as wheel spins. a 2 pound hammer or a brick works.
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sped372
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Post by sped372 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:15 am

vdubyah73 wrote:to check for bent rims jack up, place something heavy next to tire and spin. watch the tiny gap between tire and heavy object as wheel spins. a 2 pound hammer or a brick works.
Maybe I'm missing something. A bent rim causes vibration and shimmying, no? That's why I ditched my last set. They weren't able to completely balance out the rims due to the fact that they were "bent".

A constant pull in one direction couldn't be caused by a bent rim, correct? The new setup does not exhibit any shimmying, just the constant pull. It's more noticeable the faster I drive. Barely noticeable in town, a moderate amount of pressure down the highway. I can actually tell that I'm holding the steering wheel in a slightly new position to the right to compensate (and it doesn't want to stay there on its own).
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1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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Post by dtrumbo » Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:32 am

I'll toss this stinker out. Is it possible the front-end alignment was mis-adjusted in order to compensate for the bent-wheel induced shimmy? Now that you have true wheels on the vehicle, the alignment is off? Just a guess, let the flames begin.
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sped372
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Post by sped372 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:47 am

dtrumbo wrote:I'll toss this stinker out. Is it possible the front-end alignment was mis-adjusted in order to compensate for the bent-wheel induced shimmy? Now that you have true wheels on the vehicle, the alignment is off? Just a guess, let the flames begin.
That thought occurred to me as well.
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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