Itinerant Air-Cooled

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.

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?

Why did the last guy sell them?

Have you taken the rims/tires to a shop to see if they are bent?

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.

Gremlins rule!



[/Hijack complete]

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.

Check for incorrect bearing play, worn steering parts, or brake adjustment (both wheels). Does this happen when braking?

What happens when you swap them left to right?

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.