Tie rod ends take two.

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hambone
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Re: Tie rod ends take two.

Post by hambone » Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:37 am

Jeez what a mess. Sometimes a shop just has the right tools and experience. Front end work beyond tie rods is a complex sitch.
I think Colin just spit out his coffee...
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Amskeptic
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Re: Tie rod ends take two.

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:39 pm

vdubyah73 wrote:just jack the bus up so the wheel is only far enough off the floor to get a good size bar under it. 3' or 4' piece of pipe works. Push pipe under wheel an pry up while someone that knows what they are looking at watches for movement. Colin doesn't like my method.
I use your method for every car except dual trailing arm torsion bars as found on old air-cooled VWs and Auto Union race cars from the mid-late 30's.

You have to get each arm individually "immobilized" or they work in concert with each other and you will not be seeing ball joints unloading.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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ruckman101
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Re: Tie rod ends take two.

Post by ruckman101 » Thu Jun 09, 2011 6:20 pm

Onward through the fog. I'm leaning towards having a shop do the work. One, I can afford it. Two, they have the proper tools and much more experience than I. Three, time. Is the $300 in labor worth it? If I tackle it, there is the down time for the car that is a needed driver at this point, and hitting snafus, missing bits I don't realize I need until I get there, parts runs, including driving the torsion arms to and from the shop, add to all that an alignment job, and $300 starts sounding cost effective just to get it done, and done right. Peace of mind.

But I would like to ascertain myself, confirm, that indeed it is what is needed, and if indeed I am able to make that confirmation, should I replace shocks and steering dampener under that same assumption that parts of a vintage are or will be due to be replaced anyway and just get it all over with in one fell wallet emptying swoop?

In the meantime, I'll continue to peruse and ponder the sit ye a shun. Thanks all for all the advice/info. It gives me a much less foggy base to peruse and ponder from.


neal
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Amskeptic
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Re: Tie rod ends take two.

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:23 am

ruckman101 wrote:should I replace shocks and steering dampener under that same assumption that parts of a vintage are or will be due to be replaced anyway and just get it all over with in one fell wallet emptying swoop?
No. Test them. Remove an end from each and check for smooth resistance through their entire range of travel. If they check out, keep them. If they feel lumpy or weak, replace them. Steering box is a critical place to ensure proper VW steering. Oil to the fill hole, adjusted to slight slight resistance at exact actual center point of steering box travel.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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ruckman101
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Re: Tie rod ends take two.

Post by ruckman101 » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:29 pm

Could bad ball joints cause a shimmy? I seem to have a very slight one seemingly at all speeds since putting the inner tie-rods in.


neal
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Amskeptic
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Re: Tie rod ends take two.

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:56 am

ruckman101 wrote:Could bad ball joints cause a shimmy? I seem to have a very slight one seemingly at all speeds since putting the inner tie-rods in.


neal
No. Shimmy is caused by tires/wheel balance. Worn components only exacerbate the symptoms. Worn shocks can cause shimmy over time as wheel oscillates too much over bumps, this causes cupping and balance issues that give rise to shimmy.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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ruckman101
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Location: Up next to a volcano.
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Re: Tie rod ends take two.

Post by ruckman101 » Tue Jun 21, 2011 4:50 pm

Shimmy was probably from alignment slightly off after I replaced inner tie-rods. Just barely noticeable. Gone now. New ball joints. Needed. I went with the only shop I called for estimates that asked about the quality of replacement ball joints I might want, cost-effective, or quality.


neal
The slipper has no teeth.

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