On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 11:05:05 -0600 John Benedetto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Aside from what's already been said - key on, steering wheel unlocked, I > have one thing to comment on, that I would love some collaboration on: at > slow speeds, especially just when starting from a stop, both front wheels > on the beetle would do this horrible shimmy-shimmy-shake that really > freaked me out! It only lasted seconds, but the first time it happened to > me, I slammed on the brakes, and walked around and around, double-checking > everything, trying to figure out what was wrong... Not normal. Bad steering damper. Be glad you didn't hit any holes bad enough to slam the beetle wheels to full stop left or right while driving at high speed. When I first got the bus it would do that if it's wheels were turned a bit as I pulled away or if I was starting our with the lead vehicle turned. The only way to make it stop was to come to a full stop then ease forward about a car length to center the steering wheels. It made pulling out of a few parking lots very "interesting". Centrifugal force on the tires keeps them spinning "straight" (no shimmy) at higher speeds unless an immovable obstacle (like a good sized hole) intervenes and suddenly points them another direction. It stopped doing it completely, regardless of how I start out, after I replaced the steering damper. Gerald _______________________________________________ vintagvw site list [email protected] http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
