SOS!!! GOLF MK3 - CAMBER & CASTER - HELP!!!

[GTank1]

Hi all and merry Christmas to those celerbrating and those who are not...just a hello!

NOW THEN! Please please could any one help??!! I drive a Golf MK3 TDi and a couple of years ago there was a lot of 'play' in the steering and after numerous opinions and adjustments e.g. new tyres, tracking, hub investigation etc etc it turned out that there was a bearing on its way out (front - and how obvious with all the noise!) and the 'CAMBER' alignment was 'out'. This was then put right by VW.

3 years on and I had both front bearings changed (couple of days ago) and the Camber is out again because the mechanic did not mark it up before repairs and there are not many places who set up 'Camber' alignment besides 'have your pants down VW'!

Does any one have any advice on Camber alignment specialists in the North West of England or the correct 'readings' for a Golf MK3 as I hear my tyreman has invested in some gauges and I'd rather him tackle it if he can then VW who want to drain me even more during this CrEdIt CrUnCh!!!

Please, ...any one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Edited by GTank1 on Thursday 18th December 20:53

Edited by GTank1 on Thursday 18th December 20:54

[bertelli_1]

You can buy a camber gauge for 20 quid and do it yourself in half an hour. I don't know any companies in your area but try ringing a few local garages (not just vw specialists), I'm sure one will be able to adjust it for you.

[hman]

any proper tyre specialist will be able to do a camber adjustment, or try a body repair shop - some have geometry checking set ups

[ski808]

Dont mean to aggravate with irrelevant replies - but this very much serves the problem I face at the moment: Did you have to changes the race/racer(s) (that fit before the bearings) whilst doing your bearing job? I had mine done with no knowledge of these 'racer' bits, a horrible grinding noise came immediately as a result, later on read about it over blogs, and now need a little more validation before I have a go at it again. Do bearing replacements require the racers to be replaced too?

Thanks in advance!

[Olly]

Any decent independent garage should be able to do this for you.

These are the details for a Mk3 TDI (AHU engine code, although I'd imagine all TDis are the same)

Load positioning : Unladen
Fuel tank - percentage full : 100%
Toe-in(N=negative, toe-out) mm : 0+-1
Toe-in deg : 0° +- 10'
Toe-in deg-1/100 : 0 +- 0.17
Camber deg : 0°30'N +- 20'
Camber deg-1/100 : 0,50N +- 0,33
Castor deg : 1°45' +- 30'
Castor deg-1/100 : 1,75 +- 0,50
Castor Adjustment : Not possible

[drnick]

would these settings above be the same as those for a mk3 golf gti 16v? as was going to have ago at adjusting my camber.

[Olly]

No - but I'll post back later with the 16V settings for you....

[drnick]

thanks mate! where would the best place to get a half decent camber gauge be? seen them on ebay but are they any good?

[Olly]

Sorry, my laptop (where I keep all this stuff) has fallen flat on it's face & I'm struggling to get anything useful out of it !

I'll update this as soon as I can, or PM me & I'll reply directly as well.....

[Olly]

These are the details for a Mk3 16V (ABF engine code)

Load positioning : Unladen
Fuel tank - percentage full : 100%
Toe-in(N=negative, toe-out) mm : 0+-1
Toe-in deg : 0° +- 10'
Toe-in deg-1/100 : 0 +- 0.17
Camber deg : 0°40'N +- 20'
Camber deg-1/100 : 0,67N +- 0,33
Castor deg : 3°25' +- 30'
Castor deg-1/100 : 3,42 +- 0,50
Castor Adjustment : Not possible