Changing the seat angle

Hi all,

New to the forum, recently picked up a low-mile vs car, had it about a week now. Loving the car, and very appreciative of all the info here.

A couple of questions:

Has anyone changed the angle of the seat back in their car? I love the speedster seats with the cutouts, but with the seat far enough back to allow good pedal access, I'm tilted so far away that I have to reach pretty far for the stick. I've already ordered a new short shift kit, which may help, but I still feel like I'm driving "in the hole."
Has anyone put spacers on the seat rail and changed the angle with any success?

Also, I'm getting a pretty good wobble at 65-70. I plan to have the wheels balanced first, but if that doesn't work, are these cars sensitive to alignment?


Thanks,

PF

Look and see if there are any spacers already under the front ends of the seat tracks. If so, maybe you can try removing them.

I used a piece of 1x1" oak side-to-side under the rear seat tracks on my CMC. This makes the VW floor pan flat vs sunken down in rear. How about a longer or bent shifter?

Alignment (Caster) affect return of steering wheel back to straight on after a turn (and twitchiness). Caster is affected by lowering the front end with beam adjusters. CIP1 and others sell caster shims to correct this. Wobble is most likely balancing, a bent rim or loose/worn wheel bearings.

I used poly bushings to change mine.

Paul re: "wobble"

Could be a bunch of things. Bent rim, loose bearings, loose tie rod ends, loose pitman arm clamp, but most often it's in the wheels/tires. Either a wheel is bent or out of balance or a tire is slightly out of round (or has tread separation). Before you take it to an alignment shop (which is always a good idea with a new-to-you car) have somebody check the wheels for straightness, the tires for roundness and then get them all balanced, preferably with a "Road Force Balancer". This is a machine that pushes on the wheel/tire with a roller while balancing the assembly to make it all more accurate. Lots of shops have them, just ask.

THEN get a good, 4-wheel alignment on it. Try to find someone who knows old VW beetle sedan alignments - they'll know what to do. Also tell them to add 2 or 3 degrees of positive caster over the stock spec - you need that because it's been lowered and that will make it track better at higher speeds.

Do all that and it should run a like a new car.

gn

Here's how to check for out-of-round wheels or spindle wobble problems:

Jack up one corner of the car until one wheel is just off the road and can rotate free. A dial indicator is the correct tool, but here is an alternate tool for free.

Set up some sort of simple pointer (wood dowel, thin metal rod, whatever) so it is pointing at the wheel rim, but aligned at ninety degrees to the wheel (parallel to wheel axis). Secure the pointer to a stand (be creative) so it almost touches the wheel. Slowly rotate the wheel and tire by hand. Make note of high or low spots as indicated by the pointer. Use a red crayon to mark the wheel. This will tell you if a wheel and tire are "wobbling" left to right as it rotates.
Now move your pointer so it is aligned to point to the center of the tire, perpendiculaar to the tire tread. Slowly rotate the wheel and tire and observe any high or low spots. This would be an "out-of-round" condition.

Repeat for each wheel. This costs nothing but your time and you'll have a some info when you talk to the alignment shop.

Even if these tests indicate nothing obvious, a proper front end alignment - and rear allignment if you have IRS - can have a LARGE effect on vehicle handling. I had a custom front beam made and the difference before and after front alignment was HUGE! Enjoy.

Thanks for the replies.

The car only has 500miles (well, now 600), so I'm hoping it is just a wheel/tire balance issue. I have an appt scheduled for a road force balance already. If that does not solve my issues, I will proceed with an alignment.

PO put front and rear sway bars on, could have affected the alignment I'm guessing.

Hoping my csp shifter arrives soon, will install and see if the reach is better (I know the shift action will be at least)

Sway bars shouldn't affect - doubt builders spend much time on alignment when they build car. IMHO Worth the $75 for a proper alignment.

The CSP will be a definite improvement if for no other reason than that the throws aren't as long. The crisp, precise action is kinda nice, too.

A lot of modern cars have tyre pressures all round of 30 PSI. The Speedster as per a Bug only needs 18 PSI at the front and 27 PSI at the back. If you do put 30 PSI all round in a Speedster, it does some VERY odd things! Don't ask how I know this.............

Weight at the front, I guess?

Regards, Mike