Slop in steering wheel

Hey gang, when my 2002 Vintage speedster is just sitting I have noticed quite a bit of slop in the steering play. Is this normal or a easy fix? I know this a broad question but just checking your brilliant minds for solutions.

Thanks


Russ

i believe on top of the steering box is a large nut, loosen it and turn the flat bladed screw clockwise until it firms up.

How do I get access to the steering box?

I drilled a hole near battery and use a plastic plug to seal it. Very difficult to get to from below. Did you check the rubber rag joint first?

on my car it was just there, no big deal to get to. i checked the 90w oil inside and took off the grounding wire and cleaned it up good.

I just went through with this... I tried tightening up the screw, which in fact makes the steering shaft tighter, but the same amount of slop. My screw was pretty far down inside that jam nut. I planned on buying a new box, so I ran the screw down as tight as I could get it...... No change. I bought a new TRW box from CIP1, what a pleasant difference!

Russ,

There are two adjustments on your steering box. One makes a general adjustment across the steering range, and the other, while it varies the overall effect, does more to subdue fore and aft movement of the steering column (which also effects steering wheel play). BOTH adjustments can be made without making any holes in the body. OK access holes might help, but they're not absolutely necessary. For the adjuster in front, just make a wrench from a piece of 1-1/4" flat metal stock with the last 3/8" bent at 90 degrees so you can use it as a lever. A plumber's adjustable drain Wrench should loosen the big locknut there, too.

Before you go ahead with adjustments (some of which are made at steering wheel center and others made at the left and right extremes), please, get a good VW service manual and read how to do this properly. It'll save you a lot of grief.

Being a complete mechanical numbskull, photos of all suggestions on this site would be, oh, so helpful. I know it's asking a lot but illustrating or photo depicting really would go a long ways for me to better understand many of the things discussed. But then, I know, if you can't get a wrench or screw driver in there, how's a camera gonna fit? Thanks in advance.

If the car was new in 2002, and has under 25,000 mi. on it, I would reccomend trying to tighten the clamp bolt on the pitman arm first...... The splines at this connection seem to work loose after the initial install and require a re- torquing..... I usually use 18 inch pipe over a 1/2 drive breaker bar and all the "umph" I can apply.... Even if it moves only one flat, it will cause an improvement.... Easy to get to also....

Richard; I repeat: "Before you go ahead with adjustments (some of which are made at steering wheel center and others made at the left and right extremes), please, get a good VW service manual and read how to do this properly. It'll save you a lot of grief."

The biggest reason for getting a VW service manual will be that all of the pictures you're looking for are not only there, but have instructions to go along with them.

Bentley's, Haynes, Chilton's - they're all good. Look at cip1.com or mid-america auto parts for these manuals or even "Rob and Dave's Aircooled Volkswagen Pages" for something on-line.

After all, everything underneath the skin is still an old VW Beetle.

Besides......when we're under there trying to adjust the damn thing, the last thing we're gonna be doing is taking pictures (well, maybe Lane would be taking pictures, but then, that's Lane.)

Safety:
Be sure that you kow what you are doing adjusting a steering box, you can create a tight binding box that is unsafe at any speed..
Also check the crush cage condition for rust and or hairline cracks, check the rag joint condition and all fittings too..

Might want to check for a loose pitman arm clamping bolt. Even a schose loose creates slop in the steering.

~WB

The manual sounds like a plan, sort of impolite of me to ask you guys to do al my research for me...to the bookstore I go.

Rich-a good library may have what you need (our county library has good resources)...

Scott, thanks, but I should just really have one of these on hand. Especially since I am such a numbskull.

Bentley is probably the best, although I have several.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/withoutguesswork.php

Official VW specs at this site. Good thing to have in your library.

Greg