If there is too much play in the centre position in the spindle or roller steering box and the adjusting bolt is already screwed in to the max so that heavy the steering wheel rotates heavily, the steering box is worn out. Overhaul is a solution, but due to the difficulty of obtaining separate parts for the steering box and the high level of knowledge required to do the job, we recommend a brand new box to mount, which is not only better but also much cheaper. The steering boxes mentioned here are new and are delivered without mounting material and/or mounting brackets, you will have to reuse them or if possible order them in addition. The Vanagon steering box is equipped with power steering, if your Volkswagen Bus is not equipped with this function, you will have to overhaul the ols steering box, as no new boxes of this type are yet available.
Types of steering boxes :
With the old Beetle and Karmann Ghia, we are talking about the spindle drive, which was then changed to a roller drive. Later, the Beetle 1303 and the Vanagon used the rack-and-pinion steering. It is important to know what is under your car, here is the full explanation:
Volkswagen used spindle steering for the Beetle until 1965 and for the Karmann Ghia until 1961. The steering box is equipped with a toothed fork (spindle) that rotates around an axis (worm screw) for rotational movement. In the last years of construction, the roller control was used; similarly, only the tooth spindle was replaced by a roller with bearings (worm wheel). Since 1974, the Beetle 1303, like the third generation of Buses (T25/T3 Vanagon), has been equipped with a rack-and-pinion steering system. It is a rectangular rod with teeth on one side like a gear. With the pinion, a small pinion that intervenes in the gearing, the rod can be moved lengthwise. Volkswagen did not implement this change for all models simultaneously, so we have listed below for which model which VW system was used.
Spindle steering (sector type):
Convertible Beetle until 1961 (VIN 3 933 184 )
Export Beetle until 1961 (VIN 4 236 756 )
Beetle for the domestic market (standard model) until 7/1965
Karmann Ghia until 1961 (VIN 3 933 184 )
Roller steering (roller type):
Beetle convertible from 1961 (VIN 3 933 185 ) to 7/1974
Beetle for export from 1961 (VIN 4 236 757 ) and later
Beetle 1200-1300-1500 from 8/1965 and more
Beetle 1302 and 1303 to 7/1974
Karmann Ghia from 1961 (VIN 3 933 185 ) and later
VW Bus until 7/1979
Type 3 all models and years of construction
Kübel all models and years of construction
Rack and pinion steering:
Beetle 1303 from 8/1974 and later
Vanagon (all years of construction)
Note : For the years of construction of Beetles and Karmann Ghia's until 7.1965 inclusive with spindle steering, steering box 01368 can be used provided that the steering lever is also replaced by a conversion lever 04347 or 04354 .
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