if it drifts right......
and toe-in is about right ...........just a tiny bit toe-in static.
( suspension has to be settled of course, to measure that. Ideally I like to
stop the van on smoth pavement after driving forward, and stopping with the
parking brake )

but if toe is about right, look for too much positive camber on the right
side,
( or too much negative on the left )
The tires leaning ( camber ) ........they want to go which way they lean.

so if stock is say a tiny bit negative camber, equal on both sides
..............
if the right one say, is leaned out a bit more than the left.........that'll
make it drift or pull right.

toe and camber are easy to measure and adjust ( and they affect each other
too - be careful there )
castor is trickier, but check camber on both sides now,
and make which ever side seems the most 'out' toward ties leaning left a
little.......in  tiny increments .

if it drifts right, I tend to look for too much positive camber on the
right, or not enough negative camber on the right. ....point is, I think
about the right more, if that's the direction it wants to drift or pull to.
scott
turbovans

----- Original Message -----
From: "neil N" <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2009 9:47 PM
Subject: Trying To Understand Tie rod Adjustments

> Hi all.
>
> In partially rebuilding my '81 Westy front end, I:
>
> - swapped out lower control arms, one tie rod, and a radius arm.
> - transferred # of turns form old tie rod to new. Double checked by
> measuring from inner end
>  of threads to face of new tie rod adjusting nut with calipers.
> - transferred inner nut position from old damaged radius rod to new one.
>
> Prior to work, it tracked straight. Now it drifts to the right. Not
> drastically, but at highway speeds I let go of the wheel, it starts
> drifting at end of 1 second count.
>
> I understand toe in. Front portion of each tire points in a *little*
> like snow plow skiing. What I don't get is if one tire can be
> straight, and another pointing in or out.
>
> Could drift be due to a tie rod being too "long" thus positioning a
> wheel in or out when compared to the other wheel? If so, is this a
> separate alignment parameter?
>
> In my case, is the goal is to get each wheel straight, then adjust toe
> in. Am I on the right track?
>
> Neil.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines