Author Topic: whats the standard wheelbase?  (Read 11621 times)

Offline hayesey

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whats the standard wheelbase?
« on: June 28, 2008, 07:15:37 pm »
does any one knoe, or can any one measure, the wheel base of a standard-ish polo?  By this I mean the measurement between the centre of the rear wheels to the centre of the front wheels?  I want to know how far off standard my castor angle is.

cheers,
Paul.

Offline Max

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Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2008, 07:26:22 pm »
[quote pid=2023 author=hayesey date=1214676937]does any one knoe, or can any one measure, the wheel base of a standard-ish polo?  By this I mean the measurement between the centre of the rear wheels to the centre of the front wheels?  I want to know how far off standard my castor angle is.

cheers,
Paul.[/quote]

its in the broshure if you look on club polo. if your fitting a subframe make sure your rear axel is straight. I set my wheelbase equal although I have since discovered the rear axel is not straight. Need to find a good refernce point on the chasis if you know one
edit - Its giorgio not max
« Last Edit: June 28, 2008, 07:26:42 pm by Max »

Offline hayesey

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Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2008, 12:45:50 pm »
Anyone?  just need a ball-park figure, surely someone on here owns a tape measure :)

Offline giorgio

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Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2008, 04:24:23 pm »
[quote pid=2102 author=hayesey date=1214912750]Anyone?  just need a ball-park figure, surely someone on here owns a tape measure :)[/quote]

i set mine to 234cm

Its 231cm from factory
« Last Edit: July 01, 2008, 04:28:24 pm by giorgio »

Offline hayesey

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Re: Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2008, 06:01:54 pm »
hmm I measured mine at 92 1/2" which is 235cm so doesn't seem far off really.  The wheels seem pretty far forward in the arches though and I'm out of adjustment on the subframe struts.

Offline giorgio

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2008, 06:21:52 pm »
[quote pid=2117 author=hayesey date=1214931714]hmm I measured mine at 92 1/2" which is 235cm so doesn't seem far off really.  The wheels seem pretty far forward in the arches though and I'm out of adjustment on the subframe struts.[/quote]


The way pete says to set up the frame, measuring wheelbase, relies on your rear axel being perfectly square. After you have finished check the angle of the strut tops in the engine bay. My wheelbase is spot on equal although the the strut tops are sitting on different angles.

proper 4 wheel alignment is the only way. I am just still unable to find a rear reference point to set the rear axle straight

When you say out of adjustment do you mean that you ran out of thread to adjust the rose joints? I had the same problem and ended up winding one back in.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2008, 06:24:14 pm by giorgio »

Offline hayesey

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2008, 07:24:13 pm »
yeah no more thread left on the rose joints.

Offline giorgio

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2008, 07:31:28 pm »
[quote pid=2122 author=hayesey date=1214936653]yeah no more thread left on the rose joints.[/quote]

I never measured the length of my threads although I am sure the details will be on the rally-design website.I think this is poor design/manufacturing.


Am I right in thinking you can set your car to stock castor with the subframe? Best bet is speak to da Yoof

Offline hayesey

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2008, 07:52:58 pm »
the threads on mine aren't long enough to set to stock castor.  I don't see where manufacturing quality comes into it though, just could do with rose joints with longer threads on.  I guess since these were originally designed with cup cars in mind they didn't want stock castor angles.

Offline giorgio

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2008, 08:26:17 pm »
[quote pid=2125 author=hayesey date=1214938378]the threads on mine aren't long enough to set to stock castor.  I don't see where manufacturing quality comes into it though, just could do with rose joints with longer threads on.  I guess since these were originally designed with cup cars in mind they didn't want stock castor angles.[/quote]

Mine sit very far forward, not got an angle but I would like the flexibility to change if I wanted.

Might be a design issue rather than a manufacturing issue. If your reading this pete/henry do you have and number to throw into the discussion. Wheelbase, possible alteration to wheelbase. Castor Angles etc.

Are you finding that the wheel scrubs on the strut? Might just be my offset wheels thats causing it <_<
« Last Edit: July 01, 2008, 08:26:39 pm by giorgio »

Offline hayesey

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2008, 09:06:44 pm »
no my wheel doesn't scrub the strut, castor angle isn't going to be anything to do with that.  sounds like wrong offset wheels.

Offline Yoof

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: whats the standard wheelbase?
« Reply #11 on: July 02, 2008, 12:32:58 pm »
I'll dig out measurements that I did on mine at the weekend for you Haysey- like you say an increased castor angle is the aim, although you can't quite revert back to a stock one (not sure why you'd want to really) you should be able to get fairly close, again dependant on the state of your chassis/ bushes.

Only time I'd had scrubbing on the front is with my drag slicks on some 14x7s on a high offset  :P

Offline hayesey

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to be fair I think my 10mm spacers don't help the scrubbing issues.  I need to take some metal off the front arches.

I#m not wanting a stock castor angle but was a bit concerned that IO've had to adjust it as far as it'll go back to avoid the wheels catching the front of the arch and back of the bumper sides.

The main thing is the steering is a bit crazy in low speed maneuvers but it's probably more down to camber and tracking.   Are you in your G this weekend yoofington?

Offline Yoof

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I will be indeed  :nerd:

Offline Tav

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So setting the rear axle square...surely just a case of making sure the toe in/out the same on each rear wheel since the axel is fixed?