Not only you are a good fabricator, but also a good tech and teacher. awesome Joe.

Thank you Professor Div! This is the best explanation of caster shims I’ve seen in the 35+ years of working on VWs. Especially if the lowered VDub pan is still level. The visual model makes is so obvious, almost a facepalm 🤦 moment! Cheers brother!!

Great lesson of simple car geometrics. Should be clear for everyone now. Thanks for taking as along Div.

Div.... I often think how you would have made an awesome vo- tech teacher. 👍 Someday I hope you share your story of living in the states.

I think the boss is happy with the progress! When I set the caster on my T speedster, I read everything I could, drew some pictures, thought about it for days, and then proceeded to screw it up... Then I redid it... now it's fine. Cheers from the shed

Who takes time to explain all these things. again awesome job.

Looking forward the body to be on floor pan 👍😄

Mate, what a fantastic explanation of how it all works. I have read many hi-tech books, and you are better than any of them. Great job.

Nicely busted that myth! It´s called parallelogram for a reason :) Porsche knew what he was doing. And by the way, your dad´s advice was so spot on. Never go with something unless you fully understand it. Should be any mechanics mantra. Cheers from Germany Doc

Critical thinking - the foundation of the good education. And good educator you are!

Div, I always said you are a exceptional fundi, and this video proves it .. I learn something every video!! Great stuff!!! Cant wait for the next one!!!

Really great explanation with a super visual demonstration!!! You definitely eliminated a bunch of mysteries concerning the steering of a bug!! Thank you for this!!!

Outstanding. Love it when you pull out the CAD lessons.

Great video and lesson on steering geometry. Looking forward to another video.

My brother and I worked on VW's back in the 70's and lowering the front end came with caster shims. Along with the bolts and the spindles were changed as well.We didn't go to the extreme work you had to do. We had a shop we could buy everything from. And if we wanted to we could have sent it out to be done. Thanks for the cool video Div . Go get some cookies and tea .

Professor, that was most excellent! Thank you as usual! 😊👍👍

Great explanation! At The Bonneville Salt Flats its not unusual to see 18 degrees of caster. All for High speed stability.

Great job explaining this to special people like me. I need that!

I am like you when it comes to doing something just because everyone says you should do it. I also like to understand why and by understanding why we now know what is correct and what is myth. Thanks for sharing your thought processor with us.

I enjoy watching everything you do

Found your video and subscribed. I like building my own parts and scavenging old parts for new purposes. Again, glad I found you.❤

So Kool man! Classics I never knew existed. Woah dude !

Thank you! I understand now why I wore out so many front tires when I would air up my rear shocks on my old Mustang.

Hi Div (Diff), thanks for the video. We were having a bad day and you brought us right out of it.

VERY informative video as all of yours are. Having played with numerous VWs since 1970 you explain it thoroughly and easily. Thanks for another great video as all of them are.

Thanks oom Div. Ive restored and exported 3 buses and fucked about with countless other VWs and I never understood how castor really worked. Dankie!

Thanks for video. Steering wheel size not being too small can help with resistance. But also slightly more travel. Best to have nice tight steering box and all joints tight. I think there are different length torsion arms available also. Going to convert my 1960 c10 panel to power steering so adding caster will stabilize it and the power steering with quick ratio box will make it easy and steering will way more stable and responsive.. and safer. Your wife is lucky your building her a cool custom driver.

thanks great explanation

Thank you so much for the lesson. I learned something new today - something that I should have know years ago.

Div, you mentioned recently that the responding and interaction with comments is becoming a lot of work. I think i suggested that would happen a while back, but i just want to reiterate that I totally understand and sympathize. You have been literally and truly the best at making commenters feel loved and “read”, but I, for one, will not be at ALL disappointed or feel at all slighted if you stop that practice with my comments. I love that you read them because they are genuine and sincere in the fullest. I’m taking the time to write them so that YOU understand that I feel more than just a “thumbs up” about you and your content. But I’d much rather you stay energized to produce more great stuff than become burned out and weary by feeling the pressure of having to respond. I’m commenting to let YOU know, and to help the algorithm build your following. Feel free to “ignore” me unless I’ve asked a question you think is worthy of an answer. 😊. I definitely feel your love and appreciation. I hope you truly feel mine. 😊👍👍

Thank you for the class on the front-end assembly and geometry. Out standing job on the Reno-Bug so far.

Great wisdom as usual my friend. Always question everyone's reasons.

Yes, I am so glad you did this video, I been telling VW guys, that , it doesn't change caster angle. Thank you for this video sir❤❤

Good explanation of caster. To add to your explanation, zero caster means you are just turning the wheel. When you introduce negative caster, when you turn the wheel from center you are actually lifting the whole car up. Turn the wheel back to center and the car lowers back down. Turn the wheel the other way and you are lifting the car again. Gravity makes the car want to return to center, giving this "stability" you were talking about. It is also why the steering wheel wants to return to center if you let go of the wheel while moving forward. If you want to do another demo, you can actually measure the height of the frame from the floor at center, and then at full steering lock, and see the difference in height.

Nice to see the Boss check in. Two Thumbs up .

"Stadig oor die klippe", mind the new paint. Always impressed with your skill and attention to detail, thanks Div

Love the cardboard engineering!

I love this stuff. Thank you. Also always love seeing the peripheral stuff like Mammie, kiddos, grand Kiddos and Wayne and Dirk. Your channel id as close to real life as anyone could possibly hope for. I also wonder how many people have a clue just how many hours a 30 minute video takes to create Thanks again.

Great explanation again Dif. There are many myths on the internet and I’m surprised the some builders don’t figure it out, they blindly follow. Another reason for caster is it assists self centring of the steering wheel after a turn but I’m gathering you already know that. Keep up the good lessons mate👍😁

Great lesson Div. When I am teaching new mechanics alignments explaining much of this on conventional vehicles, I need mock up suspension, lol. The hardest for many to grasp seems to be SAI (steering angle inclination), or the rise and fall of the spindles angle thru the arch while turning left and right. This is what causes the wheel to try and center after turning, since the weight wants to sit down into the least amount of weight jacking caused by the inclination of the spindles/axle. Most vehicles changing ride height would change caster(and camber) but not on a double wishbone design like a VW. In a conventional vehicle the arms are usually on different planes at their mounting points. That's another topic on its own. :) Only posted this for others wondering about the alignment settings in their vehicles. Thanks for making these videos it should help many entering the repair industry..

thank you for the schooling sir.

Thanks mate wifeee very happy

I know from firsthand experience that positive caster helps handling. I have a video on my YT channel, where I took bad advice with a raised front end and added caster shims to the top. It created bad mojo! I then corrected my application to caster shims on the bottom. It made a world of difference.Thanks for explaining how positive caster improves handling. Wish I had known before. But trail and error got me where I needed to be.

The noise of your gantry sliding across the workshop reminds me of my old garage where I had a similar setup. The neighbours were curious when I built the I beam into the roof frame, they found it was a way of letting them know I was at something at night again!

Yes Div, we call them a gear box because when we crunch the gears the pieces stay in the box, could be called the crash box when you don’t use your clutch, lol. I really enjoyed the CAD element, made a lot of sense.

Dif ,Your explanation in one word "BINGO"! MIKE.

As altyd is jy n goie onderwyser. As always you are a great teacher my brother 😊😊

Yes man, I appreciate you Divieeee for always sharing your wealth of knowledge with us all. I love understanding the why’s and how’s of things. And today we learn also that your father was very instrumental in much of these learnings you share. Thanks Goodness for him as well, and, what a delightful visit from Wifeieeee and Grandson. Very good video buddy. Enjoy those Oatmeal cookies. My personal favorite 👍🏻✌🏻

Nicely done... Enjoyed the forest CAD session... You make it so clear and understandable...

Excellent explanation of the caster angle. You are pretty darn good with the training aids. You have done tons of research. Well done Dif.

Thanks Molly!🍺🦘

Great clarification of Caster, thanks for sharing, all the best to you and your loved ones

Great model, I really enjoy your teaching and the forest CAD system. I spent much of my career on a drawing board and eventually mainframe CAD (computer) systems. Making a model that you can hold in your hand and play with is far more satisfying.

Thanks for the lesson Duff. Great information on the front end . 😊

I had a 1939 Chevy coupe that I drag raced back in the 50’s. It had a Chrysler hemi in it and up around 100 mph the front end would start shaking. I made 10 degree wedges to fit Between the axle and springs. It was fine after that.

Great way to explaing the whole thing ! It's better than when I was in Tech School 40 years ago. I think that the cad you used shows it best of all !

Looks great, thanks for the schooling

A real treat as always Div. You always explain things in easy terms.👍🔥

your diagram was spot on. i lowered a 67 Bug with a slight rack to the front and i put shims in just like u did, not because i thought of it, my grandfather brought it up. this was back in the early 90s when my grandfather who was in WW2 was still alive. imagine the guys that narrow the front end as well as not shimming the front end. brother they do it all the time... lol. then they wonder why their Bug darts around.

I'm currently building a rod and it has over 3 degrees of rake. In such a case it's important to understand that the caster angle has to be measured off level ground, not the frame. Great to see this nicely explained and illustrated with CAD. Keep up the good work Div!

Thanks Div. REALLY enjoy your videos. I have no talent, but you inspire me.

Love the CAD office explanation. Have a lekka one Div

The Master fabricator

Caster is used for self-centering of the wheel. It does this because as you turn the wheel you are actually trying to lift the car a very small amount. So, the weight of the car is forcing the wheel back to the straight ahead position. Best way to see this effect in action is on a go-kart.

Another great video! Thanks for the CAD lesson it helps to visualize everything, easy to understand that way too

In simple terms..it forces the steering wheel straight..😅... Great explanation from brother diff..another great episode from rat rods for Africa

Great video. This Renobug is being finely engineered.

Good Teaching Div It’s looking good with the body on the CHASSIS

Hi Div & Folks, And I would even say more, the camber variation will also be a determining criterion for the pivot angle and the caster angle, these two values ​​influence the camber take-up when steering.Have a good one!

Excellent video. School is out. Well explained. 🇨🇦

You are amazing! Your common sense and technical knowledge is second to none. I learn alot with every video, thanks for sharing! Can't wait for the next installment

Your shorter wheelbase pan might tend to be a little "squirrely"...so adding caster angle would calm it down. A good real-time demonstration of caster angle can be done with an empty 2-wheel hand truck. When you roll it forward in the vertical position, it turns quick and wild. The more you lay it back (positive caster) the more stable it is, but takes more room to turn. Bikes and dragsters have a lot of caster, the wheels lay right over.

Like in the end , chasing my dreams, I have to contact you uncle

Hey Div, I am always delighted to find one of your videos. This one is no exception. The first employment I found after serving three years in the U.S. Army was at a front end alignment shop. I knew some of the basics of alignment, but I learned a lot in that shop. Especially about straight axles which is basically what a VW front beam is. A proper straight axle caster alignment is done by inserting wedges between the axle and the spring or springs that it is attached to. Something like you did with the shim you installed between the beam and it's mounting point to the pan. Very basic geometry ? Stay Safe, Be Well

Shout out to your brave little friend seen at 12:40 of the video lol

there's a good visitor top right at 12:38 :D

Ok ok...here we go! Excellent explanation Diff and great practical demo. BUT... The factory stock VW beetle was designed to be stable on Adolph's new autobahns and cruise comfortably at speed. While the front beam contains little caster relative to the frame and floorpan, take a look at the stance of a stock Beetle. It sits nose-up like a speedboat and THIS is how the German engineers got the castor and stability! From personal experience, I hated the "speedboat" look and wanted my Beetle to sit level. I accomplished this by a static cut and turn on the torsion leaf anchors achieving a 1.5 inch drop in the nose, with the car sitting level on wide 7 inch rims. As a result, the car would weave around the road and get twitchy at speeds of 80kph or more. A pair of 5mm castor shims fixed the problem and now the car will cruise at 120kph (sorry officer, I meant 100kph) and I can take my hands off the wheel with confidence.

Thanks for all that good info Div, the RenoBug is coming along nicely, and "Wifey" is impressed, so happy life eh! I did a castor correction on a platform only Sand buggy by cutting a small wedge out of the frame head just at the front of the firewall mounting, (Napoleon's Hat), crippling and re welding around the top, (some rougher, none faster😂), but only for off road use. We had the back suspension raised to the max, big tyres/rims and lowered/softened front beam it made it driveable at least.

Thank you Div for another excellent episode and the education my brother 👍

Little man taking a ride on the bug

Great explanation of caster! Thanks for sharing. You probably just helped numerous people. Love the content!

Dear Dif. 👍👌👏 Extremely well done, Sir (video and work). Thanks for going through all the effort to fabricate the African bush shop CAD 1:1 size model. This and your explanations have been very enlightening. You're simply an allround genius and that's a fact! I will definitely share these great informations. 2) I'm happy to see that your wife is pleased by the way the Renobug build has progressed. Congratulations! 🎉 It looks/sounds as if many more good meals are in the coming for you. As always: Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing. Best regards luck and especially health to all involved people. Post Scriptum: Do you remember what I wrote about the necessity of longer handles in general respectively especially longer broom sticks in order to not bend your spine always? You became amused and answered that it's like a book. Now you yourself proved how important it is to explain something completely (and with the correct facts). The castor angle can be a good example for not bending your back wrong and over a long period of time. But instead of using up the tires only on one side/spot, bending over will grind away your shims between the vertrebal bones of your spine. Just like the unsafe wear of rubber tires, it's not good for motion. 😁 ;-) 😋😜👅😇😘

Hi My Dear Friend Very Very Great Job ❤❤❤❤❤

Thanks Div!🍺

Thanks Diff

Everyone says the downside to having too much castor is that steering becomes too heavy. I used to believe this too. But how many people have hands-on experience with this? A friend of mine works for the local Mercedes Benz outlet. If you've ever looked at a Merc when parked with the steering at full lock, it looks very odd with the wheel tilted back a noticeable amount. It turns out that the factory setting for castor is around 11°! When my friend built his Beetle, he knew he needed high speed stability, so he used FOUR castor shims under the bottom tube. The stack amounts to one inch. I have driven this car and slow speed parking lot steering is not any different from any other Beetle I've driven.

Thanks Div!

Thank you Brother !!!

I had a '72 VW bug and it had good castor. You could go down the highway and let go of the wheel and it would track straight.

thanks Div for the front end lesson ...ooh look out the boss, the missus, SWMBO was down for an inspection with your grandson....She seems impressed more suppers and cookies for you...hahaha

Thanks Dif very interesting.

Another great video Div. your a great advocate for the vw people. Definitely learning stuff cheers.

Excellent job Dif!

I always looked at caster like the front wheels on a shopping cart. Try pushing it backwards with the wheels in front of the pivot. They want to correct themselfs.

Wow, you really did do your homework! Nice and a great explanation. Thank for taking the time!

Yes sir I believe u have something here but good job my brother and I'm glad it's warming a lil for u as well

really always enjoy your informative videos! learn so much from you! Thank you for what your doing for all us!

Thanks for sharing. Your work is inspiring.

i always learn from you thanks

Div That was a really informative session. Your CAD model showed perfectly the impact. The other way of determining the angle is to use math( trigonometry) and the old triangular calculation as you know the centre dimension of the two beams. Lets say 100 mm is the measurement. The top does not change but the bottom moves out 9.0 mm to create an hypotenuse of the triangle the and the adjacent side becomes slightly shorter than 100 mm. The opposite side of the angle of caster is the 9.0 mm you moved the lower beam out. Given Inverse of the Sin result 9/100 = 0.9 = Sin(angle) then angle is 5.16 degrees. You can compare that to your Cad model and the protractor. but I reckon you have it as per your desired result.