Steering Arm

Steering arm.
VW Beetle 1200 | 1300 | 1500 left-hand drive - from 1968 (ch 118 857 240).
Type 14 Karmann Ghia left-hand drive - from 1968 (148 857 240).
VW Type 181 (Thing) left-hand drive.

Due to years of weathering it is not always easy to remove all suspension parts without damage, and not all parts can be reused. If it turns out the splines of the steering arm have become one with the steering box, reuse is not recommended. The splines prevent play on the steering arm. If you own a Beetle or Karmann Ghia from 8/1965 to 1968 (VIN 118 857 239), you can use the 1968 steering box (VIN 118 857 240), but you also have to replace the tie rods matching those years. The diameter of the shaft was reduced from 10 to 12 mm in 1968 (from VIN 118 857 240). On the oldest years we speak of a steering with worm and sector. Below you will find a detailed explanation of how it works with the corresponding years fitted by Volkswagen.

Types of steering boxes:

On the old Beetle and Karmann Ghia we speak of the steering with worm and sector, which was then changed to worm and roller steering. It is important to know what is under your car; here is the full explanation:

Volkswagen used the worm and sector steering for the Beetle up to 1965 and for the Karmann Ghia up to 1961. The steering box is fitted with a toothed fork (sector) that turns around a shaft (worm) and so makes a rotary movement. In the later years the roller steering was used; here too only the toothed sector was replaced with a mounted roller (worm wheel). Volkswagen did not make this change on all models at the same time, hence the following list of when and on which model VW used which system.

Steering with worm and sector:
Beetle Convertible up to 1961 (VIN 3 933 184)
Beetle for export up to 1961 (VIN 4 236 756)
Beetle for the domestic market (standard model) up to 7/1965
Karmann Ghia up to 1961 (VIN 3 933 184)

Worm and roller steering:
Beetle Convertible from 1961 (VIN 3 933 185) to 7/1974
Export Beetle from 1961 (VIN 4 236 757) onwards
Beetle VW 1200, VW 1300 and VW 1500 from 8/1965 onwards
Beetle 1302 and 1303 up to 7/1974
Karmann Ghia from 1961 (VIN 3 933 185) onwards
VW Thing 181 all models and years