steering rack set up guide?

Howdy all , back after a toolong hiatus . Driving a nice '82 1.6 GTi , well , nice apart from it's nothandling like it should . I want to replace the steering arms as they're worn , is there a HowTo on the correct measurements to set the arms and track rod ends to? Thanks.

best you can do mate is try and get them as close to the same length as the ones you take off then go to a repsectable garage and get tracking and camber checked/adjusted

no the best you can do is buy the brown haynes manual and set it up to factory specs

whats the significsnce of the "brown" one RJ?

There's been a few different editions of the Haynes manual that covers the Mk1 Golf over the years, but the brown one is the most up-to-date (I think?) and contains the most useful info. Any manual that actually covers your car, will have the stuff on setting up the tracking. Once you've roughly set it either by comparing old with new; or using published data, be sure to get it set up accurately using a tracking gauge of some kind (even if this means going to a garage).

the brown one is the most comprehensive of the lot is all, the other ones as long as they cover your model are ok. but given the choice, the brown one is the best

got mine for 99p on ebay 8)

thanks . I always set up our rally cars with my own caster/camber gauges , Dunlop Tracking gauges , and string . It's not that I don't trust the modern 4 wheel alignment , its just that I don't trust the local yokels using it…

you use the manual to get the base adjustment correct, then you adjust with your gauges, not only do you set the lengths of the rods but also the distance you thread the rods onto the rack. plus you want to make sure the rack is central before you do anything