OJCar
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FTFY
- Thread starter dobbslc
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Guineafowl
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My uncle (farmer) had an old Fiat runabout with an overheating problem, and a cocked steering wheel.
Every now and again, he’d have to swerve the car a bit to get a look at the temp gauge, then swerve back.
First job when I went down to visit was to correct the wheel, as all the swerving was making his little terrier carsick all over the seats.
Every now and again, he’d have to swerve the car a bit to get a look at the temp gauge, then swerve back.
First job when I went down to visit was to correct the wheel, as all the swerving was making his little terrier carsick all over the seats.
I share all of your frustrations on this. How hard is it to set the wheel straight ahead at the start and then match up to that???!! The number of places who cant do this VERY simple job is crazy.I just want it to go straight when I point it straight. The pleb behind the counter tried telling me there's something else damaged and they could have a look if I wanted
He's a trier
I got fed up on the 110 of the same issue as you are having and set it with string. 110k miles on my BFGs and they have worn perfectly evenly. If i can do it with string, why cant the monkeys do it operating the fancy laser gear that basically tells you which nut or bolt to twiddle and wont let you off the machine unless its done
James1979
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Because they fiddle it.
I used to do a bit of holiday / sickness / Monday Club cover for a friends garage in Suffolk.
The boy who worked the computer controlled 4 wheel alignment thing was regarded as an ‘expert’ and had a reputation for getting stuff tracked perfectly.
Roll on a few months and my pal started getting complaints about bad wear. They batted a few off saying customer must of kerbed it etc.
I looked at one and there hadn’t been a spanner near it. Whole thing was solid.
Long story short, turns out the boy working the machine was so good he had worked out how to do “Custom Parameters” on cars that were hard work. Ie he would adjust the computer rather than the actual car.
keithski122
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Shouldn't need to to repostion the steering wheel if its never been off before, the problem is the arm adjustment hasn't been equalised.On newer stuff the splines are either set so you can't do it or so big it will put it out the other way. First thing to do when doing tracking is set the wheel straight, then setup the rear, then set the front to the rear keeping it the same both sides.( and I haven't done tracking for years).
123hotchef
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or the idler arm or pitman arm have been put on a spline or few out! if it has them
MetalMonkey
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Don't adjust the steering wheel - might be fine on a really old vehicle, but with newer ones you could create all sorts of problems.
Easiest way to track it is just to string the car as mentioned above - plenty of online tutorials/gaztube videos on how to do it, it is a lot of faffing about but very simple really once you have understood the principle.
I've very rarely had a car tracked properly, which is why I do it myself now, but in fairness to garages there could be a number of reasons why it might not be tracking well after an alignment, wear in components, camber of the road - some vehicles don't have a lot of toe and are naturally a bit skittish, especially on the potholed ****e that the council pretends are roads these days. But wheel drastically off to one side usually indicates only one TRE has been adjusted, i.e. laziness.
Easiest way to track it is just to string the car as mentioned above - plenty of online tutorials/gaztube videos on how to do it, it is a lot of faffing about but very simple really once you have understood the principle.
I've very rarely had a car tracked properly, which is why I do it myself now, but in fairness to garages there could be a number of reasons why it might not be tracking well after an alignment, wear in components, camber of the road - some vehicles don't have a lot of toe and are naturally a bit skittish, especially on the potholed ****e that the council pretends are roads these days. But wheel drastically off to one side usually indicates only one TRE has been adjusted, i.e. laziness.
dobbslc
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If I cant find a very good recommendation for somewhere else I'll tweek the track rods
slim_boy_fat
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I once had a car checked on a Hunter 4-wheel machine, the difference in driving 'feel' before and after was significant.
my local independent has a really new 60k machine , and it really makes a huge difference , I did the m3 steering mod on the front end of my wee car and had them set it up as an m3 , 45 quid for tracking sounds expensive but with tires at 165 quid each , its a bargain not to scrub them , and have the straight ahead right.
Be careful with the "whip the wheel off and replace straight idea . ."
Charlie Browns did that with my Renault 11 when I was a teenager . . . which then meant I had 1.5 turns lock one way, and 2.5 the other . . . meaning clicking CV joints that way as they were having to articulate too far.
Set the rack/box/mechanism central - which may or may not mean the wheel is straight, and work from that with the track end ends etc.
Charlie Browns cocked up as they equalized adjustments out on the TREs to have equal lengths of track rod thread showing . . which might have worked if the TREs on each side were identical . . .
Charlie Browns did that with my Renault 11 when I was a teenager . . . which then meant I had 1.5 turns lock one way, and 2.5 the other . . . meaning clicking CV joints that way as they were having to articulate too far.
Set the rack/box/mechanism central - which may or may not mean the wheel is straight, and work from that with the track end ends etc.
Charlie Browns cocked up as they equalized adjustments out on the TREs to have equal lengths of track rod thread showing . . which might have worked if the TREs on each side were identical . . .
On a pug 205 the first thing you need to do is centralise the steering rack. Basically turn the steering fully one way & then the other & set it mid way between the 2. If the wheel is now on the cock remove & refit it straight. In my experience if you don't do this first the car will never track correct. The steering rack automatically tries to self centre itself & if that is off it will pull no matter how much expensive tracking gear you use.
Now, with the steering wheel set central adjust each track control arm until the wheels are at the correct toe in/out.
When I was racing pugs it I bought a gunson trakrite & used that to track my car plus the road cars.
https://www.gunson.co.uk/product/G4008/Trakrite-Wheel-Alignment-Gauge
Very simple device but also very accurate.
Now, with the steering wheel set central adjust each track control arm until the wheels are at the correct toe in/out.
When I was racing pugs it I bought a gunson trakrite & used that to track my car plus the road cars.
https://www.gunson.co.uk/product/G4008/Trakrite-Wheel-Alignment-Gauge
Very simple device but also very accurate.
I cant really understand anyone saying whip the steering wheel off and put it back on. That just messes up the centralisation of the rack/box and its even harder to get everything right again. On a steering box its not a good idea as you naturally have more play as you get further to each lock with a lot (most?) Of steering boxes.
charlysays
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I've had it with garages doing wheel alignment too. Can anyone recommend any kit which does the job for cheap?
ATS forced the tangs of their laser kit past the bodywork on my old Merc, chipping the paint down to the metal in 4 places. Refused to give any money back saying they would repair the damage themselves.
The protyre place I went to last did get the wheel straight and tyres seem to be wearing reasonably evenly but they only adjusted the front. When I asked them about the rear tie rods they told me they were seized solid with corrosion but within spec, despite the fact I'd replaced them and the adjuster bolts the week before in fact absolutely everything suspension and steering wise has been replaced within the last year. Absolutely full of cr** they were. They probably couldn't work out which arm did which on the 5 link per side rear suspension.
ATS forced the tangs of their laser kit past the bodywork on my old Merc, chipping the paint down to the metal in 4 places. Refused to give any money back saying they would repair the damage themselves.
The protyre place I went to last did get the wheel straight and tyres seem to be wearing reasonably evenly but they only adjusted the front. When I asked them about the rear tie rods they told me they were seized solid with corrosion but within spec, despite the fact I'd replaced them and the adjuster bolts the week before in fact absolutely everything suspension and steering wise has been replaced within the last year. Absolutely full of cr** they were. They probably couldn't work out which arm did which on the 5 link per side rear suspension.
I know plenty techs who are unable to centre steering wheels.
I also know one foreman who didn't find anything wrong with a vehicle he collected, which had been defected for pulling to the side.
I had to deliver it back, went out the gate and just about came back in via the fence as the pull was that bad.
I also know one foreman who didn't find anything wrong with a vehicle he collected, which had been defected for pulling to the side.
I had to deliver it back, went out the gate and just about came back in via the fence as the pull was that bad.
I told my son a while back I did my GTO with string lines and will do the same on our Golf project.
He went to watch Touring Cars on Sunday with his mate. I asked if he enjoyed it when he got home.
He said he thought I was joking when I told him about the string lines but saw it in action on Sunday!.
Fancy making a bolt on frame for the Golf, will see how it goes.
