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Wheel Alignment


nelmo

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I have finally got my car on wheels and moving but I'm pretty sure the front wheels aren't correctly aligned with each other. I think I have the following options to correct this:

 

1. Use some fancy electric/laser gadget/aligning kit (i've got the technical terms sorted).

 

2. Use some straight bits of wood/metal/string.

 

3. I'm guessing the answer to this final option will be 'Good God, are you mad!?' - Halfords/Kwik-Fit alignment service?

 

Assuming option 3 is crazy, is option 2 accurate enough? Or any other options?

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Depends on what you want to set. I ended up using a digital level and zeroing it to compensate for any unevenness in the garage floor to set camber and castor. Then made a wooden beam type thingy (I've got the technical terms as well!) to measure the toe in, toe out.

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If the tracking is close, how much tread is showing on each end where the track rod end fits? if they're something like the when fine tuning the tracking, use the one with most thread showing if you want to put more toe in (ie, screw it into the track rod end) and the one with less threads showing if you want less toe in. (Ie screw the rod out of the track rod end)

 

When first installing a steering rack the best way is to centralise the steering column on the rack, then get the wheels roughly pointing straight ahead, and float the rack left - right until it's central. It's difficult to explain in words, but I'll try.

 

Ideally to set up the steering rack, firstly disconnect the track rod ends so that the rack will move without being coupled to the wheels.

Now turn the s/ wheel all the way to one side to the end of the rack travel, then with a piece of masking tape, mark the top centre of the steering wheel, then turn the wheel the opposite way until it stops, counting how many turns of the wheel is required for full travel. now halve that number of turns and that is where your steering wheel should be for straight ahead.on the steering rack. So if it takes 3½ turns, if you turn the wheel back 1.75 turns, that's the steering wheel set on the rack central.

Now with the steering wheel set on the straight ahead position of the rack, you need to get the wheels pointing straight ahead, Hopefully the lengths of threads showing on the track rod ends will be very similar, if not then you may have to move the rack over slightly so that they will be.

Edited by Big Jim
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