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Dec 10, 2012 12:17:04 GMT
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I'm wondering if anybody could advise me on how to set my tracking on my escort, as I'm tight and don't want to pay £45 for a shot on the 3d machine lol, I've seen it done with string and spark plugs for spacers but cannot remember where
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Dec 10, 2012 12:23:31 GMT
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One of the easiest ways in my experience is to jack the car up and lower it onto axle stands on the lower ball-joints or anywhere else that will put the cars full weight on the suspension as if it was on the wheels, then clamp a bit of (straight!) box section to each of the brakes, then you can just measure off the box section to get it how you want it and you've got access to the track rod ends without having to jack it back up and get the wheels off every time you want to adjust it.
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Last Edit: Dec 10, 2012 12:24:07 GMT by RobinJI
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craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,993
Club RR Member Number: 35
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Dec 10, 2012 13:24:35 GMT
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The way I've seen it done is basically a large U shaped bit of box section that is deep enough to go around the front of your car an touch the back edge of the rims. the in the 2 parrallel ends you need a bolt you can wind on and out.
Set teh wheels in the straight ahead position and you set the 'tool' to touch the front edges of both front wheels. The move to the back edge and measure the amount of turns in or out that you need to make the tool touch the back edge of the rims. using this distance you can then calculate the amount of toe in or out you have.
the spark plug and string is for measuring camber
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edwell
Part of things
Posts: 199
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Dec 10, 2012 20:05:30 GMT
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rodney
Posted a lot
https://www.facebook.com/RD-vehicle-transport-and-recovery-services-525622614268010/
Posts: 1,677
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the faster method ive always used is , loosen track rods ready , sit car on level ground , straighten steering wheel , the look down the center of each front wheel front in front of car, so your eye is level with hub nut , ajust the wheels bit by bit so if its a front wheel drive they are even and toe out a little bit, on rear wheel drive get em straight , ive done loads a front wheel drives like this then found some to be near spot on once i get em tracked,.
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facebook: rodney dean / rd transport  |
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Dec 11, 2012 19:04:05 GMT
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google the string method
4 axle stands..string at wheel center high ajusted until its a square box , then measure the front /rear lip on the front wheels and ajust to taste
google will have something that explains it better
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91 golf g60, 89 golf 16v , 88 polo breadvan
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CIH
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,466
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Dec 11, 2012 20:20:42 GMT
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the faster method ive always used is , loosen track rods ready , sit car on level ground , straighten steering wheel , the look down the center of each front wheel front in front of car, so your eye is level with hub nut , ajust the wheels bit by bit so if its a front wheel drive they are even and toe out a little bit, on rear wheel drive get em straight , ive done loads a front wheel drives like this then found some to be near spot on once I get em tracked,. Only the old rule of thumb regarding rear/front wheel drive and toe-in/out isn't relevant anymore  |
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froggy
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,099
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Dec 11, 2012 21:02:11 GMT
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Crack your track rod ends and make sure the rods turn freely in the rod ends then phone around for a better price . If there is no un seizing to be done it takes a few minutes to track a car and most places should charge more than £25 to do it , cheaper than a pair if tyres if you don't get it right plus your steering wheel will be centered too .
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Dec 11, 2012 21:24:41 GMT
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Cheers guys I will give it a go thursday and see how it goes.
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Dec 12, 2012 10:43:58 GMT
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The thing is.....its only a couple of millimeters difference between being ok and being far enough out to quickly ruin tyres, give poor handling (especially on snow/ice) and bad fuel economy. Faffing with string can work well, but can also easily give bad results too - a tiny error here, not exactly parallel there and its just a waste of time. I would either do as above and free everything off and get it done by a garage or invest in equipment to do it yourself. I bought one of these..... www.trackace.co.ukok, it cost £70, but I did the tracking on my Landrover, my peugeot and my brother in laws truck, and when I have time will do my new pickup as it pulls to one side quite a lot, so it has more than paid for itself in saved garage charges and I know its done properly. Its basically an updated cheap version of the old Dunlop optical tracking guages that all garages used in the past. |
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1986 Panda 4x4.
1990 Metro Sport.
1999 Ford Escort estate.
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Dec 12, 2012 11:31:10 GMT
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Once upon a time about 30 years ago, I made a tracking tool, out of a couple of meters of 2x1 box steel tube,
I cut up some inch square tube and welded it on to the meter long box, so they would rest on the rims, without touching the Tyre's, I used some elastic around the wheel to hold them at the appropriate height on the wheels, but so they were below sill level,
then a tape measure to measure the distance between the tube front and back of the wheel,
if the front was longer it was toe out, front shorter was toe in,
I just adjusted it until it was just slightly toe in, as it was 0 to -5 degrees or something like that,
unfortunately it got chucked during a house move, but I have access to 4 wheel tracking anyhow!
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Last Edit: Dec 12, 2012 16:26:09 GMT by ianboyd
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Dec 12, 2012 13:26:58 GMT
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I've never had my cars tracked professionally, I've just done it by looking down the side of the car with reference to something on the back of the car thats the same width as the track of the front wheels. adjust the tracking so that the front lip or the front wheel and the back lip of the front wheel are in line with the reference point. when this is done and they all line up when looking from a few metres away then they are parallel..... I've recently replaced tyres on both my cars due to age of the tyres rather than wear, and one set would have got in excess of 40k miles on then
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Dec 16, 2012 17:06:08 GMT
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I`ve heard of it been done with a telescopic washing line pole ( for adjustment) but never had to do tracking my self yet.
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