DIY tracking

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M

MGT

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I've got uneven tyre wear on passenger side front tyre so am looking at getting tracking done. Before I do I was wondering what the consensus is on doing this yourself. I'm going to crack the pinch bolts myself, because I'd rather break something here than have them break it there, and I'm tempted to have a go myself.
I've looked up the string rectangle method and can do that I think. But that looks as if it is to adjust the toe angle. Could the wear be camber?

My problem is not knowing who to trust to do it properly, plus if I can DIY it then I have learned to do something else to keep it up together.
 
Tracking doesn't go out on its own. Wheel alignment issues are always caused by something, normally it's either impact damage deforming the wishbone slightly, or it's wear in the steering somewhere, or wishbone bushes going soft with age.
 
You can get various gauges to check/adjust them yourself.
The old Dunlop ones are very easy to use.
Not hard to do at all, If you do not have the kit it will be much cheaper to just pay someone else to do it.
 
I mucked about with mine for ages after replacing the ball joints. In the end I took it to the local tyre place where they have some fancy computerised gizmo. It cost about £18, sometimes, life is too short to be mucking around getting nowhere.

Col
 
But we'll worth soaking and loosening then retightening bolts and track rod ends before you get it done.
Otherwise you may end up with a broken rod or bolt or a refusal as 'bolts seized up guv!!'

Loosen the track rod ends by soaking and then a turn one way and a turn back then relock pinch.
 
Nodge68 said:
Tracking doesn't go out on its own. Wheel alignment issues are always caused by something, normally it's either impact damage deforming the wishbone slightly, or it's wear in the steering somewhere, or wishbone bushes going soft with age.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. I will l look at that, thanks.
 
lynall said:
You can get various gauges to check/adjust them yourself.
The old Dunlop ones are very easy to use.
Not hard to do at all, If you do not have the kit it will be much cheaper to just pay someone else to do it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip - might be a video on using the Dunlop gauge.
 
Colthebrummie said:
I mucked about with mine for ages after replacing the ball joints. In the end I took it to the local tyre place where they have some fancy computerised gizmo. It cost about £18, sometimes, life is too short to be mucking around getting nowhere.

Col
Click to expand...

Thanks.
 
andyfreelandy said:
But we'll worth soaking and loosening then retightening bolts and track rod ends before you get it done.
Otherwise you may end up with a broken rod or bolt or a refusal as 'bolts seized up guv!!'

Loosen the track rod ends by soaking and then a turn one way and a turn back then relock pinch.
Click to expand...

I've begun soaking them already for just that reason. Looks like the consensus is to get it done rather than mess around myself.
 
Trackace. I bought one years ago when struggling to find a garage other than main dearler crash repair to correct my rear tyres. With a bit of finking you can setup a string rectangle to help, by using the center of the wheel as a reference. Adjustment on all 4 wheels is more popular now so more garages have 4 wheel systems.

 
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