Wheel Alignment

[UmBongo]

Has anyone had a problem with their garage refusing to track front wheels due to the positioning of the track rod ends?

 

My local garage have told me they cannot fix my front tracking because of the track rod ends being 'on top rather than below'.

 

This apparently means he cannot make the adjustments necessary during the procedure.

 

I have a 2002 Civic.

 

I phoned the usual suspects - National Tyres and so on - who were all happy to do it for me.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[Sir Snipes]

That shape civic has the steering rack mounted high by the base of the Spring, as apposed to below the hub near the wishbone.

 

The only time they cause problems is when lowered as the steering runs out of adjustment (they toe-in loads due to the position of the rack).

[twosmoke300]

Airbox out and do from above .

[Asimo]

They were just being lazy / busy.

Track rod ends quite straightforward access on these, I changed one on our '04 Civic a few months ago and the local village garage did the alignment with the mot for an extra £25.

[panhard65]

Yeah I think they are just being lazy and don't want to do it, Cavaliers used to be a nightmare to adjust. On the subject of wheel alignment my Porsche felt a bit shit and upon checking the rear end is out by miles. Trying to find somewhere to do a proper 4 wheel algnment has been a right game. National tyres want £35 per adjustment, there are 4 different ways to adjust the back end on it's own and nowhere else local said they could do it. In the end it has gone to a Porsche specialist who will do it for £100. They were pretty helpful and told me to make sure everything was free'ed off before taking it otherwise they could end up replacing suspension arms. Bloody thing now has 4 new bottom arms and drove even worse when dropping it off yesterday. Why the hell they put so much adjustment in the rear arms I will never know.

[Bren]

Cavaliers were always seized - or at least mine were.

[twosmoke300]

Audi A4/vw pisswet are the worst for me ! Mounted up high and loads are lowered / big wheels makes it almost impossible to get at the adjusters . Add in seizure and rubber mounted track rod ends for extra fun *

[Sir Snipes]

Yup, Cavs, Audis with the double wishbone front suspension and every BMW ever built ever will be utterly seized. TVRs were usually a rusty mess as well.

 

Is the Porsche one of the front engine jobs? If so £100 is cheap. They can easily take a couple of hours - shit job to do, too.

[Dick Longbridge]

Front engined Porker? Whatever next? You'll be saying they're going to be building a diesel version!

I believe he has one of these, in which case rear engined.

 

 

I'm wondering where to get my MR2 4 wheel aligned - it's currently all over the place, especially on damp roads, and I reckon a decent alignment setup should help things.

[twosmoke300]

Aren't you in cornwall ?

[Asimo]

I'm wondering where to get my MR2 4 wheel aligned - it's currently all over the place, especially on damp roads, and I reckon a decent alignment setup should help things.

 

Good luck with that!  I spent loads trying to get my MR2 aligned properly, even taking it to a Toyota franchise. Pages of impressive printout from their laser alignment rig and the steering wheel no longer centred and 5000 miles from a new set of rear tyres. I am not convinced it was ever got right, crappy little thing.

[Faker]

If they're using laser type equipment on a lift, they'd have a little bit more hassle setting the tracking. Just not as handy as standing under an average vehicle and adjusting whilst viewing the display. That's all. Just hassle for them in my opinion.

[gordonbennet]

Get a Track Ace and do your own, takes a bit of working out the first time but works well once you've got your head round it.

 

You'd be surprised how accurate two thin copper pipes, one a sliding fit inside the other, can be for wheel alignment, i did my own and others for bloody years with this set up, measure between wheels at half height point.

 

The secret is to push the car forward by hand to the chosen measuring spot so the wheels assume normal running position, and move it back and forwards again after any adjustment is made and don't forget to measure the wheelbase both sides.

 

Yeah the pro stuff is the dogs bollocks, but only as good as the person using it.

[overrun]

Front engined Porker? Whatever next? You'll be saying they're going to be building a diesel version!

I believe he has one of these, in which case rear engined.

 

 

I'm wondering where to get my MR2 4 wheel aligned - it's currently all over the place, especially on damp roads, and I reckon a decent alignment setup should help things.

 

He even owns one and stll referred to the layout as rear engined!

[Noel Tidybeard]

citreon axe is a pita to track iirc as the adjusters are under the carb (where else!)