Hit and miss style, no measurement involved.
This thread is about a Fiat Panda that's probably not in race trim and tracking, not camber angle.
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Technical Right side tie rod end adjustment
- Thread starter mramstedt
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Technical Right side tie rod end adjustment
Agree...
Many years ago I got a flyer in my letterbox from a nearby garage, We have "the newest state-of-the-art wheel alignment equipment available".
And??
In ten days both my new front tyres were worn out.
It was - 45mm (1 3/4") toe out!!
Should be 0-2mm.
The flashy multo-coloured computer printed paper with the measurements - totally useless and misleading..
Competence and skills are important today - even for an old VW Golf..
45mm would make it undrivable.
Good job it wasn't a rail tunnel, that would have been fatal.
Sweetsixteen
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That video presumes that front and rear tracks are the same, and that the rear wheels are correctly tracked. It is not a good or accurate way to set up tracking.
If you decide to check your tracking from cold by driving up the road and feeling tyre temperatures, then a few bends in the road would make this method totally useless, because they would distort straight line tyre temperatures. Basically, don't follow either method. They will not give you accurate tracking results.
Don't be lazy when setting tracking. Do it right and you will save more than it costs you.
If you decide to check your tracking from cold by driving up the road and feeling tyre temperatures, then a few bends in the road would make this method totally useless, because they would distort straight line tyre temperatures. Basically, don't follow either method. They will not give you accurate tracking results.
Don't be lazy when setting tracking. Do it right and you will save more than it costs you.
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No, it doesn't.
Sweetsixteen
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And it also presumes that both sides of the car bodywork are parallel, which is not the case with most cars.
Many cars have bodywork that is narrower at front or rear due to styling, aerodynamics or production methods, and there are also many cars that have rear track widths that differ from front track widths.
I would avoid any garage that chooses to 'fix' my tracking using the video method shown.
First video by murfman53 address all these common faults.
A laser is just a fancy straight line
With care you should be able to surpass most of the laser alignment done by semi skilled on a money making production line 15 minuets per job.
Not that is the way I check mine.
Sweetsixteen
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Completely agree. That guy obviously knows his stuff - but the second video is misleading and will not give you accurate tracking.
To use string, you need a parallel sided box (the string setup in the first video is exactly that) and the car positioned exactly parallel with the box. In addition, you will also need to move the car through half a wheel revolution and do the whole job a second time, to confirm that the wheels are running true.
And before you start, all suspension joints should be checked over, because if wear is present your whole tracking exercise is wasted.
But as you indicate, the string method is not the best way to fix the tracking anyway.
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