General Homemade toe-in tool.

[tinmar49]

Manufacturers ascertain the optimum tracking by testing, they have to specify a tolerance as nobody would be able ever set their car to formula 1 accuracy. As far as I know, all road cars have their tracking set with their wheels on the ground at normal running height. There should not be much change in the wheel direction with the wheels off the ground and the suspension extended, but it may well exceed the plus or minus 1mm.

 

[Shires]

The rears are a different story since the Panda rear subframe seems to be manufactured to very wide tolerances and it's the luck of the draw as to whether you get a straight one; there's nothing that can easily be adjusted.

The brackets that connect the rear axle bushes to the body have plenty of adjustment in them, so the thrust angle can be changed.

I have not come across a garage enthusiastic enough to do that which is part of the reason I align my own cars. If I was doing it professionally I would want a machine but you can get just as good or better results at home if you're determined to do it right.

 

[notsmartcars]

My reasons for using the trakrite is as the car pulls itself over it helps in removing any slack in the suspension bushes hence being more representative of driving on the road . When my car was new it wore out the insides of the front tyres in less than 5000 miles ... The rear tyres wear out on their inside faces because the two tyres don't run parallel the only cure for that I think is a replacement axle but I can live with that. I've Just had to replace rear shoes and cylinders (all original) at 185000 miles because one lining came off (not the cars fault). I'm amazed the adjusters were lovely and free after 10 years

 

[Gavv8]

It's my understanding that the toe out on the front of the 100hp is partly what contributes to its legendary handling, the excessive front tyre wear being a byproduct that the designers obviously thought acceptable.
Mine goes through about two sets a year on the front with enthusiastic driving and given the relatively cheap cost, I'm happy with that.