luggy 13 Posted June 19, 2006 (edited) Hi, This is just a general query, when I've got my 2 front tyres replaced in the past I get it done at the local tyre centre and they check the tracking with a piece of 1"x1"x7ft wood. Steering seems fine and the tyres wear pretty much evenly, swapped the NSf wishbone then took it 2 another tyre centre who put the car on ramps and used the proper geomerty kit and he told me the tracking was miles out. Didnt think that swapping the wishbone would affect it that much, until I paid for the work done and realised they guy was boss eyed and his eyes kept flicking from left to right which unnerved me slightly and Im not questioning his ability, or proffesionalism, but at the end of the day Im the one whos got to drive the car and I use it for work. but who do you reckon I should trust, guesstimation man with his wooden stick or the bossyeyed man with the correct gear. Luggy (PS) If anyone reading this is offended please accept my apologies, my intention is not to offend Edited June 19, 2006 by luggy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonmurgie 2 Posted June 19, 2006 It sounds like your joking but you should trust the equipment everytime! You can do a 'rough' alignment with a few bits and pieces (wood I guess!) but to get it properly spot on you need proper electrical equipment, doesn't matter if your half fecking blind cause the computer tells you whether it's right or not Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
luggy 13 Posted June 19, 2006 No Jon Im not joking that is straigtht up no s*it, cheers for your response. Anybody else in the South West or anywhere in fact who have experienced the man with the long wooden pole at tyre centres who checks your tracking? or is it just a Plymouth/ Southwest thing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hengti 2 Posted June 19, 2006 there's no particular black art involved in tracking (wouldn't mind getting my own set of tracking plates - save a few bob), but the measurements are quite fine. got to give the thumbs down to the 'man with the stick' - there's no way you could accurately measure the distance between the back of the rims compared to the distance between the front of the rims with a stick! or a tape measure. you can measure the front, but the subframe/roll bar gets in the way at the back. does he have a long white beard and a strange looking hat? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crogthomas 0 Posted June 20, 2006 You'd be surprised how acurately you can measure tracking with a wooden stick or string and a tape measure. Its not what you've got its what you do with it (like most things in life). I can read a tape measure to the nearest half millimeter. With rubber tyres mounted on bendy french metal wishbones fixed to the bendy french chassis with rubber bushes, I dont think you need be be any more accurate. If the chap with the wooden stick knows what he's measureing and why hes doing it, then id trust him over someone just reading numbers of a digital scale any day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted June 20, 2006 I happen to know that the old Hyundai WRC team (and apparently most other teams) set tracking with wooden posts and bits of string as they are only allowed a limited number of tools in their service periods and they dont want to waste any of their allocation on tracking lasers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GLPoomobile 958 Posted June 20, 2006 It doesn;t really help that a lot of the guys using 4 wheel laser allignment equipment don't know what they are doing. Wonky eyes or no wonky eyes! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crogthomas 0 Posted June 20, 2006 Didnt think that swapping the wishbone would affect it that much I dont know what the manufacturing tolerances are on a wishbone, but I can imagine it could easily be up to 2mm longer or shorter than the last one. That would put your toe setting out by 4mm which is significant enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonah 1 Posted June 20, 2006 I dont know what the manufacturing tolerances are on a wishbone, but I can imagine it could easily be up to 2mm longer or shorter than the last one. That would put your toe setting out by 4mm which is significant enough. Absolutely right, in fact (iirc) it's more like 6mm toe change for 2mm change of wishbone length. I've had this happen myself, changed both front wishbones (without touching anything else) and ended up with about half an inch of toe in... btw another vote of confidence here for the man with the plank of wood! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hengti 2 Posted June 20, 2006 (edited) "bend over Frodo, whilst I spanner your rod end" etc etc Edited June 20, 2006 by hengti Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
luggy 13 Posted June 20, 2006 Fancy some Tea Baggin? s Doesnt help having to swap the wishbones on a monthly basis because the ball joint is knackered and the quality is hit and miss. So really Im better off buying better quality wishbones so then I dont have to swap them out so often and get the tracking checked each time. Anyway Im not bitter, Cheers for the responses guys Luggy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base-1 17 Posted June 25, 2006 As said, there's nothing wrong with using good old fashioned wood/string/tape measure, whatever. All the rally cars got done like that the last place I worked, sometimes they were lucky enough to have optical gauges put on them too! I changed a wishbone recently, car was awful. Put it on the machine, was toeing in 4 and obviously wasn't square Share this post Link to post Share on other sites