Tracking device

[DIYspanner]

These are around £75 and tracking now costs about £40.

Do they get anyone's vote?

 

[Keithmac]

Will have a look, last time I did my car I used string lines and an angle finder.

 

[DIYspanner]

I've seen YT videos as you describe with strings along the side measured to the wheels.

If I can establish the alignment settings for a 1J2 Bora TDI, I'll have a go at doing it with the strings.

 

[DIYspanner]

Might even make one like this!

 

[Keithmac]

Touring cars used string lines, good enough for them, good enough for me!.

 

[DIYspanner]

Did the tracking check today using line pulled tight between the car ramps along the side of the car. Tracking seemed spot on all is well.

Will likely make a laser device like the one in the video which will be easier than lining a string up.

 

[Peter.N.]

This is what I have used for about the last 40 years.

 

[Avocet]

These are around £75 and tracking now costs about £40.

Do they get anyone's vote?

Yes. I have one which I share with my dad. I find it very good and repeatable. Couple of caveats though:

1. ONLY use it with the laser and the mirror on whichever side of the car the instructions tell you to. If you swap them round, it still works, but toe-in becomes toe-OUT (or vice versa). (Don't ask me how I know that..)

2. They're fine for front tracking but for rear tracking they'll only give you the TOTAL toe-in / out. Not per side. (So if you have a back wheel with 1 degree of toe-in, and the other back wheel has 1 degree of toe-out, it will tell you that your total rear toe is "0". (That's how it works on the front too, but of course, you can compensate with the steering wheel)!

3. It can be a bit hit-and-miss getting the angle of the mirror just right, especially on cars with very little ground clearance. There's a bit of a knack to it.

4. You need a flat, level area, although that's true of any wheel alignment equipment really.

5. Doing it with string works if the front and rear track widths are the same. On a lot of cars, they're slightly different. You can still do it with string but you need to set up a string "square" around the car, with the string equidistant from each of the 2 wheel centres of each axle and each string down the side, equidistant from the other. It works, but it's such a pain to set up accurately!

 

[Avocet]

These are around £75 and tracking now costs about £40.

Do they get anyone's vote?

Sorry, just another question. Would you mind saying where you've seen them for £40? I've a mate who would be sorely tempted at that price!

 

[Old Salt]

I think they mean the price of tracking adjustment in a garage.

 

[DIYspanner]

Indeed, the £40 is my local tyre centre now charges since they've now invested in a £10K system which has the laser arms attached to the rear wheels and sensors on the front wheels. All the information is fed to a control box which displays right a bit, left a bit information. It also has a hand held the mechanic can look at that while he's under the car.

I have a wee Picanto to track when I get the front suspension re-built which I'll do with strings myself. The tyre centre was actually kind enough to give me the tracking tech data for the car.

 

[Keithmac]

You can have the most expensive equipment in the world but get a numpty operator and you'll still get a poor result (or someone who can't be bothered).

 

[DIYspanner]

May make one like this using a laser spirit level from a video on YT. Will be a lot less hassle than stings. Sprit level needs to be spot on of course.

 

[Mottie]

Touring cars used string lines, good enough for them, good enough for me!.

They don’t expect 20,000 miles from a set of tyres though do they?

I have a basic set that I use in work for front wheels only. Had them about 10 years and I think I paid about £300 for them. Okay if the steering wheel is straight to start with, if not I have to move the track across until it is then adjust the tracking equally on both sides to keep it centralised.

This one:

 

[Keithmac]

I genuinely don't think any shop centred the steering rack before adjusting mine.

With our Kuga it would throw a steering compensation out of range fault (steering rack compensates for road camber etc).

Must have been unlucky..