hello,,,I took my car for some new tyres this morning and the lad was telling me that the tracking was out,,,he only had it up on jacks outside the garage and did a visual inspection while he fitted my two back tyres,,,i wasn't aware cars had adjustable tracking on the back???,,,and can you tell its out just by looking???,,,the only way I could tell over the years is if your tyres ran off on one side???,,,anybody...
tracking on rear of modern vehicles???
- Thread starter sonofrob
- Start date
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The rear tracking isn't really adjustable on run of the mill vehicles but on more expensive gear like BMW, Mercs and some others etc it can be.
What vehicle are you talking about?
John
What vehicle are you talking about?
John
The rear axle may be 'shimmable' at the factory to set the tracking accurately but its not really a job for anyone else.
Maybe the rear tyres started on the front (readily adjustable), perhaps they are just old or high mileage or maybe the car has had a wee thump at some time.
If it was a Citroen or Peugeot with a torsion bar axle it would be a different story but the Focus isn't like that.....best just keep an eye on them, I guess.
John
Maybe the rear tyres started on the front (readily adjustable), perhaps they are just old or high mileage or maybe the car has had a wee thump at some time.
If it was a Citroen or Peugeot with a torsion bar axle it would be a different story but the Focus isn't like that.....best just keep an eye on them, I guess.
John
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My ancient Peugeot 406's have adjustable rear tracking, the fixing at the inner end of the top tie rod is adjustable and its a pain to get right unless you use a laser tracker, especially if you replace the tie rods and they are not the correct length as one of mine was. If replacing them you need to check the toe in before you remove anything, then change one side and check again, if OK change the other side, which I did and it was all wrong, have now got a good quality tie rod which I hope is the right length.
You must mark the position of the adjusters on both sides before you remove anything, I do mine with a spot of yellow paint after cleaning the metal thoroughly.
Peter
You must mark the position of the adjusters on both sides before you remove anything, I do mine with a spot of yellow paint after cleaning the metal thoroughly.
Peter
Best left well alone by the average DIYer, Peter! I've often wondered why the suspension is so complex on that one.
John
John
Yes, I'll second that.
If only the hydropneumatic system used on the BX and Xantia had continued - the best of all time in my opinion!
John
If only the hydropneumatic system used on the BX and Xantia had continued - the best of all time in my opinion!
John
It still applies on medium weight PSA cars, Dave - I've recently fitted a new rear axle to a Berlingo (Eurocarparts do them exchange for £350)......bow legged, a 'twang' when going over a bump - the usual.
A bloody horrible job that fought me all the way. Never again!
John
A bloody horrible job that fought me all the way. Never again!
John
I ran hydropnumatic Citroens for 30 years or more, unbeatable for ride. Ran CX, BX, then XMs all good but was rather dissapointed with the C5 that's when I changed to 406s.
Yes the radius arm bearings could be a pain but if you pack the whole of the inside with grease they won't go again.
Peter
Yes the radius arm bearings could be a pain but if you pack the whole of the inside with grease they won't go again.
Peter
I think the one big drawback on the older hydropneumatic Citroens was the fact tha tthey couldn't use rubber bushes. The forces generated by the hydraulic rams were way too big. On the plus side, you got excellent control over the suspension geometry and never had to replace rubber bushes, but on the other, whilst amazingly good at absorbing big bumps and potholes, I always felt they lacked refinement over small disturbances like white lines and cats' eyes. They tried to improve refinement and road noise on the CX bi putting the body on to the "chassis" with lots of rubber pads in between, but I always felt they laked the refinement of the big German saloons.
Assuming the old tyres that he was taking off were evenly worn, then no, I don't think you can reliably tell just by looking. For a start, once the car is up on jacks with the wheels hanging, the suspension geometry will be totally different to how it is as normal ride height. The only way to be sure is to go to a GOOD 4-wheel alignment place. The trick is finding a good one! They all have very expensive and accurate kit, but they're wasting their time if they don't use it properly. The best kit is only as good as the trouble the operator took to hang the gauges on the wheels accurately or the trouble the installer took to make sure the ramp on which the car is being measured, is perfectly level! In the past, I've (cheekily!) taken the same car to more than one alignment place for a "free alignment check" just to see if I got the same answer from each of them (and I didn't)!
the two back tyres I had replaced had loads of tread,,, looked almost new infact till you looked very close and seen the splits and cracks,,,they had gone rotten,,,must have been stood somewhere a long time,,,id just got the car see,,,no uneven wear either,,,he must have been lookin for some easy money,,,ill take it to kwik fit for a free check,,,see what they say...
Many tyres on FWD cars last longer than they should.....the lack of weight plays a large part. Cracks on the side walls and on the treads themselves is a sure giveaway.
My local Kwik Fit centre has the latest alignment gear, and more importantly guys who know how to use it.....the car sits on a ramp on all four wheels, and the alignment goes from there.
John
My local Kwik Fit centre has the latest alignment gear, and more importantly guys who know how to use it.....the car sits on a ramp on all four wheels, and the alignment goes from there.
John
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