I Wanna Save Money DIY Car Tracking Check

jack_of_all

I do my own car repairs where possible but Ive had to pay for the front wheels tracking 3 times this year after repairs, its so simple to adjust it myself but how do you check it without expensive laser equipment. There must be a way and it would save me loads, If you know how to do diy car wheel alignment checks please share it. Please Please Please!

vikingaero

You can buy DIY tracking equipment:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Trakrite-Wheel-Alignment-Gauge-By-Gunson-G4008_W0QQitemZ280487929543QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Hand_Tools_Equipment?hash=item414e6226c7

Not sure if they are any good.

jack_of_all

Yep I seen these on ebay, I don't know it all but tracking specs in my manual are small fractions of a degree I can't imaging how driving over these things would work to any real accuracy, I think just driving onto it would make it move. I looked at used laser gages on ebay too but they go for a packet. Someone probably knows how to do this accurately without the expensive laser gages it does seem like it should be simple and ive tried to figure out a way.Theres sometimes an old fashioned way to do things that works a treat but does any body know this

Jakg

I got a Sealey tracking checker tool thing for £60 odd quid.


Did very very very well using it, too.

jack_of_all

Thanks, is this sealey tracker thing a laser gauge, Is £60 the new priced or did you get a used bargain, I can only find sealey laser equipment on the net.

Jakg

jack_of_all wrote: »

Thanks, is this sealey tracker thing a laser gauge, Is £60 the new priced or did you get a used bargain, I can only find sealey laser equipment on the net.

Its not lasers, no, it magnetises itself to the hub, and then works sort of like a spirit level. It sounds utterly !!!!!! I know, but I had my car "laser aligned" TWICE by garages, both said it was perfect, but it wore my tyres to the bands in 1500 miles. I used the tool and found out my camber was 4° out, and adjusted it (adjust, check, readjust etc) to within 0.1° of the right number.

It was £60 on eBay, it was a factory seconds (I think - place I picked it up from was very weird) but still sealed and looked fine tbh.

£60 is not cheap, but A. I know it was done properly and B. I can always sell it again.

mikey72

I did mine with a piece of hardboard and a 2 x 1.
I made a pair of little pointers, and attached one to the end of the wood, passed it under the car, and alligned it with one of the grooves around the outside(ish) edge of the tread. (tread has rings as well as zig zag patterns on it). I then attached the second pointer, aligned with the same tread ring on the other side. Checked the back and front of the tyre, it was out by about 8mm. Worked it out that was about 1.5 degrees, and wound it in to nearly 0, (toe in should be between 0 to 0.5 degree).
Roll the car back and forward after adjustment.
Tyres have been perfect since.
Edit can't remember the exact numbers, may even have been 18mm out, 1 degree is around 5 to 10mm difference front to back of the tyre on my car.

mikey72

It looks a real pain to use.
Probably not visible on a sunny day.
Do you really just balance it on those plastic spanners?
It'll fall over as soon as you adjust the wheel.
After any adjustment you'll need to reset it all from scratch, as the zero will move as well as the adjusted side.
If you roll the car you'll have to reset it.
If it's not level it'll read out.
Seems far more trouble than it's worth.
I'll stick to my piece of wood I think.

cyclonebri1

mikey72 wrote: »

It looks a real pain to use.
Probably not visible on a sunny day.
Do you really just balance it on those plastic spanners?
It'll fall over as soon as you adjust the wheel.
After any adjustment you'll need to reset it all from scratch, as the zero will move as well as the adjusted side.
If you roll the car you'll have to reset it.
If it's not level it'll read out.
Seems far more trouble than it's worth.
I'll stick to my piece of wood I think.

I thought it was only me who used that method, costs nothing but a bit of scrap timber and a few screws, makes a perfect comparator.:T:T But, should really be going off the edge of the rim not the tyre, very important if you are using a measurement in mm's rather than degrees.;)

mikey72

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

I thought it was only me who used that method, costs nothing but a bit of scrap timber and a few screws, makes a perfect comparator.:T:T But, should really be going off the edge of the rim not the tyre, very important if you are using a measurement in mm's rather than degrees.;)

Why the edge of the rim?
I measure the distance across the two points so I can work out the angle I need, converted to mm.
Tyres are easier to get to, and add 8 to 10 inches extra into the calculation, so improves accuracy.
They are uniform all the way round, (or there is another problem anyway), and I roll the car to let the adjustment settle as well, so if they are distorted it'll show up.

Kurtis_Blue

No better method, if you have a FLAT floor and can use a tape its better than lasers.

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/chassis/hrdp_0411_wheel_alignment_guide/measuring_toe.html