Tracking

[D87 SMW]

I had the tracking done at a garage this afternoon and since then I've had to hold the wheel slightly to the right to travel straight (which is most annoying for me). Is this normal, as in I should just re-position the steering wheel accordingly? The job they have done has certainly removed the high-speed vibrations (which they said wasn't due to tracking :rolleyes: ) and the car drives alot better apart from above issue.

TIA :spanner:

[B18 GPC]

I had the tracking done at a garage this afternoon and since then I've had to hold the wheel slightly to the right to travel straight (which is most annoying for me). Is this normal, as in I should just re-position the steering wheel accordingly? The job they have done has certainly removed the high-speed vibrations (which they said wasn't due to tracking :rolleyes: ) and the car drives alot better apart from above issue.

TIA :spanner:


Vibrations ? thats wheel balencing mate ;) ( 9 times of 10)

it should not be let off the forcecourt pulling.. if you on their good terms get it recheched. this is normally caused by not using the steering wheel clamp to hold the steeting wheel straight whilst doing tracking..

G

[darren115]

I'd take it back and let them have a look,I'd be suprised if they didn't redo it there and then.

our garage (motosave)does the free tracking check after 2 weeks.

;) Darren

[BikerGran]

Doris has always driven like that - had the tracking checked twice and it's spot on.
Nothing was picked up on the MOT either.

[e692wtt]

Agree, take it back and have a friendly word.

Assuming the steering wheel hasn't been off, there is now (after today's adjustment) more of one (the offside?) track rod end outside the steering rack than there is of the other (nearside?) track rod end. Not only will this 'feel odd' as you describe, with the steering wheel offset, it will also cause rapid tyre wear in corners as the geometry will be messed up (tyres squealing at low speed,too).

Dead easy to fix - just adjust both track rod ends so that equal amounts of thread are showing (have a look under the car to see what I mean ;) ). If the amounts of thread showing are equal, then the steering wheel has been off and not replaced in the same position... but get your garage to do this just to be sure the overall setting isn't disturbed.

[B18 GPC]

Doris has always driven like that - had the tracking checked twice and it's spot on.
Nothing was picked up on the MOT either.


on tyre ware.. or steering pulling.. ?

i should hope ure MoT Test Station didnt drive it anywhere only onto the ramp , but thst anot very "straight" ... unless its a 4x4.. :eek:

[D87 SMW]

Took the car back this morning, they said it was still out so they've set it 'bob on' - but the car still drove the same. I took their advice of swapping the front wheels over and now the car is fine. :)

Just got the shock absorbers to do now...

[e692wtt]

Took the car back this morning, they said it was still out so they've set it 'bob on' - but the car still drove the same. I took their advice of swapping the front wheels over and now the car is fine. :)

Just got the shock absorbers to do now...

Re: the front wheels... anyone going to mention 'conicity'? Glad it's sorted, anyway :thumbup: . Swapping front to rear is the usual way to check.

What's wrong with the shock absorbers? Having been driven in the car, I'd wait for the warmer weather ;) , they're still ok - no rush :laugh: !

[BikerGran]

OK, whats this about swopping the front wheels? The second place that checked my tracking said that - but I couldn't see it as the tyres were fairly new!
BTW although she tends to pull to the left, there's no sign off uneven wear on the tyres. It's not just a matter of the steering wheel being set wrong - she does actually pull slightly left.

Will have to have a look at the track rod ends as above.


Rei should hope ure MoT Test Station didnt drive it anywhere only onto the ramp , but thst anot very "straight" ... unless its a 4x4..

.. not at all sure what you are saying here! :confused:

[D87 SMW]

OK, whats this about swopping the front wheels? The second place that checked my tracking said that - but I couldn't see it as the tyres were fairly new!
BTW although she tends to pull to the left, there's no sign off uneven wear on the tyres. It's not just a matter of the steering wheel being set wrong - she does actually pull slightly left.

Will have to have a look at the track rod ends as above.

New tyres can also require swapping over, according to the mechanic today. This also worked for my dad's old disAstra MKIII when he had tyres replaced. Well worth trying, Bobbi!

[B18 GPC]

:laugh: :giveup: :laugh:

Dont be swapping your front wheels over :banghead:

the tyre , gets used 2 turning one way , and be comes stronger in its way of mo-ment-um . swapping them , weakens the tyres...

tyres should only be swapped front to rear , and vice versa , but not left to right.

also , when you go to ure "local garage" and have "new front tyres" fitted , the rear tyres should be put to the front , and the "new front tyres" go to the rear , to prevent over and under steering.

graham ,

[Jonathan]

I've probably got the same problem more severely.

I recently found my MG's o/side front tyre worn bald on the inside edge after only a couple of thousand miles, something I'd completely missed in my routine checks! I'd been getting a bit of an unstable feeling at times on the motorway too.

[Miracle maestro]

Oh no not tracking problems:(

I don't swear often, but my R8 was a b****r for getting out of track, one pot-hole and it was adrift:mad: , but it's never been a problem on the maestro?:)
It doesn't make sense because 'Nellie' is always bouncing around rough farm tracks?:confused:

[Simon]

I had to have my tracking done because my car failed the MOT on a steering rack gaiter, and even though I was careful to note the position of the track rod end on reassembly, I wasn't taking any chances. My car still has a slight pull to the left, this is on account of the camber of the road due to the fitment of wider tyres needed by the alloy wheels. On a flat section of road it is "hands off" dead straight under normal running, acceleration and also sharp braking, but on normal roads there is still a slight pull, and I know the tracking is true. Funnily enough it also pulls to the right when on those rare occasions the road drops down to the right. Fitting 195 section tyres to my car has made it camber sensitive, that's all. Even more annoying is that my steering wheel is exactly half a spline out! I had an R8 do that too!

[BikerGran]

:
also , when you go to ure "local garage" and have "new front tyres" fitted , the rear tyres should be put to the front , and the "new front tyres" go to the rear , to prevent over and under steering.
graham ,

I don't see that. If I'm having new front tyres I'll have them on the front thanks - that's the bit that does the steering!

[Slaphead]

I don't see that. If I'm having new front tyres I'll have them on the front thanks - that's the bit that does the steering!

I'll second that......and it makes the steering lighter!

[D87 SMW]

Truth be told, I don't understand how rear tyres (which have worn in a way that rear tyres do) could be seen as fit for the front... They wear in different ways. Front tyres wear in similar ways, so swapping these over is surely a better option?

[Miracle maestro]

I'm sitting on the fence here...ouch another splinter!

The logic in fitting new tyres to the rear axle -is one of grip.
One is far more likely to loose the rear in a slide than the front.

But on the other hand worn rear tyres moved to the front will affect steering and grip.

[B18 GPC]

I'm sitting on the fence here...ouch another splinter!

The logic in fitting new tyres to the rear axle -is one of grip.
One is far more likely to loose the rear in a slide than the front.

But on the other hand worn rear tyres moved to the front will affect steering and grip.


The logic in fitting new tyres to the rear axle -is one of grip.
One is far more likely to loose the rear in a slide than the front.

- that is the aim . the poster at work , from michelin tyres isnt bothered about how heavy your steering is . but your saftey.

Think logicaly. bauld old tyres , replaced with new ones. you go into a corner at speed x , your used to the lack of grip .

new tyres on the front grip , and will either over or understeer .

your tyres off the rear , will be less grippy , there fore your safer with them on the front.

POINT MADE BY STEVE OVER INSTANT MESSAGEING .

thats badly worded , {no he didnt say that , but it made me realise}

if you have more grip on the front suddenly , the grip will mentally confuzzle you .

[B18 GPC]

I don't see that. If I'm having new front tyres I'll have them on the front thanks - that's the bit that does the steering!

Consolt Michelin about your opinion, or even City and Guilds , mabey trading standards too if your that bothered.

[Dave]

There's absolutely no reason why you cant put rear tyres on the front or vise versa. Or swap them side to side (unless they're directional tread pattern!;) ).

Diagonal swapping is a good practice - ie Front Right to Rear Left etc.(both sets at the same time) On a FWD car the fronts wear much quicker than the rears - fit them on the back at 'half wear' - ie keep your best tyres on the front.

Tyres wearing evenly/correctly will wear no differently from front to rear what-so-ever.

Regularly check how evenly they are wearing, and maintain the correct pressure and you'll be fine.

Dave

[BikerGran]

Consolt Michelin about your opinion, or even City and Guilds , mabey trading standards too if your that bothered.

Well I'm not that bothered really - whatever vehicle I'm driving or riding, if I have new tyres or new anything else, I proceed with that in mind till I find out whether and how it affects the handling. I've never had a problem with putting new tyres on the front in 40 years of driving so I'm not about to start worrying about it now - particularly with the little Maestro which doesn't exactly set the roads on fire!

But it's interesting to discuss anyway.

[Roperman]

i'd rather have my rear end out and some grip at the front than understeer but thats just me. i used to have the rear suspension on my astra rock hard so i could get it to kick out and made cornering more fun. i always change my fronts on my 'go fast' cars at 3mm because im not a fan of understeer.

if you want best tread wear swap front and rear over at half way. unless you push the grip boundary a lot and drive very enthusiastically you wont know the difference.

[H48HPE]

I just change my tyres as they wear out, if the back tyres wear out I replace them leaving the front ones as they are. same for the fronts I change them when they wear out and leave the back ones alone. My dad likes to change his over front to back so the new ones are always on the front. Neither of us have ever noticed any unwanted effectfrom doing this.

I did read once that changing tyres around increases wear beacuse different wheels wear the tyres in a different way and they bed in, changing them round causes them to wear down faster because they have to bed back in coasing more wear.

point is that it makes no odds really.... Why anyone would want to consider contacting the City & Guilds of London Institute about this subject is beyind me, is it really such an issue?

[Rich]

I'm just about to have new tryes fitted to the van, both outside edges of the fronts are almost bald. I would rather have the grip on the front, at the moment, if i turn to much at to greater speed, the steering snatches on me, and I have to be very wary of it and fight it back. I'm sure its just the worn front tyres but? The rears are as good as new. All are Michelins and all are about 20k miles old. I know that I can change the fronts again after this, and still have enough life left in the rears to see them out.

I am of the opinion of I need new front tyres, I want new fronts, and they will go on the front! The rears have pleanty of grip, and with weight in the back as there usually is, the handling is pretty good considering the roads here.


Rich

[BikerGran]

I would say that if your tyres have worn so badly on the outside, there is either something wrong with the set-up of the front end, or something worn, unless you've been running with the tyres at the wrong pressure. Worth checking as if there's something wrong your new tyres will wear the same way.

[Rich]

When I rang up for the tyre quote, they said the wheel alignment was out and would re-set it.

Would worn anti-roll bar bushes cause premature wear? I know the tyre pressures have been as the book says (Haynes that is). The only other possiblity is that I still have this clunking noise from the front drivers side wheel, when braking I get a clunk, then sometimes when I pull away again. Have been trying to work this one out for a while.

Rich

[Fast Guy]

I got some new Pirelli P6000s once. They were supposed to be good tyres. So I thought I'd see how much they understeered on my favourite roundabout. I lost it and spun completely (first and only time) as the new front tyres gripped and the worn old rears didn't. Suffice to say they went straight on the back and new ones have always gone on the back since.

[B18 GPC]

I got some new Pirelli P6000s once. They were supposed to be good tyres. So I thought I'd see how much they understeered on my favourite roundabout. I lost it and spun completely (first and only time) as the new front tyres gripped and the worn old rears didn't. Suffice to say they went straight on the back and new ones have always gone on the back since.

;)

[G Force]

Would worn anti-roll bar bushes cause premature wear?

Hi its unlikely that worn anti roll bar bushes would cause premture wear as the anti roll bar still will control the vehicle roll when cornering, but they could be a source of the knocking noise. Other causes of knocking could be worn bottom ball joints, loose or worn lower arm bushes, badly worn dampers / suspension top mounts, ask the tyre place to check for you.

It does sound like your wheel alignment is toeing in to cause the premature tyre wear. :)

[G Force]

So I thought I'd see how much they understeered on my favourite roundabout. I lost it and spun completely (first and only time) as the new front tyres gripped and the worn old rears didn't.

That would be oversteer then ;)

[Maria]

Understeer is when you see the tree coming. With oversteer, you just hear it.