Wheel Alignment DIY

Jfk0000

This might be posted already not sure but wheel alignment is soo simple to do for any novice DIY'r

And for Alot of cars there is no such thing as 4 wheel tracking as the rear axel is solid

Once you are satisfied front suspension arms are good (i.e. Don't wobble around ) then ur good to go
It takes me less than 20 mins and you don't even have to jack the car up.

Does anyone do this at home?

biko

I don't do my own wheels but if you want to do a writeup with pics it'd be great

Jfk0000

This isn't the answer for all cars
But it works for me and always works out very accurate

I'm not a mechanic but do most things to my car
This works out on a lot of standard saloons eg A4's, passats, mondeo etc most with a Solid Rear axel.

This is done driver side or passenger side first (doesn't matter ) but only one side need be done at a time.

And your Only adjusting the trackrod!


Steps:

Park front wheels on greasy or oily tiles or sheet metal (something smooth) so turning resistance is less and easily allows for your adjustment

Turn steering wheel dead straight and bracing something between it and the driver seat

Cast a string along the passenger side your car straight past both car wheels. Tie to independent structure (use blocks or whatever)
And say....Exactly 70mm from string away from wheel hub...front and rear wheel.

So now look at the passenger front wheel
And although the wheel centre is now 70mm this tyre may look to be closer to the passing string on one side more than the other.

This is your alignment being "out"

So will be something like:

Rim. Hub. Rim
35mm/70mm/45mm

Break open the lock nut on the tie rod and start turning the inner nut

Using a spanner and ruler or measuring tape Fiddle with this inner nut until these figures are as absolutely equal (as possible)

So with adjustment on this wheel you will gain it back and will result in something like

Rim. Hub. Rim
40mm/70mm/40mm

When your happy tighten the lock nut and do the same to the drive side.

Pics needed I know but I got this on YouTube so have a quick look

But in a sentence:

You are just squaring the front wheel of an already square string.

Hope this helps

edber2011

That's all well and good providing that the backend is true to begin with.

gctest50

shiny thing with laserz :

http://www.trackace.co.uk/

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=16640

edber2011

Try the string thing with a bmw.
A bmw needs a 4 wheel alignment as the rear wheels have adjustment.

gctest50

n good luck with these yokes :

edber2011

Hunter alignment machine all the way for the german cars.
Pieces of string for everything else lol lol.

dooroy

Have been using Gunson's Trakrite for years now and it has proved very reliable .
Used it on many cars going for NCT and they always passed the wheel alignment test .
As it checks the alignment as the wheel actually passes over it I found it made sense from day one .

edber2011

Don't trust the nct centres when it comes to dealers bringing in a car to be tested.
Story goes,bought a bmw 520d 2007 with ok mileage on it from mordant in clonmel.(avoid like the plague)
After I bought it they got it nct and all was fine (according to the test report)but how come less than a month later I changed the wishbone??
I have the wishbone and im going to confront the tester on this.
The balljoint was very bad on the drivers side.Have meyle fitted now and now more issues.
My advice is beware the cahir nct center.

irish bloke

edber2011 wrote: »

Don't trust the nct centres when it comes to dealers bringing in a car to be tested.
Story goes,bought a bmw 520d 2007 with ok mileage on it from mordant in clonmel.(avoid like the plague)
After I bought it they got it nct and all was fine (according to the test report)but how come less than a month later I changed the wishbone??
I have the wishbone and im going to confront the tester on this.
The balljoint was very bad on the drivers side.Have meyle fitted now and now more issues.
My advice is beware the cahir nct center.

With all due respect, how are you going to prove the ballpoint was defective before the NCT. You will just be told that it was ok at time of testing and it failed in the time you had it.

cletus

Just curious, are you suggesting that because a dealer is putting the car through the test, the tester is allowing it to pass?

anton61

"Cast a string along the passenger side your car straight past both car wheels. Tie to independent structure (use blocks or whatever)
And say....Exactly 70mm from string away from wheel hub...front and rear wheel."

Most cars have different track widths front to rear. if you measure equally from rear hub to string and front hub to string, your tracking will be equal left to right but you may have excessive toe-in or toe-out.

I use a square bar at each side and make this parallel to the centreline of the car
e.g. rear wheels equidistant from bars and front wheels equidistant from bars and bars parallel to each other

Jfk0000

I did not know that actually really just pick up as I go.
But the cars I've had in the past and my current car seems to work out really well

New tyres, tracked and nct tested about a month ago, i do a lot of miles and no tyre wear inside or out in sight. So all seems good : )
Standard tdi a4 saloon

Jfk0000

anton61 wrote: »

"Cast a string along the passenger side your car straight past both car wheels. Tie to independent structure (use blocks or whatever)
And say....Exactly 70mm from string away from wheel hub...front and rear wheel."

Most cars have different track widths front to rear. if you measure equally from rear hub to string and front hub to string, your tracking will be equal left to right but you may have excessive toe-in or toe-out.

I use a square bar at each side and make this parallel to the centreline of the car
e.g. rear wheels equidistant from bars and front wheels equidistant from bars and bars parallel to each other

i see what you mean about the centreline of the car don't think it applies for mine but il check and see if I need to correct for that the next time I track it
Nice one

anton61

Hi jfk0000
All that matters is the car drives well with no unusual Tyre wear, I think the way you and I do tracking is better and more reliable then you will get at any tyre shop.

Jfk0000

I think your rite, been checking my tyres now and then since I tracked it and still looking great after many many miles