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[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

Age before beauty... "I" before the "E"...

Anyway. After MrsGK came home and declared she didn't want to drive Zeke as he was too twitchy and she didn't want to have to tell me she'd crashed him (very reasonable approach, cares more about the car than herself or anyone in her way)... took him to a local 4-wheel-alignment place, list of desired settings in hand. Unlike my last attempt at getting someone to do it properly (previous rant on here, indeed) - bloke was very keen to please, listened to what I had to say and has apparently tried his little socks off.

He has told me that the toe adjusters are almost seized, he's heated them and got them back very close to where they should be but can't adjust them fully - it's at 0-05 or thereabouts. Front camber is sitting around 1-40, I wanted 1-10 but he reckons if he adjusts the camber now then there's not enough adjustment to get the toe back into spec and it'll be worse than before.

I don't mind spending on new parts to get it spot on, the car's cost me about a million pounds over the years anyway. I just want to know that he isn't spinning me a line, and that if I get the new parts (and a load of grease) that he will be able to adjust it further?

Thoughts chaps and chapettes?

[Nick W]

When replacing struts and track rods, I match the new rods to the old ones by eye. That ought to get the toe close to where it needs to be. Then I adjust the camber, and compare the toe to each sill.


That's enough to put it on the machine and although adjusting the toe also tweaks the camber, it's never been enough to make it worth adjusting.


It's much easier to adjust the toe, so get the camber as close as possible first.

[iansoutham]

He is correct, caster, camber, toe.

A small movement in camber can make a big difference in toe.

Remove the track rod end and the adjusters, clean, grease and replace back as best as possible (h less knackered, then replace) and then get it done

For reference, I have been using the moly brake pad grease we use in work on mine, is waterproof and does not wash off ANYTHING, including skin (you have been warned)

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

Cheers chaps! I've got a full service lined up for it anyway so will do the lot in one go then get it back in for tweaking

[Doctor Gollum]

The cost of faffing usually outweighs the time cost benefit of fitting new

Whilst he may have technically be correct, not getting the camber as near to 1°10 as possible will ruin the handling and the tyres.

The very fact that the car is really twitchy only confirms this to be the case. 

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

The cost of faffing usually outweighs the time cost benefit of fitting new

Whilst he may have technically be correct, not getting the camber as near to 1°10 as possible will ruin the handling and the tyres.

The very fact that the car is really twitchy only confirms this to be the case. 

It's less twitchy now he's done the rear and front toe, sorry  should have been clearer - he just reckons he can't get it any better yet... Time will tell.

[Doctor Gollum]

They always say that 

They don't tend to like customers that ask for anything but 'in the green'. But equally they don't pay for your tyres

[Nick W]

The cost of faffing usually outweighs the time cost benefit of fitting new

Whilst he may have technically be correct, not getting the camber as near to 1°10 as possible will ruin the handling and the tyres.

The very fact that the car is really twitchy only confirms this to be the case. 

It's less twitchy now he's done the rear and front toe, sorry  should have been clearer - he just reckons he can't get it any better yet... Time will tell.

He knows that adjusting the camber will mean that he'll have to do almost all the job again, and that most customers won't know the difference until their tyres wear out quicker than they should.


However. getting the toe 'correct' is easy. Getting the camber and toe correct, combined with the same at the rear will transform how the car drives.