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[Webby the Bear]

Hi guys,

I just got back from my hols and drove the old girl from Northampton to Somerset and back.

Somerset is lovely! Could quite easily move there!

Anyways, the handling was interesting 

Now I posted about this earlier on in the year but I haven't driven on a long journey since. The facts are:

I did an alignment measurement at work. I got my front toe 'in the green' cos the car was all over the shop. That's now improved. Couldn't tell you what the exact figure is though.

The rear toe and rear camber are in the red. I forgot to print out though so I've no idea what the figure is.

I have cheapy budget tyres on but they're brand new with no wear as of yet.

So, TB and markDtM kindly added their thoughts. I've re-read and tried to absorb the comments on my previous thread.

However I feel I can now better describe what's going on.....

At 70 and above the car is twitchy. It feels like a wander and I'm having to work the wheel a little bit to constantly correct this. Below 70 the car handles ok but with some slight wandering.

Things of note are that there were two hefty bears in the car  and a ton of gear in the boot.

I've come to the conclusion that instead of setting up using our machine I'm going to admit defeat and get it booked in at WiM again as im not a geometry expert: my expertise is limited to adjusting front toe on cars I've just stuck TREs on lol

Anyways is it likely that this handling weirdness will be sorted after a session at WiM? As mentioned previously I'm getting a new set of tyres afterwards. And instead of getting new track rods at the rear I'm going to do what TB did and hose them down in penetrating oil for a couple of weeks prior to a visit. 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

If it helps, I got two spares, got them on the bench and had a mate attack them with heat, in order to free them up. though it is ver good and sound advice to soak them in fluid for a good while before, it did give me some peace of mind to turn up knowing I'd actually spun them round and coated them in grease / paint only a few days prior. 

[Kevin Wood]

First thing I'd say is that, when heavily loaded, tyre pressures benefit from being set a bit higher. Same is true of high speed driving, so both combined makes that doubly true. What pressure did you have in the tyres? I'd tend to set them somewhere between 35 and 40 PSI when fully loaded, I think.

Secondly, check all suspension bushes and ball joints, roll bar mounts, wheel bearings, etc. are sound before spending any money on an alignment.

If you can get a printout out of the current machine, that will tell us where you are now, and what's likely to need adjustment. You won't learn anything by taking it to WIM (although I'm sure they'll set it up OK).

[Webby the Bear]

Thanks guys.

Kev I had the pressures at 33 on each wheel. As there was no one in the rear (just me and wifey and the boot full with full tank) I figured that was about right.

I'm sure the print out was saved on the machine. I'll try and get it copied. Cheers guys

[Entwood]

 ..................

The rear toe and rear camber are in the red. I forgot to print out though so I've no idea what the figure is.

....................

Possibly the cause of the problem... if the drive angle (also called thrust angle) is ANYTHING but zero the car will wander, the further out it is the worse the effect IMHO... might be worth ensuring the drive angle is zero before doing anything else expensive !!

[Webby the Bear]

Thanks Nige.

I know from memory the thrust angle is out.

Will this come to zero as the camber and toe on the rear are brought in to their "compromise" position.

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

IME Omegas are hugely sensitive to tyre pressures (and tyre brand and type, but that's a Gixxer thread). Literally a drop of 2psi all round transformed my last Elite (even on soggy and worn suspension).

[Webby the Bear]

IME Omegas are hugely sensitive to tyre pressures (and tyre brand and type, but that's a Gixxer thread). Literally a drop of 2psi all round transformed my last Elite (even on soggy and worn suspension).

Cheers GK. I've had mine for 7 years and I've played round with TP's before and I feel like this is an alignment issue. But who knows lol 

Ps dbg. Cheers for the info on the rear track rods. I'll post up the measurements and then take it from there. What were you thinking of? A cheeky geezer / bear cash deal? 

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

IME Omegas are hugely sensitive to tyre pressures (and tyre brand and type, but that's a Gixxer thread). Literally a drop of 2psi all round transformed my last Elite (even on soggy and worn suspension).

Cheers GK. I've had mine for 7 years and I've played round with TP's before and I feel like this is an alignment issue. But who knows lol 

Oh Christ aye, start with the alignment - but then if it still doesn't quite feel right despite geometry being set spot on, the last adjustment could come from pressures.

[johnnydog]

The rear toe and rear camber are in the red.  And instead of getting new track rods at the rear I'm going to do what TB did and hose them down in penetrating oil for a couple of weeks prior to a visit. 

Whenever I have needed to adjust (or have adjusted) the rear track control arms, dispite soaking them for several days beforehand in a good penetrating oil, they have still been solid and I have not been able to free them off whilst on the car. The only way, as has been said, is to remove them (which is a relatively simple job), measure them so that they can be put back in near enough the same position, and then get some heat on the threads, and then once moving, grease them up before putting back for the proper adjustment to be done.

[Sir Tigger KC]

If you end up buying a new set of track rods these are the cheapest I've seen at £40.62 each. 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

2psi difference on the way home from Billing caused a noticeable drift in a 'kerbwardly' direction. Fixed at the next available services, tracking straight and true. 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Thing is Webby, if you have access to the kit, can get your head around the fact that 'in the green' is a loud of bullocks and can free the adjustments off, why would you go anywhere else for the work?

[Webby the Bear]

right then ladies....heres the image of my alignment (buried deep in my toolbox  )



ignore the before readings....the computer went wrong. the after readings are where the cars at at the moment 

as per Nige's post, the thrust angle is off.im presuming this is whats causing the wandering?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Front camber could be better then front track to, rear needs setting up better as well.