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[tunnie]

the trouble is this is a fairly basic back street place, they have not noticed twice my hand brake fails to hold on one side. 

I doubt they could get the setting back to WIM standard, it was done around June this year when i had new fronts on, due to bad outside wear.

I think with the miles i am doing, the £60 + fuel is worth another trip to WIM.

I didnt make the trip all the way to WIM, but did get a local place with the same gear to mirror the WIM settings 

but you are a LOT closer than I am 

I reckon its about £20 quid in petrol return....

Given the price of a new set of tyres if left to wear prematurely ..... thats a bargain !!! even with the WIM charges added !!

Agreed! 

[KillerWatt]

As Kev said, track rod is only going to affect the toe setting (so assuming everything else is still good, it's a very basic check on the front end).

Crack the locknut, leave it as close as possible to original place, remove nut holding ball joint, bit of WD40 on ball joint (thread), smack the side of the hub (where ball joint connects) with 2lb club hammer, spin old track rod off, put new one on (up to the point where you left locking nut), do everything back up, job done.

Note that if ball joint does not seperate from hub when hit with 2lb club hammer, insert 4ft iron bar between track rod & chassis, then get a fat bastard to jump on the end of the 4ft bar.

[Andy B]

...... then get a fat bastard to  ....

That leaves you out then eh Tunnie!       

[CaptainZok]

...... then get a fat bastard to  ....

That leaves you out then eh Tunnie!       

I'm sure Uncle TB will help you with the job Tunnie.

[tunnie]

...... then get a fat bastard to  ....

That leaves you out then eh Tunnie!       

I'm sure Uncle TB will help you with the job Tunnie.

He's pissed tonight...

Its worth having it done for 30 notes, i would need to go out and buy that ball splitter too, so won't exactly save a lot.

Not cheap this MOT, 2 rear tyres - £160 - MOT and track rod £100, another WIM, £80 + petrol.

Not bad i guess really, done nothing to it all year apart from oil changes. (oh and exhaust Flexi)

[Omegatoy]

Good grief!!!!! who the hell uses a ball joint splitter on a trackrod end??
undo top nut after plusgas it, when nut nearly off idiot side of trackrod end balljoint with a hammer it will flyoff!!
wheel off crack locknut as said earlier count threads when undoing it and put it back to the same amount and the tracking is exactly the same!! 

[KillerWatt]

wheel off crack locknut as said earlier count threads when undoing it and put it back to the same amount and the tracking is exactly the same!! 

If it is the same after reassembly, then that can only mean you have refitted the shagged ball joint 

[Omegatoy]

wheel off crack locknut as said earlier count threads when undoing it and put it back to the same amount and the tracking is exactly the same!! 

If it is the same after reassembly, then that can only mean you have refitted the shagged ball joint 

lolol nearly!!! the length of the trackrod dont change just because the joint is worn tho? just flaps about a bit!!!

[TheBoy]

I have a balljoint splitter here Tunnie.

Oh, and I haven't touched a drop tonight

[TheBoy]

And when done, as its tracking only, might be worth getting checked at ATS somewhere.

[Andy B]

...... then get a fat bastard to  ....

That leaves you out then eh Tunnie!       

I'm sure Uncle TB will help you with the job Tunnie.

          
Does he know of someone suitable then?        

[KillerWatt]

lolol nearly!!! the length of the trackrod dont change just because the joint is worn tho? just flaps about a bit!!!

I've seen track rod ends where the ball is so worn that it is easily able to alter the overall length by a good couple of millimetres.

[Entwood]

IF the tracking has not been reset from before the wear commenced, then the setting "may" be pretty much OK ... depending on manufacturing tolerances between what was fitted some years back and what is now being fitted.

IF the tracking has been adjusted to compensate for any wear over time than the setting will be wrong.

With tyres at over £100 a pop is it really worth the risk of ruining £200 worths for a simple tracking check

[tunnie]

And when done, as its tracking only, might be worth getting checked at ATS somewhere.

Might as well drop it down WIM anyway for a winter tune up. Already done 6k with the fronts. As Entwood says with tyres nearly £100 a pop, its worth it.

[Kevin Wood]

lolol nearly!!! the length of the trackrod dont change just because the joint is worn tho? just flaps about a bit!!!

I've seen track rod ends where the ball is so worn that it is easily able to alter the overall length by a good couple of millimetres.

Good point. In addition, I have seen pattern parts where the dimensions are different - e.g. the threaded section is a little longer which means it goes out if you just count the turns or screw it up to the locknut.

However, you know you've only put one side of the car out, a basic tracking measurement is only checking the angle between the front wheels so if you lock the steering wheel straight you know there's only one variable. It doesn't need a 4 wheel machine to measure it. A basic toe gauge is more than adequate.

Your biggest challenge will be getting the above across to the guy holding the spanner, who possibly wasn't ever that great at geometry.

Kevin