25 replies to this topic

[liam1288]

hi guys, my mini has been pulling to the left for a while so just now i put the wheels dead straight by pushing the toe out a little but now the steering feels very light! is this normal? is it dangerous? shall i bring the toe back out a little?
need help asap
thanks

[AndyMiniMad.]

Are you doing this tracking adjustment with the correct kit or are you just going by line of site? Take it to any tyre supplier and they will usually check it for nothing. The steering is quite important so unless you know what you are doing leave it to the pro's. If you are useing tracking guages then set the front to toe out slightly. make sure you adjust both sides to be exactly the same. this is quite a long and tricky job to get spot on. Good luck. Took me 2 hours and ive got all the kit!!!!

[liam1288]

arghhh!! im just about to go out lol... no i just used line of sight as it was pulling so i just set that wheel straight and did the other a touch.
is it dangerous to drive like this or just not very nice? i dont want sumething like my wheel falling off lol

[AndyMiniMad.]

Nooooo your wheel wont come off, But the easy way is to push the car back and fore on the flat about 4 or 5 yards with the stearing as straight as you can get it. it will self correct. then adjust one wheel til it looks straight. push it back and fore again and then do the other wheel. remember to apply the hand brake before you get under there. This method is vague at best but will help untill you get it into a garage.

[miniobsessed]

What condition are your front suspension bushes and tie bars in?

If your bushes are split, cracked, perished, etc... then they're stuffed and need to be replaced before you think about changing your tracking settings to fix your issue.

The most common problem in this area would have to be the standard tie bars though as they are very weak and prone to bend if they even look at a bump in the road. If yours are bent at all then they will be adversly affecting your tracking (directly your castor but also your toe if it has not been corrected since they have bent). If they are bent the best fix is to fit some adjustable items as these are usually also much stronger as well as being adjustable

So first things first... Before you attempt to fix your tracking make sure your bushes are in good condition and make sure your tie bars are straight. Once that's sorted set your toe to 1.6mm out and you can be sure this will not be your problem if the issue persists.

[AndyMiniMad.]

What condition are your front suspension bushes and tie bars in?

If your bushes are split, cracked, perished, etc... then they're stuffed and need to be replaced before you think about changing your tracking settings to fix your issue.

The most common problem in this area would have to be the standard tie bars though as they are very weak and prone to bend if they even look at a bump in the road. If yours are bent at all then they will be adversly affecting your tracking (directly your castor but also your toe if it has not been corrected since they have bent). If they are bent the best fix is to fit some adjustable items as these are usually also much stronger as well as being adjustable

So first things first... Before you attempt to fix your tracking make sure your bushes are in good condition and make sure your tie bars are straight. Once that's sorted set your toe to 1.6mm out and you can be sure this will not be your problem if the issue persists.

Carefull miniobsessed!!! I suggested adjustable tie bars were better/stronger on here last month and got royaly reamed by some. But i aggree with everything you said.

My post was in response to an urgent fix request.

[miniobsessed]

What condition are your front suspension bushes and tie bars in?

If your bushes are split, cracked, perished, etc... then they're stuffed and need to be replaced before you think about changing your tracking settings to fix your issue.

The most common problem in this area would have to be the standard tie bars though as they are very weak and prone to bend if they even look at a bump in the road. If yours are bent at all then they will be adversly affecting your tracking (directly your castor but also your toe if it has not been corrected since they have bent). If they are bent the best fix is to fit some adjustable items as these are usually also much stronger as well as being adjustable

So first things first... Before you attempt to fix your tracking make sure your bushes are in good condition and make sure your tie bars are straight. Once that's sorted set your toe to 1.6mm out and you can be sure this will not be your problem if the issue persists.

Carefull miniobsessed!!! I suggested adjustable tie bars were better/stronger on here last month and got royaly reamed by some. But i aggree with everything you said.

My post was in response to an urgent fix request.

Yeah mate, I fully understand that your post was directed at the 'quick fix' question But you never know who could be reading...

And why on earth would people be reaming you for saying adjustable tie bars were better/stronger? I have seen some pretty dodgy after-market tie bars but on the whole I think most of the commonly supplied after-market, adjustable type tie bars supplied these days seem really good for a road going mini especially as they are generally made of thicker bar that is much less prone to bending than the standard part.

[AndyMiniMad.]

Yeah mate, I fully understand that your post was directed at the 'quick fix' question But you never know who could be reading...

And why on earth would people be reaming you for saying adjustable tie bars were better/stronger? I have seen some pretty dodgy after-market tie bars but on the whole I think most of the commonly supplied after-market, adjustable type tie bars supplied these days seem really good for a road going mini especially as they are generally made of thicker bar that is much less prone to bending than the standard part.

I was told the standard tie bar is usually only bent by FOOLS useing it to jack up the car, and that the original part is not weak. And to suggest that a tie bar might get bent on our dodgy pot holed roads, well i thought i was going to be taken out the back and shot.

[Dave33]

Yep having the wheel dead ahead will make for light steering,
As someone said check your tie bars arent bent or the rubbers that locate them at the front havent disintigrated.
You dont need fanct optical equipment to set your toe settings.
Make sure its on level ground,and that steering wheel is straight ahead,midway between lock to lock.
Use a good bit of plumbers string or such,take it round the car passing across each wheel at its centre and tighten.
you should all being ok see that the rear have the same amount of 'toe in',if there noticeably different then the subframe may need shimming between the body on one side to correct this.
The front should have 'toe out' close to 1.6mm standard,but close to this say 1.5 to 1.7mm wont be noticeable.
to measure the gap use feeler gauges or find something this thickness and slide between the string and tyre just touching both.
make sure tyres are all inflated the same amount aswell,and if you got massive arches or bodykit it wont be possible to do it using this method.
Best way to i have found to get dead centre of steering is to mark with tape top centre of steering wheel and note how many turns from lock to lock,then halfway is straight.it will be around 1 and quarter turns with standard rack half way.if its out you will have to remove the steering wheel and place with marker upright at half lock.
hth
dave
hth
dave

Edited by Dave33, 29 June 2010 - 05:11 PM.

[AndyMiniMad.]

Im sorry but im going to have to disagree with dave, Yes you can guess with bits of string, but if you want it bang on then you need the proper kit. And am i the only one who thinks its a bit of a contradiction to suggest the use of feeler gauges and a bit of string. I mean really, to measure a gap difference of 0.2 - 0.3mm useing string that will move as soon as you touch it "Come on"

[Yoda]

I might be old, but I can remember when most garages did tracking and crab checking with this method and i know a few Old school mechanics who still do it this way or with a strained thin bowden cable, and remember the mini is still basically the same car that was built before i was born! I agree its best to get it checked properly, but this will at least show if there is a problem that needs sorting and allows you to get it somewhere close, enough to drive it to the garage.

[AndyMiniMad.]

Andyminimad
Nooooo your wheel wont come off, But the easy way is to push the car back and fore on the flat about 4 or 5 yards with the stearing as straight as you can get it. it will self correct. then adjust one wheel til it looks straight. push it back and fore again and then do the other wheel. remember to apply the hand brake before you get under there. This method is vague at best but will help untill you get it into a garage.

Customcart.
I might be old, but I can remember when most garages did tracking and crab checking with this method and i know a few Old school mechanics who still do it this way or with a strained thin bowden cable, and remember the mini is still basically the same car that was built before i was born! I agree its best to get it checked properly, but this will at least show if there is a problem that needs sorting and allows you to get it somewhere close, enough to drive it to the garage.

As i have already said its ok to guess but its better to get it done properly, The mini is all about great handling, it just seems wrong some how to be setting steering up with a "that will do" method.

By the way im getting on a bit myself and fully appreciate the old ways are sometimes the best.

Edited by AndyMiniMad., 29 June 2010 - 05:49 PM.

[Yoda]

By the way im getting on a bit myself and fully appreciate the old ways are sometimes the best.

Just for fun. and i am not trying to start an issue here.


http://www.theminifo...x...t&p=1848578

[AndyMiniMad.]

By the way im getting on a bit myself and fully appreciate the old ways are sometimes the best.

Just for fun. and i am not trying to start an issue here.


http://www.theminifo...x...t&p=1848578

No doubt it works then.!! So long as you know what your doing. loved the string and laptop combination.

Thanks for the lesson.
Just goes to show there IS more than one way to skin that cat. Ha Ha!!!

[MRA]

Yes I remember those days, we didn't have phones and computers and had to make do with slate and chalk

Using bits of string and feeler gauges is ok as a preliminary setting, however for accurracy the proper kit used correctly has no close contenders...

As for uprated tiebars, we manufacture them by the hundred, so I have to recomend the use of uprated tiebars