19 replies to this topic

[Speakjava]

Well, yesterday, after three years and five months of work, our rebuild project made it on to the road.  Despite some nerves, it passed it MOT first time!

 

One thing that was noted was the wheel alignement is well out (which I suspected because I basically set it by eye).

 

I'd really like to get it set up professionally but, having rung a couple of local garages (and the obvious Kwikfit), it seems their computer alignment systems don't go back to 1987.  One garage said the problem was the gauges won't fit on a 12" wheel any more.

 

We're in Twickenham/Isleworth, does anyone know of somewhere that would be able to do wheel alignment for the car?

 

Thanks,

 

Simon.

[mbolt998]

I don't... But happy to talk you through my homemade tracking setup if you're interested. You need to make something like this (a jig to hold a laser pointer parallel to a wheel). Then you park the car 1m away from your garage door, mark dots where the laser hits from all four wheels. Then from 5m. Then 1m and 5m again but with the car facing backwards. Then you measure the distances between all those dots and feed them into a computer program. It tells you what your front and rear tracking are and how far apart the dots should be (for the front wheels) for it to be correct.

 

It seems to work... But I won't really know I guess until I get some wear on the tyres.

 

Otherwise people do things with fishing lines that sounds like it should work. And then there is the Gunson's Trackrite.

 tracking.jpg   51.12K   3 downloads

[Speakjava]

Thanks! I watched a YouTube video about using string, etc. but was hoping to get it done professionally.  I have a couple more places to try but may end up doing it myself.

[68+86auto]

There are many ways to do it yourself however there are also many ways to screw it up if you don't 100% understand the method.

 

If you find someone with a Hunter aligner (old or new) it seems to be the best chance of it fitting despite being an American manufacturer.

[Steve220]

There are many ways to do it yourself however there are also many ways to screw it up if you don't 100% understand the method.

 

If you find someone with a Hunter aligner (old or new) it seems to be the best chance of it fitting despite being an American manufacturer.

 

Sadly the hunter system doesn't fit over mini wheel that well. They couldn't get them over my 13s or Van's 10s due to the wheel to arch clearance

[imack]

The Hunter system we had where I used to work wouldn't do 10" wheels.
Where I work now the alignment equipment is much better but minimum wheel diameter is 12".
You might have to find an old boy in a 'backstreet' garage who's still got a set of Dunlop gauges and knows how to use them.

[68+86auto]

Interesting. I have seen pictures of 10" wheeled minis done on Hunter machines with "QuickGrip" targets. I guess some of the older type of clamps don't fit then. I have also read on here about people recommending places with hunter aligners.

 

 

I gave up with "Professionals" doing alignments, as well as tyre fitting and balancing. They are usually low paid unskilled employees doing it.

Edited by 68+86auto, 16 November 2023 - 10:54 AM.

[Steve220]

I used the string method and it ran straight as a die! Camber and caster, obviously need a bit more specialist kit

[stuart bowes]

what I want to know (wandering slightly off topic sorry) is how does the machine work out caster..  the rest is all fairly self explanatory but the caster measurement surely would be affected by the angle they put the device on the wheel?

 

or is it based on an accurate reading of the wheelbase which would vary slightly as the angle changes  but even then surely the tolerances of an old car like this would make and accurate angle reading more or less impossible

Edited by stuart bowes, 16 November 2023 - 11:40 AM.

[stuart bowes]

update, curiosity got the better of me and i did some googling which is what I should have done in the first place

 

apparently they turn the wheels left/right to a set angle each way and the resultant degrees of change is what tells them the caster.  which with 20:20 hindsight now seems pretty obvious I suppose but there you go

Edited by stuart bowes, 17 November 2023 - 09:09 AM.

[GraemeC]

I used the string method and it ran straight as a die! Camber and caster, obviously need a bit more specialist kit

Camber and caster are easy - just need a cheap angle gauge and a spirit level or this, but it’s a bit expensive for what it is:
http://www.minispare...|Back to search

[68+86auto]

I used the string method and it ran straight as a die! Camber and caster, obviously need a bit more specialist kit

 

 

I used the string method and it ran straight as a die! Camber and caster, obviously need a bit more specialist kit

Camber and caster are easy - just need a cheap angle gauge and a spirit level or this, but it’s a bit expensive for what it is:
http://www.minispare...|Back to search

 

The most expensive part about measuring caster is turn plates otherwise camber and caster are easier than toe.

[Midas Mk1]

Bought my own motamec turnplates, laser kit, camber gauges 5 years ago. Done all my cars, family and friends, several times, paid for itself, ironically I now use the hunter kit at work too.
I also use toe plates and two tape measures to set baseline toe, very, very quick to do.

[GraemeC]

You don’t need turn plates, although they do make it easier.
And there’s lots of ways of making some DIY versions.

One full turn of lock is, near as damn it, 20 degrees wheel turn. It’s certainly near enough to get decent results at home. The important thing being to make sure caster is he same each side of the car.

[stuart bowes]

And there’s lots of ways of making some DIY versions.
 

 

a bin bag on the floor.. might get in the way a bit and doesn't look quite so professional mind

 

no but seriously I'm gonna have to learn to do all this especially considering all the parts I've got are fully adjustable, if anything really it makes it harder work because every aspect needs looking at rather than just bolting stuff together  (albeit potentially better end results) 

Edited by stuart bowes, 17 November 2023 - 08:44 PM.