6 replies to this topic

[miniboo]

right i have read the haynes manual and it isnt massively forthcoming with how to do this.

i have just put new hubs discs and cooper s steering arms on my mini. now the wheels are pointing outwards due to this.

i need to get the wheels roughly straight so that i can get it down the road to the alignment place.

can someone explain which bit i need to adjust. from what i have read it is not the track rod end itself but the bit that dissapears inside the gaitor.

do i undo the nut that hold the track rod end and then wind the tie rod in or out depending on which way i want the wheels to point? i take it i lewave teh track rod end connected to the steering arm?

[Jordie]

I believe you turn the track rod end.

[mini13]

yes as you say,

slacken of the lock nut, grip the bit that goes into the rack with a big set of piers or stilsons and rotate it.

to get a rough alignment, point the steering wheel straight ahead and using a peice of wook against the out side of the front wheels adjust untill the wood points to about 1" outside the rear wheels as the rear track is less than the front track.

[Ethel]

If you haven't popped the TRE's in the arms yet just wind then along the rods. If you have you can turn the rod in and out of the TRE using mole grips - the inner end of the rod is also a ball so it will just spin but watch that the gaiter doesn't twist.

Your steering arms should be matched to the rack by the way. Cooper S rack = cooper arms; later rack = later arms, doesn't matter what the brakes are.

[miniboo]

no i had drum brakes on before and i put cooper s arms on when i changed the hubs and everything else over

[panelbeaterpeter]

yes as you say,

slacken of the lock nut, grip the bit that goes into the rack with a big set of piers or stilsons and rotate it.

to get a rough alignment, point the steering wheel straight ahead and using a peice of wook against the out side of the front wheels adjust untill the wood points to about 1" outside the rear wheels as the rear track is less than the front track.

I always have trouble sourcing a peice of wook.

[Ethel]

As I said the steering arms should match the rack...

Quoting Vizard: "the mk2 Mini rack has a longer effective length giving a tighter turning circle. If you use a mk1 rack you must use mk1 arms and mk2 arms with a mk2 rack....mk2 arms put the balljoint nearer the hub."