Tracking Setup
Turbo Mini Forums

I have had the steering rack off and would like to set the tracking myself. What is the best way to get this done?

Thanks

Tracking gages , or pice of string from back wheels?

If your feeling flush see moosemotorsport (scruffy) and get it all set up

Rick

Arh just seen where you live???? prob have a go yourself then

Edited by cossierick on 2nd Oct, 2007.

Carefully measure from inner wheel rims under the car is the nearest way to get it somewhere like without access to tracking gauges.

Find something to mark out 4 corners (cones work well).

Run string from front to back between the markers on both sides of the car. Make sure the string is taught and not touching anything. Best if the string is at the centre height of the wheels.

Measure from the string to the wheel rim and the wheel rim diameter.

Get a calculator out and do some trig' (draw it out on a sheet of paper ... trust me this helps).

Hey presto front and rear tracking.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

thats exactly how i have done my tracking

dont forget to centralise the rack first. there should be a rubber bung were the column goes on left hand drive cars. remove the bung, undo the can and put something in the hole. turn the wheel and you will know when its right.

Thanks for the help guys.

string between front and rear wheel is difficult to use on a mini as the front and rear track width is not the same.

Yeah I found that out there is like 7cm difference between the front and rear.

HOW MUCH!

thats not right, its more like 2 cm if I remember correctly. (I may not)

i bet it varies depending on which drums your using at the back.

"Turbo's make torque, and torque makes fun"

"did you know you can toast potato waffles?"

yes, but around what I said. I tried to remember the value on my car. And it will also depend on the type of front brakes of coure. like vented/non vented

Edited by miniminor63 on 3rd Oct, 2007.

It has vented disks on the front

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...

my post where pointed toward cossiericks reply Roger. I get your point. The way I do mine is:

I put a string along the sides of the car (tie it to the cornerbars on my car).

I then have a stick with arms on both sides (shaped like a L on both ends) that is adjustable in length. With the wheels straight ahead I can then measure Toe on the front and set it where I like. Then I can do the same at the rear while I also check that the leading edge of the rear wheel is at the same distance from the string on both sides of the car. Then the car will be square. With this method its important to keep the front wheels straight ahead.

Hope it made sense.

depending on the state of the individual car: the string thing where you aim to get the rear wheels in line with the front can (and does) lead to one of the rear wheels toe-ing out whilst the other is toe-ing in. (whilst the total rear toe may still well be toe-in).
This leads to an oversteer situation in one direction and understeer in the other... :s

Its easier to show what i mean (and i do to those that have their cars setup by me)

at the front the total toe is important, the rear its the individual toe.

for many years now i set the rear tracking then align the front wheels to the back (but then i have lazer tracking stuff that makes it easier!)

theres lots of stuff on google about DIY tracking...

ttfn,
Dave

Edited by icklemini on 4th Oct, 2007.

Good point dave. I forgot to state you need to know the distance from the string to the centre of each wheel so you can tie all the triangles together.

Every day is a school day ...........

How fast and how expensive ...... the same question...