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Wheel alignment, any way to check it myself??
https://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=30639		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  supercharged 850 [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:35 am ]
Post subject:  Wheel alignment, any way to check it myself??
Ive been looking at the alignment of the Mini K's wheels and am a bit concerned that one of the trailing arms could possibly be bent.

Just wondering if there is any way to measure the arm or some specific distances to find out if it is bent, or if the subframe is possibly bent...

My guess (from what I can compare to the other side of the car) is that the L/H side rear wheel has a few degrees of toe out... or maybe the subframe isnt in the right location, or maybe the body is out of alignment.

Would just like to rule the arm out (or confirm it) as being the culpurit.
Author:  drmini in aust [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:22 am ]
Post subject: 
To see if car is `crabbing' stand behind it and sight off the edge of the tyre, where it meets body line of car near the A pillar.
Compare other side, if it looks different something is out of `whack' (pun intended).
A wheel alignment will tell you more. There may be shims behind the outer trailing arm brackets you can adjust with, with but get it checked first.
Author:  Lillee [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:39 am ]
Post subject: 
To check subframe or trailing arm, it's a hoist and tape measure job.

To check toe in toe out it's a case of house bricks and planks of wood and some string or if you are tricky a tape measure. I've done this myself at home a few times to some degree of success. But man, for $35 I'd rather drive up to Jim Hunters in Blacktown, have a coffee while he does it! :P

Agree the best way is to get a wheel alignment place that can do 10 inch tyres. Get them to measure all 4 in relation to eachother, then get them to measure the axles in relation to eachother and then get them to measure the body in relation to the front and rear axles. This will give you a good idea of what is the current situation before proceeding with a fix.

Either way, even if the trailing arm is bent it can all be fixed with adjustable rear bits...
Author:  1360 LS [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:45 am ]
Post subject: 
Lillee wrote:
To check subframe or trailing arm, it's a hoist and tape measure job.

To check toe in toe out it's a case of house bricks and planks of wood and some string or if you are tricky a tape measure. I've done this myself at home a few times to some degree of success. But man, for $35 I'd rather drive up to Jim Hunters in Blacktown, have a coffee while he does it! :P


I'm taking my car there hopefully this saturday if not the following......
Author:  Lillee [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:49 am ]
Post subject: 
Good, bring your notebook and a pen and he will shout out the camber, castor, toe measurements and you write em down...
Author:  1360 LS [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:00 am ]
Post subject: 
will do, especially as by the end of this year I'm investing in geometry gear.
Author:  Mike_Byron [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:07 am ]
Post subject: 
Don't forget St George Steering Services in Belmore Street off Canterbury Rd near Canterbury.

This is owned and run by John Leffler who was at one time a BMC sponsored "young Lion" in minis, then won the Formula Ford championship and the Formula Ford to Britain championship. Next he raced Formula 5000s here in Australia and became the CAMS gold star winner.

He is a font of knowledge and being a mini man from the begining as well as a steering specialist, he is a good choice for any one with a geometry problem. Yes he handles 10" wheels.
Author:  1360 LS [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:53 am ]
Post subject: 
Mike_Byron wrote:
Don't forget St George Steering Services in Belmore Street off Canterbury Rd near Canterbury.

This is owned and run by John Leffler who was at one time a BMC sponsored "young Lion" in minis, then won the Formula Ford championship and the Formula Ford to Britain championship. Next he raced Formula 5000s here in Australia and became the CAMS gold star winner.

He is a font of knowledge and being a mini man from the begining as well as a steering specialist, he is a good choice for any one with a geometry problem. Yes he handles 10" wheels.


well thats way closer for me...wil he be able to yell the measurements at me as like Chong was saying the blacktown guy would do?
Author:  Mike_Byron [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
wil he be able to yell the measurements at me


naw - Leffo is literate, he would write them down for you :lol:

Chong - dont tell Hunter I said that - he knows me as well.
Author:  Anto [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
You could get a feel for how far out the wheel alignment is by string lining it as Chong said, or if it is really bad eye-balling it (I can tell my wheel alignment on the rear is out from 10 feet away...). You can figure out total rear toe in/out by measuring the distance between the rear wheels at the front of the tyre and at the back, but that will only tell you the total amount both wheels are out.
Problem is, the rear wheel alignment probably is out like most old Minis, and the front has probably been adjusted to compensate. These days the easiest solution is adjustable rear camber brackets that also adjust the toe-in, so you can get the rear adjusted right. Will be fitting these to my car as soon as I get the chance, I'm sick of the unpredictable handling at high speed.
Author:  supercharged 850 [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
From what I can see (standing 5 metres behind the car) I'd almost think that it could need a new trailing arm on the LH side. It would be better if I could make sure everything is straight before getting it all aligned at a shop.

*edit*
Just took a measurement off the body, the rear-most point of the tyre compared to the outer edge of the short horizontal seam at the end of the bumper bar...

Left side tyre's wall/tread corner is 20mm inside the bodyline, measured from the outside edge of that seam..

Right side tyre's wall/tread corner is 10mm OUSIDE of the bodyline, measured from the outside edge of that seam..


from that, I would say that the LH side tyre corner is 30mm out compared to the drivers side, assuming the drivers side is almost correct.
Author:  Anto [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yeah it could be bent, or the subframe has shifted from a hard shunt, any number of things. Adjustable rear brackets may well fix the problem, my experience with them is they usually have much more adjustment than a straight car would need, so should have enough to fix most alignment problems. But if it is really bent you may need to replace the offending trailing arm or the rear subframe.
Author:  Lillee [ Wed Apr 18, 2007 2:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hey Supercharged,

It's more likely that your subframe is out of alignment with the body than for the trailing arm to be bent. They did not set them up perfectly at the factory and some are worste than others.

If in fact the trailing arm is bent, it's really accademic and you can fix it with an adjustable camber/toe in bracket set for the rear. Get my drift? So hence it is best to find out what is going on exactly and make the decision to install adjustables or not. I'd just put on adjustables and get the car checked and adjusted...

OR you can do what I did, and redrill the bracket to change the camber/toe in permanently...
Author:  supercharged 850 [ Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Maybe it'd be easier just to sell it......... :lol:
Author:  Lillee [ Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Naah, that would require advertising, taking calls and fart arsing around :lol:
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