Front Wheel Alignment

[Darren Groves]

A while back I used my Trackace to set up the front wheel alignment on my 13/60. I had weight in all 4 seats as recommended in the WSM and adjusted to 0°.

 

4-5000 miles later the front tyres are both showing greater wear on the inside edges.

 

I couldn't see any toe in/out settings in the WSM, so does anyone know if 0° is in fact correct?

 

Darren

[KevinR]

If you do lots of very tight turns you will scrub the inside edges of the tyres even if the tracking is set correctly.

[Darren Groves]

I've only ever done the odd tight turn, so wouldn't have thought it would be the cause,

 

Thanks

[Enuo]

Wear on the inside edges is more likely to be excessively negative camber, or possibly under inflated tyres. Ensure that your camber is no more than -1 degree for road use, toe is between =/-0.1 degrees, (toe out gives better turn in grip but the car tends to wander at speed in a straight line, toe in gives better straight line stability but compromises turn in grip) and that you perfrom the checks with all four tyres correctly inflated and ballast the car ONLY according to normal driving weight, e.g. if 99% of the time it's only you in the car, only ballast the front drivers seat.

[Pete Lewis]

Most radials dont need toe , so 0 (parallel) is a good start,  cross ply have toe to compensate the squeegee effect of the tread distortion of raod contact.

 

if its shreading off the inside it will be toe out  as that gives far more side slip than camber ever will. 

 

Pete

[Darren Groves]

if 99% of the time it's only you in the car, only ballast the front drivers seat.

 

Pete - As the author of the very detailed post for setting up wheel alignment in the last forum, do you agree with Enuo? From memory I recall it was to ballast all 4 seats when setting.

[Pete Lewis]

I have one of those trackers, and fight to find the laser spot, , so I tend to revet to two straight edges and a  tape measure

 

 I suppose its a good point about the loading issue,  Ive always followed the workshop manuals,  , looking at a late GT^ manual it shows unladen figures as well as static

 

unladen  1.5 / 3mm toe IN

 

static Loaded    0/1,5mm toe IN

 

so would this help  ??   if you unload a static setting the toe increases  by 1.5mm  

   you are wearing inboard so you have some toe out unladen ....Hmmmm   recheck with a tape measure across the car and do the rear wheels as well

     stick a  long straight edge against the rear tyres and sight the run down the sill , both sides should visualy look the same , just to make sure you have no rear steer going on 

 

Pete

   

 

so add some toe and see how she handles , I cant see being a Herald or GT6 makes any real effect 

[Darren Groves]

I had to change a Track Rod End so am starting from scratch really, but did tweak it out a little (not using the Trackace, just by guestimate) and it did feel quite different, probably went too far. I have new wheels and tyres to go on the car next week so was going to re-check with the Trackace, it is a bit fiddly to set up, but does seem accurate.

 

So if I'm aiming to set 1.5/3.0mm of toe in unladen, but the Trackace measures in Degrees & Minutes, what should I be aiming for?

 

I have never checked the rears, but should. They always seem to wear evenly.

 

Darren

[Pete Lewis]

bit rusty at trigonometry 

but I make 1deg     =  5.5mm at  a 13" rim  

 

so 2.75mm = 30minutes (0.5deg)   

 

what the triumph manual does not specify ( unless Ive missed it) is at what diameter is the 1.5/3mm  taken because 3mm at the  13" rim is doubled at the  tyre periphery ,  

 thats why angles are best as not affected by diameters

 

   Pete

[Darren Groves]

Thanks Pete.

 

Might start with 0.25° and monitor.