Getting the tracking done

[Mike Lester]

Hi guys, I'm having a devil of a time finding anywhere in the North East that will do the tracking on my Mk1 GT6. I could have a crack myself but I fear messing it up. Currently running without any shims at all after a full suspension rebuild and feels like it wants to throw me in a hedge, so want to get this done sooner rather than later.

 

Most of the places that offer laser tracking run a mile when I mention shims, or look at me with a blank stare.

 

Also need to source a decent place for tuning for the future so a Triumph specialist would be ideal.

 

Don't mind travelling outside the NE if it means a good job is done.

[Clive]

http://www.alignmycar.co.uk/

 

They use proper stuff and can set camber, castor as well as 4 wheel align.

I recently completed a spit build, first test run it was dreadful, a quick check showed I had an inch of toe in at the rear.

 

I used 2 housebricks, on sidea against the tyures. And a 1m length of steel box section resting on the bricks, just touching the tyre wall frant and back. A helper and a tape measure gets things shipshape PDQ. And I visually aligned the steels with the car sills, probably not perfect but not bad. Front and rear can be done the same.

Currently getting my head around bumpsteer adjustment and castor setup.....

[KevinR]

Jigsaw Racing Services in Corby - http://www.jigsawracingservices.co.uk/ has all the equipment and experience to properly setup the tracking on a Triumph

[Pete Lewis]

Unless you have a manual with the 'unladen' specification for checking the alignment you need 150 lbs on each seat to get the car sitting in its static running height

 

These are basic rules for triumph (& many other makes) if ignored just add error to what is being set

be it laser or tape measure, most high st outlets wont have a clue

doing as clive suggests is well adequate

camber and castor is less diy but you can make a camber gauge from ply/timber to form a set square and cut it to the angle you need and use a spirit level

 

pete

[Mike Lester]

Jigsaw Racing Services in Corby - http://www.jigsawracingservices.co.uk/ has all the equipment and experience to properly setup the tracking on a Triumph

 

Would love to use them as I'm fully aware of their reputation with Triumphs, I saw their work last time I went to the TSSC HQ Open Day and they had one of their cars there.

 

Unfortunately they are a 3 hour drive away. They are on my option list but still looking for somewhere closer. The North East seems to be a bit of a wasteland in terms of Triumph specialists.

 

I think I do have the unladen specification in my manual, Pete. But I also have some construction blocks that can be chipped down to the correct weight so it's not too much of a problem.

[Pete Lewis]

just get rent a crowd to sit in her .

 

Pete

[Mike Lester]

Always an option, Pete! 

 

I restore classic cars though mostly dealing in 60's/70's 105 series Alfa Romeos (adjustable everything, easier to set up), which there are a few garages for already in the North East. If I can train myself up to sort Triumphs correctly in regards to tracking and tuning I think I may have spied a business opportunity being that there is NOTHING here for Triumphs locally.

 

Think I'll have a crack at it myself and see how I get on. Can always flee to jigsaw on a beavertail if I mess it up.

[Pete Lewis]

I have given my optical set to Kevin to play with, 

I generally use two bit of straight timber raised on two 3" legs to keep above the tyre bulge

one each side of the car and tape measure across the battens, may need extra  pair of hands unless you can clamp the timbers to the tyre

as Clive said  a long piece against a tyre and sighted to the cill  so when  toe is zero, the line down both sides of the car is equally parallel 

can do this for front and rears  . and you will have all square to a mm or so 

 

simplze....quick.... cheapo    accurate 

 

for quick one man operation i have bought a gunsons trakrite ,  needs agood surface or the platic would fail but cheap off amazon and 

gives easy side slip readings.

 

also have a trackace . but every ime you sneeze you loose the laser or the beam falls off the wheel rim 

 

its back to tape and timber  cant go wrong 

 

Pete

[Casper]

If you want to become an instant expert you could do no better than getting a Courier CD (from Club Shop) and reading the very interesting series by Carl Heinlein in Courier 158 (Aug 1993), 159 (Sep 1993) and 160 (Oct 1992).

 

Worth a read.

 

C.

[Guest]

Mike.

 

I have just had the tracking done on my Mk2 Vitesse (front wheels) using "Just Tyres".

 

They have 38x outlets in the UK, but mot sure how well they serve the NE - but if, as you say, you are prepared to travel then a Centre may be in reach.

 

They use a system called "Super Tracker".

 

I was able to supply them the UNLADEN spec for toe-in requirements.

 

Tracking was certainly out - basically one wheel wanted to go to France and the other to Wales !!

 

It took them some time to do it, but do it they did and can say the difference was immediately noticeable.

 

Cost £29.99 all in.

 

Hope that assists ??

 

Regards.

 

Richard.

[Clive]

Was that 4 wheel alignment and camber/caster?? Genuinely interested, even if that is just a report with extra costs for extra adjustments.

[Guest]

Clive.

 

All wheels were attached to their equipment using laser adjustment.

 

Nothing done to the rears (on request); as I'm looking to do a CV conversion later this year.

 

I gave them the toe-in measurements for the fronts only. No caster / camber info given by me.

 

I knew they were probably out anyway and on replacing the track rod ends, thought it the ideal time to get it checked.

 

Done by the guys at the Lewes depot - very good and one of them loves a challenge of classic cars; Triumph certainly being that !! 

 

Cheers.

 

Richard.

[Mike Lester]

Had a think about this today and I may tootle down to see Jigsaw anyway, because for the last few months I've been experiencing a steady vibration at speed (65+ MPH) which makes long motorways quite unpleasant.

 

Had the prop shaft balanced and this helped a little but it remains a constant fixture and it dampens my spirits concerning journeys longer than twenty minutes. You do get a nice back massage from it though. 

 

They should have the know-how to look at the car and advise me on that too.

 

I rebuilt the suspension myself and even though they are a very simple system I may have missed something. Probably something simple and stupid.

[Guest]

Could it be play in the UJ's ??

[Mike Lester]

Probably.

 

The prop was looked at by a professional prop balancing and manufacturing company in Newcastle, they do a bang up job and sorted the UJ's on that.

 

The drive shafts.. I don't know how you'd test that in a garage environment without completely dismantling them again? Really don't want to do that if I can help it.

 

The rear trunnions/hubs were refurbed with new bearings and properly greased so I know it's not those.

 

The vibration is like you're driving over one of those concrete stretches of motorway, all the time.

[Clive]

Sounds like prop to me. These cars are really sensitive to issues, no reason why, they just are.

Ideally borrow a prop off a car with no issues, to eliminate it as a cause. I know it has been looked at, but some issues only come to light when fitteD.

Otherwise gearbox/od or diff, but prop is the most likely.

[Pete Lewis]

as drive  the shaft Uj does cause a load of vibration and Growls 

 

you can test the drive shaft uj with car on ramps,  you just jam a large levering tool in the yoke and judge for any lift , there must be absolutely no float in these UJ        

 

the prop is somewhat different and will self centre , the drive shaft wont.

 

if there is any lift you can add a thicker circlip whist shafts on car, it may only need 1 of the 4  doing 

 

you must make sure it is fully home in its groove  you dont want one to pop off on a test run .

 

canley and others sell a variety of thickness circlips.

 

Pete

[Mike Lester]

Cheers guys, I'll have a look at the drive shafts as Pete suggested with them on the car in order to eliminate that as the cause.

 

What's funny (or tragic depending on your view) is that I rebuilt the suspension front and back because it was rusty to the degree of it was a block of rust in the vague shape of a drive train, the car drove smoothly but would struggle over 50 MPH with a lot of wandering and weird noises, but was smooth. So rebuilt with new components and proper workmanship, I do a lot of work on classic cars so I'm no amateur but freely admit I'm still learning as I go, all the noises have gone away and it looks lovely and factory new. But vibrates to hell and back!

 

Also used solid steering rack mounts but I think I'll go back to rubbers, because even though it feels more "planted" you end up getting vibrations through the wheel because of the lack of a rubber dampening effect.

[Clive]

Mike, I would suggest using polybush rather than rubber. If you want the rubber feel, use the blue ones.

Personally I find the ali mounts OK, but then again my cars tend to be set up a little on the hard side, so you feel quite a lot!

[Pete Lewis]

some odd vibro possibles

 

overdrive rear mount bottomed or long bolts fitted causing a foul

 

overdrive planet gears not set to their best run marks on reassembly

 

obvious stuff like exhaust contact 

 

clutch disc damper hub failed or wrong spec.

 

prop vibro is at engine rev frequency,, drive shafts at road wheel frequency

 

 

we chased a vibro growl  and changed every thing from the screen wash jets to the diff mounts ....it only disapeared when the UJ where 

tight...really  tight ..  took about 3 years to beat the basket.

 

Pete

[Mike Lester]

I had a look at these today with the cars rear in the air, but could detect no play in any of the UJ's.

 

I think I'll live with it for now and when I pull the engine for its rebuild I'll also pull the drive shafts and have a proper tinker on the work bench. Can only do so much from under a car.