Tyre tracking

Hi delux no did not spot typo anyway if anyone did with a right up like u have done I would go around and sort them out lol anyway thank u so much for all your help and time did not get a chance to go to garage today but will go Saturday and update you x

I've been doing a lot with my truck lately, and tracking was on the to-do list, so just a thought when I read this topic.

The service manual states the centre-to-centre of the track rods should be 1132mm apart, so why not buy a length of aluminium extrusion from a hardware store and drill two 12mm holes, 1132mm apart, and adjust tracking until it drops over the protruding threads on the track rods. The extrusion might need a simple dog-leg bend or two, so drill after doing the bends, but as long as the c-to-c is 1132mm, it should be fine. I will take a look tomorrow to see if it is feasible.

Steve

Stevie, thats similar to the device they use at the stock car racing. I dont mean that in a bad way! They usually use a bit of steel box section with a mark in the middle that lines up with the centreline of the car and a bit attached at right angles either end. On that bit there is a large bolt either side that is tightened against the wheel rim.

I didnt realise there was a figure quoted in the manual. The only thing to be aware of is this will only set the tracking, not the alignment of the steering wheel.

Delux, you are correct, it will only set the tracking. My thoughts were that after setting the rear track rod for the tracking alignment, the front track rod could then be adjusted to align the steering wheel. The manual also gives 864.5 for the front track rod, but since this would be more difficult to measure and set, I guess it would just be adjusted until the steering wheel was central.
Steve

If I'm understanding this correctly, wouldn't t you set the steering wheel into its central position and hold it there somehow (straps to door-handles gear lever etc) and then adjust the track rod ends?

Yes Max, but...

Adjusting the tracking is not the same thing. This method may set the tracking correctly but to accurately set up the steering wheel you need to compensate for the angle of the rear wheels. You may be able to get it pretty close but luck will have to come into it.

To set the tracking and centre the steering wheel, right first time you really need to know the alignment of the rear wheels, the combined cross toe effect. This is the advantage of 4 wheel alignment.

The given measurement in the manual may set the front wheels to the correct angle but this is assuming the rear is correct. In the real world it wont be.

In the manual I have, in 'section 3a, Wheel alignment' the manual states the front of the front wheels must toe in between 2 and 6 mm more than the rear of the front wheels. However, this works on the assumption the distance between the centre of the hub front to rear, both sides is the same, which it wont be, even when your Jimny rolled out the factory! This is the factor you are compensating for when you set the tracking at the front measuring against the rear wheels.

Do not be under the illusion when you take your Jimny to the dealer for wheel alignment they break out the manual and measure for 2-6mm. If they did there would be a lot of unhappy Jimny owners! I have been that very mechanic in a previous life! Last time I worked in a Suzuki dealer they had a very fancy Hoffmann alignment computer that had all the alignment data preinstalled. You selected the model, fitted the sensors on each wheel then it told you what to adjust and by how much!

Most modern wheel alignment equipment measures in degrees rather than millimetres. With 16" wheels, 2-6mm works out something like 10 to 30 minutes (thats what you call bits of a degree, 60 minutes make 1 degree) therefore, other than manufacturers manuals, most sources (eg.Autodata) quote wheel alignment data in degrees.

Holy Cow!
...And I guess that's assuming some plonker hasn't had the steering wheel off and put it back on on the wrong spline

We had one in our Subaru dealership today.
Customer has a Legacy diesel and usually takes it to his local small garage.
He had a small incident last winter and bounced it off a kerb.
Local garage checked it, replaced the bottom suspension arm and adjusted the tracking. Was ok for a few days then began pulling left. The garage checked and adjusted the tracking again. Then again and again. Eventually, they told him to take it to the dealer as they had tried everything they could to make it drive straight.
My colleague stuck it up in the air to do a quick visual check as someone else was using the alignment stuff...



and found the passenger rear brake caliper sticking! First time the local garage set the tracking they problably set it correctly but when the caliper started to stick and it began pulling left they tried to correct it by knocking the wheel alignment off to make the car pull right.
Quick strip and clean of the rear brakes then reset the tracking and the car is perfect!

Why is this relevant? Because Jimnys are prone to sticking slides in the front brake calipers! Perhaps something to check if your jimny starts pulling to the side, especially if you have'nt hit it off anything.

Weirdly the sticking sliders on mine gave me the 'apparent' symptom of warped discs rather than pulling to one side

Hi all, 

I just got new tires (bfg's) and did alignment. 

It now pulls to the right and the shop closed so I'll go back tomorrow. 

However when they were doing the alignment, I saw they set it to the old model (gen 3) and not Gen 4 for the alignment specs, as they don't have the new specs yet (what they told me). 

Will that make a difference? Are the alignment specs the same for both models? 


Cheers 

When a workshop carries out a 4 wheel check they are measuring the various dimensions that make up the suspension geometry. As the rear axle is a fixed unit - no steering components - the only measurement is wheelbase and maybe track.

On the front they will check castor angle. This is a fixed figure that can be altered but not adjusted. Tracking can be adjusted and is one of the causes of unusual tyre wear. Also remember that road camber can cause a motor to wander towards the kerb.

Roger

Chalky the Jimny wrote: Hi all, 

I just got new tires (bfg's) and did alignment. 

It now pulls to the right and the shop closed so I'll go back tomorrow. 

However when they were doing the alignment, I saw they set it to the old model (gen 3) and not Gen 4 for the alignment specs, as they don't have the new specs yet (what they told me). 

Will that make a difference? Are the alignment specs the same for both models? 


Cheers 

Did you get this sorted out?