yet again i need some help. Tracking i think

James0121 · Post by **James0121** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 5:23 pm

hello ppl

This weekend i lowered my car and today i noticed my tracking has gone out

Is this due to me going lower or me not putting it back togther correct. I have lowered it using FK highsports. So i have booked it in to Kwik fit for them to have a look. Is there anything else i should be aware of that it could be ????

cheers james

Speedlaw · Post by **Speedlaw** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 7:19 pm

Everytime you unbolt the shocks your tracking and camber needs to be sorted, so it's probably just that. You can't get it perfectly by hand so it always needs doing professionally.

wrighty · Post by **wrighty** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 9:53 am

There is an important lesson here, when lowering your car mark the top cap of the suspension assembly with nail varnish with a small dot. Make another small dot on the suspension turret in alignment with the dot on the top cap. When replacing the suspension line up the two dots and this will keep the correct camber angle.

As Your car is no longer standard you may need to find an independant garage with the proper equipment as kwik fit and AA garages set the camber angles using your cars factory spec and may not be willing to touch it.

Speedlaw · Post by **Speedlaw** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:43 am

Wrighty, you've lost me;

The camber/caster and tracking is set at the factory's recommended values, which is fine - even for a lowered car. You can even ask to have them (KwikFit, etc) to adjust it to your own wishes. I had them set my car's camber slightly more negative than they normally would.

Apart from that, I don't get how you could get the correct camber/tracking with marking the top of the suspension. It's the bottom end, that bolts to the hub assembly, that's the problem to get right.

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 10:56 am

Speedlaw wrote:Wrighty, you've lost me;

The camber/caster and tracking is set at the factory's recommended values, which is fine - even for a lowered car. You can even ask to have them (KwikFit, etc) to adjust it to your own wishes. I had them set my car's camber slightly more negative than they normally would.

Apart from that, I don't get how you could get the correct camber/tracking with marking the top of the suspension. It's the bottom end, that bolts to the hub assembly, that's the problem to get right.

Saved me posting the same thing

No adjustment at the top IMHO

Two bolt set up on the hub to bottom shock mount allows adjustment to camber.

Lowering without any adjustment results in an increase in camber

ie wheels look like

/-------\

So you need to pull the top of the wheel out to restore it to

I------I

You can get it pretty close with a decent spirit level accross the tyre faces but I'd get a garage to check it and make any final adjustments as neccessary - main reason being it only needs to be slightly out to result in an increase in tyre wear and that gets expensive

A) /------\

Will lead to an increase in tyre wear on the inside edge of the tyre

B) \------/

will lead to and increase in tyre wear on the outside edge of the tyre

Both situations are not good for handling although A will be better than B

Speedlaw · Post by **Speedlaw** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:03 am

Well said.

I tried to get mine right by guessing, but I pulled the top of the wheel out too far, you could see it sticking out without even trying hard. Had it set properly by some KwikFit type garage. The only problem I had was finding a garage that I could drive up the ramps with the car. Not all have equipment that accept lowered cars.

wrighty · Post by **wrighty** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 11:50 am

My 1998 Polo has a camber adjustment on the top mount, if you replace the to mount at a different angle the camber is affected. It can be adjusted by rotating the top of the suspension cap.

Speedlaw · Post by **Speedlaw** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 3:32 pm

You can?

I'll need to take a look at mine, always thought it was just a hole in a bit of metal.

You do adjust it at the bottom end as well though, right?

James0121 · Post by **James0121** » Tue Dec 14, 2004 4:35 pm

well took it to kwik fit today hmmm they were helpful i think not!!!!!!! oh well got it booked into volks line in canterbury, i guess we will c how that goes

James0121 · Post by **James0121** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 4:43 pm

yo just to tidy this up. I went to volksline today who sorted my tracking and camber and who alo made sure the ride height was correct. So all is now sweet as a nut.

jags53 · Post by **jags53** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 6:34 pm

i think my tracking needs to be done aswell,but i only put new alloys on,i put my 17s on,and it seems to drift to the right??