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blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16856

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

If you do enough mileage the tyre wear will tell you haw good your tracking is.

20th May 2019 1:58pm

diesel_jim

Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6031

Yes. I recently changed both front tyres. Outer edges were both worn so I suspect too much toe out.

20th May 2019 2:54pm

Zed

Member Since: 07 Oct 2017
Location: In the woods
Posts: 3009

2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Santorini Black

v8bob wrote:
These are fairly useful to do the tracking with. A little limited on how much access you have but as long as you use the same height front and back will get it close.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/harris-trade-ex...gIl1_D_BwE

When you buy one SWMBO will get excited and start choosing some paint colours.

I've got one of those. Think I try it out as well as string method and see what works best for me.

Quote:

I use 2 aluminium pipes that fits snugly into each other. The biggest of the 2 has a diameter of about 8mm.

The inner pipe slide out telescopically and I mark on the inner pipe with permanent marker.

I measure the distance between the front rims at the rear and front on the same height. Using a straightedge to determine height but a laser can also work.
After adjusting alignment, I roll the vehicle back 2m and back to original position and remeasure.

I work on a 1mm difference between front and rear, but can't remember if it was +1 or -1mm..

A while ago I had new tires fitted and alignment done, the guy doing the alignment said I was almost spot-on.

Cheers for that.

20th May 2019 8:09pm

Grenadier

Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey

Good timing this thread, as mine is out all of a sudden. I'll do some research.

Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey

20th May 2019 8:14pm

diesel_jim

Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6031

Just got around to checking my tracking (after building the 110 in 2010, and 62k miles later, thought I'd better look!)

Was easy:

Front wheels off and up on axle stands
loosen the track rod clamps (as I'd fitted a HD track rod umpteen years back, with copious amounts of copper slip, it rotated OK on the TRE's)
I used a couple of short lengths of angle iron I had; rotated the hub so that I had 2 wheel studs in a horizontal alignment at the bottom, then with a length of wood wedged the brake pedal down so they wouldn't move.
using a couple of steel wheel nuts turned around I "clamped" the angle iron in place, measured half way front and back (8" either way to simulate a 16" wheel rim)

Initial measurements.... instead of +2mm toe out... i had -12 in!

Set it all up properly, and what a difference it made... who'd have thought just a few turns of the track rod would make such a difference to handling... doesn't pull to one side now, and hopefully front tyres will last longer.

Edited because I'd written toe in & out the wrong way round

Last edited by diesel_jim on 12th Jun 2019 7:03am. Edited 1 time in total

30th May 2019 5:06pm

Zed

Member Since: 07 Oct 2017
Location: In the woods
Posts: 3009

Thanks for all the advice. I finally got around to doing the tracking today. Quite a bit of adjustment was needed but it didn't take long. In fact it seemed too easy so I popped the truck into ATS to check my work. They said it was near enough bang on so there was no charge.

Happy days!

31st May 2019 7:51pm

diesel_jim

Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6031

Yes surprisingly easy isn't it?

31st May 2019 8:11pm

Zed

Member Since: 07 Oct 2017
Location: In the woods
Posts: 3009

It was, which honestly shocked me because I'm a crap home mechanic. For many years I believed tracking was a dark art beyond mere mortals and those without expensive laser guages. But no more!

31st May 2019 8:27pm

hank

Member Since: 12 Sep 2016
Location: South Wales
Posts: 2224

So for my own clarity, the correct specification is 2mm toe in based on a 16" wheel diameter?

Is that 2mm net? ie 1mm in at the front 1mm out at the rear? Or 2mm in at the front, 2mm out at the back > 110 XS Double Cab
> Instagram @simonlanemind

12th Jun 2019 6:55am

diesel_jim

Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6031

2mm at the front.

edit: my Td5 manual states 0-2mm toe out

12th Jun 2019 6:59am

hank

Member Since: 12 Sep 2016
Location: South Wales
Posts: 2224

Yes. Everything I find says out as well

https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/showt...re-problem

https://www.defendersource.com/forum/f6/11...66412.html > 110 XS Double Cab
> Instagram @simonlanemind

12th Jun 2019 7:54am

DefenderCan

Member Since: 25 Nov 2023
Location: Canada
Posts: 1

Handling my alignment in the my drivewa today . Just replaced my rotors, wheel bearing, brake pads as well as replaced calipar pistons on my rears. Hub locknut torqued to 210nm.

Nonetheless the car rolled fine with no pull. My tires are 235/85/16 and were at 35 psi in the front and 36 rear. I now reduced them to 29.4 front and 34 rear.

A couple of days ago I was driving and noticed a light pull to the left. Did a string diagnosis on the alignment and noticed all are square except the front right tire which seems to be toe in. I see no bend in the track/tie rod or drag link, steering is centralized provided the m8 bolt alignment.

The location I am in has unforgiving roads.

Can one tire fall out of alignment? Is it possible for one side of the tie/track rod to skip a thread over hard bumps or my drag link?

Would appreciate a seasoned opinion on what the issue could be?

Thank you lads

25th Nov 2023 3:58pm

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