Think I've fitted new track rod end 1 rotation out!!

You should always take it to a garage to get the tracking checked anyway. There's no guarantee it was right in the first place nor that the replacement is exactly the same dimensions.

sounds like it needs one turn out, try it, if the steering wheel problem is worse then go the other way. you still need to have the tracking checked in any case.

Thanks. I had the tracking done a few months ago when it was way out and crabbing badly after fitting new wishbone and other stuff. Had it done at a garage that uses them new fangled infra-red camera system and made a bloody big improvement to the handling. I was hoping I could get it back to that same spot again but will get it checked out at the same garage that did the tracking as they did a good job and the only place I've been that bothered to place weights in the vehicle and check the fuel level before doing tracking and ending up with a perfectly straight steering wheel.

On 09/02/2010 18:48, Redwood wrote: the only place I've been that bothered

Eh? Never had that done on mine. Should I go elsewhere?

yup. If you've got fairly new tyre on then you might as well get it checked by a decent garage, if they're almost at end of life then tweak it yourself & get it retracked when you buy a new set.

Never heard of it being done but it makes sense to try and replicate the car carrying a driver and a passenger . As for the previous post mentioning an infra-red thingy I guess a laser wheel alignment machine is meant .

With the steering wheel level in straight ahead position it does look like the nearside wheel is pointing out slightly more than the other side so will give that a try and rotate trackrod 1 turn out (anticlockwise) which will pull in the wheel.

Where the tap starts when they make the track rod end is essentially random so you'll probably find you're not a whole turn out.

It was the Hunter high definition digital imaging alignment. Charged a few quid more than the likes of kwikshit but no complaints here.

Yup, tried one turn out and steering wheel is bang on level again and seems to drive true & straight. The new track rod started to grip the threads on the tie bar at the same spot as the old one so hopefully shouldn't be a million miles off.

If anyone's interested I had the original tracking done using the same machine here:

Redwood was thinking very hard :

It is better to actually measure between two points, than to count the turns on the threads as they can vary.

Depends on the car. Some cars have geometry specs that need the weights added and fuel tank compensated for, some don't. Given that most places don't even know how (or why) to perform run out compensation if you've been happy so far then why bother?

Clint Sharp gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I very much doubt it makes the slightest difference on anything this side of seriously exotic kit - especially given the tolerances given for the "correct" figure. Then there's the accumulated errors from the hung-over half-trained chimp operating the battered tracking kit on a less-than- level floor.

Oh, and the off-brand ill-balanced tyres that most cars have fitted anyway...

Compare the length of the old TRE when still on the car with the new one ..if they are the same then counting turns should be OK or mark the place where the old TRE finishes at and screw on the new one up to that point . If the new one is shorter or longer then you'll need to figure out some other way ..if it's longer then it's easy to mark where it should be screwed up to but a shorter one might be trickier as the place will be covered up by the old one .