Tracking an MOT fail point?

You sound like you're ready for a new set of tyres. The wear limit is 1.6mm. Tracking should be sorted as it affects handling and wet weather braking (very badly if it's far enough out).

Thanks, I got the new tyres fitted but didn't bother with the tracking. When you say handling, what do you mean exactly? Cornering, acceleration etc.?

Bruce

The lot. Basically, cornering speeds will be reduced, braking distances could be longer, wheelspin under acceleration could be worse with FWD. If it's a FWD car, you'll find it harder to acellerate out of bends and stay on line. Drive at high speeds for a while and your tyres will get hot (I'd be surprised if they blew out though). As I understand it, camber alters as a mac strut rotates, so that'll be out a bit too. IIRC tracking is only £20 at national tyres, and they've done a decent job for me in the past.

All suspension setup is a compromise between braking distances, cornering speeds and so on, so it's difficult to say exactly what'll alter when the tracking's out.

BTW: As for MOT, you should get by unless you're down to the wire. But it's stupid to knacker a pair of good tyres for the sake of a few quid.

thats the reason i had my tracking done, my front tyres cost over £60 each so i spent £26 having the tracking sorted,

I think I'll get the tracking done. National quoted me =A320. The 12 O'clock steering wheel doesn't seem to exactly correspond to straight ahead -- most noticeable when leaving a roundabout...

Bruce

That's nowt to do with tracking - I remember my sierra mysteriously went through tyres at an alarming rate...

More noticable than driving in a stright line?

It was . I took it in to Thick Gits to correct a minor tracking issue. In the following week it scrubbed the crap out of the nearside tyre - the handling was terrible. Took it to National in Brid and the tracking was way off. They'd tried to do it on one side alone as the other needed gas to free it off. Never had any trouble again.

If you do trust a tyre place to do the "tracking" (front toe) then ensure the steering wheel is centred properly before and after the adjustment. Many of them just do one side, which is a waste of your money and doesn't solve the problem.