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Way back - we used to measure the distance between left & right wheel rim in front of the axle and then behind as toue-in was often specified in mm (or fractions of an inch in those days) - it worked well enough at the time.
If I was still fit enough to get under a car (and up again afterwards) it's the way I'd still do a basic check - but get a full 12-axis laser alignment as the next step up.
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The first thing to do would be to jack it up and check there is no play in lower arms ball joint, rubber mounting bushes and the track rod end. then if they check out ok try to set the tracking. Years ago I made an adjustable frame which laid on the ground and the ends went up and touched on the inside of the wheel rim. you could then just compare from infront of the axle to behind the axle. it was crude but, worked.
Now I just go to Kwik fit and get them to do it for £25 or whatever they charge. My local kwik fit does actually do the job properly.
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I've actually used a string line,
hooked on the rear inside of the rear wheel then run round at the center wheel height.
forward to the front wheel then round the front and layed on an axle stand to secure.
Then the good eyesight bit,
check where/if the string touches the tyre outer edge.
It is possible to see if it say touches the front tyre and not the rear of the front tyre.
You can judge and adjust the track so the string line only just touches the front and rear of the front tyre.
No lazers but it is possible to set up for zero track which would suit you car until you can get it to someone with good gauges.
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For many years i tracked my own cars, still do but now have a cheap and effective lazer aligner.
An handy tool is to find some copper pipe, small bore say 10mm and 8mm, the inner wants to be a firm sliding fit in the outer.
Cut the outer to about six inches to a foot short of the track width of the 106, this will then do for any car you are likely to own, and the inner to a shorter length, say 2 ft, you'll find an ideal length with a bit of fiddling about.
Bend the two pipes into a gentle sliught curve (this is why the inner pipe wants to be shorter) this is so when you slide under and measure between the wheels at each extremity the pipe will clear the suspension and cross member.
As hardway mentions you can do pretty close and easier measuring via the tyre walls with this, and then measure via the wheels to confirm.
This might seem a bit Heath Robinson but its better than a disinterested youth with £2k's worth of lazer equipment he's too lazy to take care with.
Edited by gordonbennet on 07/08/2016 at 18:26
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National Tyres will do wheel alignment for £15 if you use the voucher on its' website. Yes, you can get close with a bit of string or tube, but £15 is good value when compared to the price of two tyres (even on a 106).
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Those TrackRite gauges measure the sideways force exerted by the tyre.
If your tyres are worn assymetrically (inside or outside edge) they will exert a sideways force. Consider a cone.
The only way to do it accurately is at the wheel rim, assuming it's true.
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I've just got in ... just a quick note to say
many thanks for taking the time to reply :)
I'll take time to read all your replies , and digest the info.
My cunning plan, wasn't so great afterall !
I found 3 random bits of metal, oiled inbetween the sheets, and ran over them...
alturl.com/kka6u
and they didn't move *yay* ! :)
but !! turning (& extending) the steering / track rod thingymajig (toeing in) ...didn't seem to effect the outcome !
I must be missing something !
alturl.com/ddv4s
All that happened is that the steering wheel went all wonky ... moved from 9 to 3 ,
to 10 to 4 , ie clockwise...
I've put them back to as before...
ps, I tried the string ...but it was too windy,
and I wasn't too great at eyeing up the string..
pps As a bonus I found some soft iron sheets £10 worth ,
which'll come in handy for welding/tinkering
... as I've just welded (ie botched , lol)
the seat rail back on..
alturl.com/zhffk
Cheers for now.. I'm off to read all your replies...
thanks Liam
Edited by liammcl on 08/08/2016 at 02:24
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I think I'll bite the bullet and get one of these...
(any comments, alternatives? , or is it good enough? )
alturl.com/pxh9x
Dunno how long it'll last tho'.....
(I suppose, any laser would do, (eg a cheapo 99p laser pen),
if the one in it burnt out)
I am using part worn tyres atm (£15 fitted and balanced),
Last time, they only lasted 5,000 miles until the inner was worn
...the outer thread was still fine.
Recently, I have been looking at the "false" economy of part worn..
I think the other side's tyre was only wearing in one band of about 6 inches on the inside..maybe the tyre itself was suspect?
With some new tyres, 155 70 13 , at £32 fitted and balanced..
I think I'll go down that route... hopefully the metal wheel, itself is ok.
I'd rather do the alignment myself... just for the tinkering factor :)
and also, if I have to change the tie rods etc , later on
Cheers
Liam
ps once the alignment is spot on, then i can tinker and see how they
Edited by liammcl on 08/08/2016 at 03:18
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Hold that thought ! :)
I've been thinking ... if you could get a 90 degree true angle
you would only need a pole and a mirror
I think, for the tinker factor
I'll order one of these, at a fiver...
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vertical-Horizontal-Laser-Line-...N
It seems to be what the £70 one is doing...
It may also do, as a "virtual straight string" ..
and, it'd be cheap as chips to replace..
yup, I'll order one tonight... it'll come in handy for other stuff too...
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Sorry all...
I am confusing myself, now...
After tinkering...my driving wheel was off to a clockwise position when travelling straight..
I've adjusted the ties, back ...so that the steering wheel is straighter..
(I've not a clue, whether it's toe in or out),
I've just seen a video, saying to start off alignment, with both tie rods having the same amount of visible threads..
I'll have to read up more on alignment, and the settings of each wheel, relative to each other..
eg if one wheel is straight ahead, and the other is toed in double,
would that give the same results , when measuring the two front rims against each other,..as both wheels having the correct toe in...
eg
i103.photobucket.com/albums/m147/liammcl_2006/Alig...g
I'll read up more, and report back :)
this is my passenger side
i103.photobucket.com/albums/m147/liammcl_2006/Alig...g
and the drivers side
i103.photobucket.com/albums/m147/liammcl_2006/Alig...g
Edited by liammcl on 08/08/2016 at 04:27
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I think, this time,
I'll throw money at it
& watch what they do...
£15 - Nationwide..
www.national.co.uk/download-voucher/WheelAlignment...9
I spoil that car ;)
Cheers all
Liam
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All done and dusted ...
Ddriver side, the wheel was worn right down, on the inside side only, after 5000 miles
before
i103.photobucket.com/albums/m147/liammcl_2006/Alig...g
after
i103.photobucket.com/albums/m147/liammcl_2006/Alig...g
---
The passenger side wheel, was worn on the inside too...but not as much as the drivers's side.
Surprisingly Nationwide, made more of an adjustment to this side
i103.photobucket.com/albums/m147/liammcl_2006/Alig...g
I was surprised, that they also left the back wheel trims on while aligning
i103.photobucket.com/albums/m147/liammcl_2006/Alig...g
Thanks everyone, who replied...
I have made notes of all the ideas etc.
I'd had just enough, after spending all day faffing about & not really knowing what I was up to !
Cheers
Liam
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Wow Liam, 5 turns on the threads, the toe out must have been visible to the naked eye without measuring.
Were undulating roads and inadvertantly running one wheel along a continual white line 'interesting', going round corners should be easier now.
Car looks great by the way, keep up the good work, depreciation whats that?..:-)
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lol Gordon,
when I got an insurance quote recently,
and they asked how much the car was worth..
I put £350....and they came back with
"dream on...it's worth £75"
(I put posh petrol in it, V-power...performance stuff ...so the tank holds about £50 worth, the rest of the car must be worth £25 ! )
tbh, I couldn't be bothered measuring the string with a ruler on all rims ,
so I just put the string round the back wheel :)
and did the fronts kinda even spaced :)
Even when the tyres were worn, I was going to toe in by one turn , and see how long the tyres lasted, then toe in another turn etc etc.
Heath robinson kinda work :)
I still don't get how the alignment tools , using the front wheels only, work,
because the wheels can be the same distance at the front and back, but skewy ...ie if both are pointing left, the rims will show the samedistance between front and back of the rim. maybe the steering wheel position is a give away...or the tie pins have to start off relatively similar threads?
Anywho, I'll read up a bit more..
Funnily enough,
it's the car's (Purdy the peugeot) 19th birthday today !
Hence the spending silly money £15 to get the alignment done
All the best
Liam
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ps please note the personalised number plate
L14M
..it adds a bit of style, & class :D :D
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Those little 106's are one of the best small cars ever made, cracking little things.
As for car values, the last one we bought for the goodly wife, Subaru Outback H6, converting it to LPG cost £200 more than the car did..:-) Its still here running superbly and cheaply (and rapidly) 2.5 years later, hoping for at least another 2.5 before it needs major work, she loves the thing.
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they are good little cars to be fair...
tho, I wouldn't like to hit anything in them, tbh !
Mine doesn't have power steering...so a proper manly mans car :)
Great to hear about the Outback... long may it continue to serve !!
I can understand why your wife loves the car,
as you do get attached to their little quirks/characters etc .
ps as you probably know Gordon,
Subaru is Japanese for the seven sisters' stars...Pleiades
you can see them as a fuzzy blob most nights..
earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/pleiades-star-...n
I wonder if they do a lpg conversion for my 1.1
or how hard it would be d.i.y :) lol *boom*
All the best
Liam
Edited by liammcl on 08/08/2016 at 17:58
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