jp928
Well-Known Member
Having been stalled by a supplier on a 15/16 crow foot to get at the nearside track rod lock nut I took matters into my hands. Some idiots were asking $100 for 15/16 stubby spanner! I had a 24mm open/ring spanner with which I loosened the offside lock nut easily. I check the size of the track rod (~5/8), and cut a slot that size in the end of the ring, and then cut the spanner roughly in half. Got it on the nearside nut , couple of taps with a hammer through a socket bar - loose! Then, with the track tape measures in place, proceeded to turn the rod with visegrips to reduce the toe-in. Couple wriggles of the steering wheel, check the tapes, finished up with ~ 3-5mm of toe, measured at the ends of long rods (33"), so its not a lot. Since I have now found the relay/idler has some slack that can change the toe by at least 5mm, I am going to leave it at this, and redo it when I get the idler fixed.
The alignment kit is from Quicktricks (IIRC?) . The vital (and dear!) parts are the turn plates - extras. Some make turnplates with plastic sheets with water between them. The bungee strap is needed to keep the assembly tight against the wheel rim - the standoffs have a slightly curved face to cup the rim edge, but they cant grip the rim. The long horizontal rods have slits in the ends to hold the tapes, so its easy to see quickly what the toe is - and how much it changes when you wobble the wheel at 3-9 o'clock against any slack in linkages.
The alignment kit is from Quicktricks (IIRC?) . The vital (and dear!) parts are the turn plates - extras. Some make turnplates with plastic sheets with water between them. The bungee strap is needed to keep the assembly tight against the wheel rim - the standoffs have a slightly curved face to cup the rim edge, but they cant grip the rim. The long horizontal rods have slits in the ends to hold the tapes, so its easy to see quickly what the toe is - and how much it changes when you wobble the wheel at 3-9 o'clock against any slack in linkages.