Tracking

[T_J_G]

Can this be done with normal tools at home?

Had new suspension struts on the front for the MOT but the wheel is offset when going straight....

Tim

[rubjonny]

take it back and get them to check the tracking if they didnt when fitting the new struts (they should have!!)
If the tracking is ok, and theres an equal number of turns lock to lock, just recentre the wheel

[T_J_G]

take it back and get them to check the tracking if they didnt when fitting the new struts (they should have!!)
If the tracking is ok, and theres an equal number of turns lock to lock, just recentre the wheel

I didn't get it done at a garage my g/f's grandad did it for me as a huge favour!

Do you meant lock---> centre  then centre to lock the other way?

Tim

[rubjonny]

yep,  might just need to check the angle of the hubs on both front struts, what I do is set both sides to max camber then work from there.

[bomp]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I have a relevant query.

Rubjonny, I've bought the .5mm narrower shank bolts, Part No 903-334-01, so I can adjust
the camber from the bottom of the strut.

When you say "set camber to max", do I apply this by pulling the top of the wheel out,
and push bottom of the wheel inward.

Thanks in advance.

[rubjonny]

you only need those camber bolts if your suspension has been bent in some way so that it does not allow you to set the camber to spec using the std bolts, or you want to set even more camber than is possible with the std setup.
There should be enough adjustment in the std setup to set it to a good -ve camber

To set -ve camber you pull the bottom of the hub out and push the top in, to set +ve camber you pull the top out and push the bottom in.  -ve camber is what you want, I set both sides to max with the std setup and it handles great but with even tire wear

If you set it to max with the narrow bolts you'll get quite a bit more and I'd expect you would start to see uneven wear.

[jammac]

your saying having the -ve camber makes the car handle better? my golf that ive not long had, has redently had top suspension mounts and front bearings replaced. the -ve camber was very obvious to the eye and i thought it hadnt been setup after the said work had been done (im not a mechanic so i thought prehaps it needed setting up, and wasnt a fashion statement). everytime i went over a bump in the road the car seemed to bounce sideways.

went and got the wheel camber set to manufacture spec and the car now handles like a dream. it jumps forwards through bumps in the road now instead of an unnerveing sideways!

[rubjonny]

Yes I am, the book spec is -35' +- 20'

-ve camber is where the top of the wheel sticks in further than the bottom of the wheel

[jammac]

seems very queer. maybe there is more to this situation than meets the eye coz its definatly driving better now than what it was. would it be common practice for the garage who did the wheel bearings and suspension to set the camber correctly? i assumed they didnt have the correct equipment as theres only a couple who have such gear out here in the sticks.

[jammac]

maybe the camber was set more negative than -35? would that be possible?