Seat of the pants alignment

[Steve777]

Finally got the steering rack replaced on my 00 Golf and so far so good, no signs of leaking PS fluid and I have power steering again. One obvious problem in the short spin (7 miles) I took the car on was the alignment. Even though I counted threads on both sides for the tie rod ends, the car is not handling right and no longer steers straight ahead with the steering wheel centered (it did before). When I eyeball the tires on both sides the passenger side looks OK, but the drivers side front looks like it is not aimed straight ahead.

No problem you say, just get it aligned. Well I will, but I wanted to drive it for a hundred or so miles to be sure the PS system is good (and to have time to throw on a new set of front shocks) before I do the alignment.

So I would like to get the alignment a bit closer (well really very close) by hand. I had heard that the Bentley had manual alignment instructions, but I could not find them in the wheels/alignment or front suspension sections. Does anyone know if and where those instructions might be?

Or any other recipes for doing an alignment by hand (eg no rack, just the standard hand tools). I suppose I can just "play" with the drivers side until the handling improves, but I would feel a bit more confident if there were some instructions and measurements I could do.

TIA

 

[DanG144]

I have used a piece of string on the front side and back side to set the toe in. For your purposes, just set the front side about 1 mm or two shorter than the rear. Once that is set you can simply turn one side in as much as the other side is turned out (one turn, half turn etc) until the wheel is lined up.

I have no idea what the real specs are, but this has always let me run until I can get to a good alignment shop.

 

[PDJetta]

You measure the distance from the fronts of the tire rims and compare with the distance between the rear edges of the tire rims, front tires only, I believe.

--Nate

 

[LessIsMore]

Roll car forward with steering wheel centered. Gun sight along outer edges of front tires to "target" mounted at center cap of rear wheels. Calibrate target device on same model car with proper toe.

 

[Steve777]

Thanks guys. between 1-2mm shorter in the front seems to have done it. No longer have to turn the steering wheel 30deg to keep it going straight. May not be perfect, but it will do until it gets to the alignment shop.

 

[fwbkent]

block of wood w/a nail thru it and a can of spray paint. Raise the wheels up just off the ground, support as close to the ball joints as possible. Spin the wheel and paint the center. Now spin the wheel and w/the block on the ground slide untill the nail sciribes a line in the paint in the center of the tires. With a helper measure across the rear of the tires and across the front. Try to measure as close to 3 and 9 o'clock on the tire as possible. About 1 or 2 mm morre in the front and the tires will not wear. This method will not center the steering wheel , but thats not important for now.

 

[frugality]

Seat of the pants alignment

My initial thought was that you were in the wrong forum....

http://sewingforum.com/forum/index.php