Tracking and alignment

[powderedweeman]

Hi all, bit of a shameless plug here - i recently hit a pothole on my way to work badly enough to stop the car and check that the wheel and suspension was ok.

I booked in online with ATS as they were local to have the alignment checked, long story short it came out worse than it went in. Car went in just for it checking and correcting if needed - i came out with my sterring wheel angled to the right and feeling like it was crabbing down the road. Im also pretty sure that they selected the wrong model of clio on their computer.

To get this corrected i did a bit of googling and the same company across several forums kept getting recommended for up here in the North West- that is Drury Lane auto services near Manchester.

I was soon booked in and went, first impressions excellent especially with the single seater race car awaiting work and several performance vehicles. My car was soon booked in and being aligned on a 'hunter' system. The chap (cant remember his name) was really helpful,gave me a print out of before and after, went through camber, toe, thrust angle etc It also filled me with confidence that they had done work on clio cup racers - always a good sign. Car came out a lot better and after a hard day of driving fully testing it im tempted to say its better than when i first bought it.

So moral of the story, tracking and alignment get it done properly, and for North West people i recommend Drury Lane.

http://www.drurylaneservices.com/

 

[GrumpyTwig]

It's surprising what a fraction of a degree can make, chap who did mine used some fairly basic system but took his time and we chatted about what the car was doing and how it was set up already against the Renault specs.

Sometimes it seems it's a bit of a fine art, we ended up with it toeing in a bit at the front still as that's what the OEM setup says to have but it drives a lot straighter now and actually steers into a corner easier.

 

[nicknameless]

It's surprising what a fraction of a degree can make, chap who did mine used some fairly basic system but took his time and we chatted about what the car was doing and how it was set up already against the Renault specs.

Sometimes it seems it's a bit of a fine art, we ended up with it toeing in a bit at the front still as that's what the OEM setup says to have but it drives a lot straighter now and actually steers into a corner easier.

Front toe in - are you sure? Should be set to toe out.

 

[Mentalpen]

I know a dealer offering free checks on a hunter machine ATM

 

[200 Gordini]

-1 degree is it?

 

[nicknameless]

12 minutes toe out per side I think.

 

[Yiannis197]

chap who did mine used some fairly basic system

Sometimes it seems it's a bit of a fine art, we ended up with it toeing in... straighter now and actually steers into a corner easier.

Exactly! Mark Fish did mine and he didn't use any fancy equipment either. He knew exactly what he was doing though...

However he setup mine with a bit of a toe out..

 

[Curley]

Can anyone recommend somewhere around Coventry/West Midlands?

 

[GrumpyTwig]

Maybe I have it the wrong way round either way it's better now!

P.s. interestingly ignoring what Renault say theres a lot of debate on the web about which is best for a fwd car in/out/parallel. Makes for an interesting read.

 

[nicknameless]

Can anyone recommend somewhere around Coventry/West Midlands?

Not your side of town but chemix in Stourbridge are very good. £38ish with adjustment using hunter equipment.

 

[Willis]

Maybe I have it the wrong way round either way it's better now!

P.s. interestingly ignoring what Renault say theres a lot of debate on the web about which is best for a fwd car in/out/parallel. Makes for an interesting read.

Driven wheels will naturally toe inwards under acceleration due to the torque. Toe in increases straight line stability where as toe out helps agility/responsiveness, generally speaking. Some say a neutral setup is the best of both worlds as you will still toe in under acceleration and gain that little bit more stability but not at the expense of any agility/responsiveness. Of course it's all relative to the individual car and toe or the need for it will vary and change depending on the camber settings as well. It's all linked, bloody witchcraft!!!

As standard the rear wheels on the 197/200 do seem to toe in more than the front do...