Kwik-Fit Wheel Alignment - Can it be Trusted

[Dave999]

interesting read, ive got a 2004 SRT10 Ram, the previous owner had the alignment done over here, i can only assume its been set neutral rather than for our cambered roads as you always have to keep it right or it pulls left, looking for someone knows what they are doing to adjust it

if they followed the US workshop manual they may have it set for cambered roads where you drive on the right hand side.
ideally they would transpose settings from one side to the other as applicable for the road it is to be driven on not the cars steering wheel position

is it ok on the flat? if you can let go and not visit the barrier it may be set neutral if you can't its just wrong...it needs to go straight with no steering wheel input and ideally still stay straight if you apply the brakes....can save you if a steering column joint lets go.

if the front is set right look to the rear is the distance fore and aft between a point on the chassis and a point on the axle case the same on both sides
if it wasn't you'd be crabbing down the road like a classic mini with its rear subframe welded in wonky.

Dave

[aussie pete]

Years ago I had a ( classic British) car tracked at klick krap,..as I left it transpired that I could turn on a sixpence in one direction and barely turn off straight the other ( i.e. All adjustments made in one direction) suffice to say a complaint was made.
As a footnote, I had the (Aussie) charger tracked at an accident repair centre using the date from the factory workshop manual using their 4 wheel laser aliigner,...result ,..front tyres wore out in 2000 miles.
Conclusion,..I now do my own adjustments

[Bozwell]

simple tracking method is the square around the wheels.

easiest way is to have two bars about 300mm wider than the cars track and cut notches in the ends at exactly the same points on each bar.

put the bars on axle stands, one at the front of the car and one at the rear. set them to the height of the wheel centres.

run fishing line/wire front to rear in the notches, one each side of the car, with weights at one end to keep the wire in tension. this is your square (rectangle but I'll say square as easier).


with a tape measure/ruler measure the distance from the wire to the wheel centres and make sure they are the same each side. Tap the calibrated bars left or right to centre. (front and rear measurements will be different due to track differences. just make sure rear measurements match and front measurements match.)


you now have the square centred to the car. with the tape measure/ruler now measure each wheel at the wire to rim so you end up with eight measurements. (two for each wheel, write on a pad for reference)

lets just concentrate on the front. if the four measurements are the same then the wheels are dead ahead and you have zero tracking.

if for example the measurements you read are 2mm longer at the front part of the rim to the rear part of the rim measured from the wire, then you will have 4mm toe in

if you have one that has a longer measurement at the front of the rim, and the other with a longer measurement at the back of the other side rim then the steering is not centred (although with a bit of mathematics you should still be able to work out the tracking)


the last paragraph is good for centring your steering wheel, with the steering wheel in a dead ahead position the measurements at the front wheels should be even. i.e. both with zero difference or say 1mm longer each side to give 2mm total toe in.


remember the measurements are from the wire so may seem reversed but draw yourself an exaggerated diagram and it should make sense.