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MG MGF Technical - Tracking

Hi all
a month ago i just did a new tacking on my VVC and choose +0°5' on every wheels (but here in Geneva the machine doesn't show the values in degrees but in mm, is it the same? i do not know and the mechanical too) so here is my probleme i didn't like to drive the car like this, the steering wheels was really too easy and the car was moving too easily on the side when the wind was too strong and on the highway it was almost frightening to drive(even in the legal speed), so 2 days ago i came back to change the value for +0°0 in front and +0°5 on the rear and there we saw that the values change a lot compare than a month and 250 kms, all the wheels have different values than what we have set, he said that i drove badly, but i know that it wasn't the case, so why the setting has changed like this ?
now i can tell you that i prefer the setting of the car like this(+0°0 in front and +0°5 on the rear), the car drive like a train on the tracks, yes the steering wheel is harder but as i tild you i prefer like this.
so if you know why it change so fast, please tell it to me, have a great time with our lovely car and be happy the spring has just come, we can remove the hardtop soon, thanks again for your reply, best regards, pascal
PAD Pascandrea

Hi Pascal,

If the settings have changed on all wheels then maybe the rubber bushes on the suspension mounting points are worn; since fitting PowerFlex bushes all round I find that even a big spin on a racetrack doesn't knock the settings out much.
Mike Hankin

Measuring equipment is only as good as the operator using it - and for tracking this rule genuinely applies. Not that I am saying that this is the explanation here - but it can happen. Put the laser prisms on the rim incorrectly, and they'll not send the correct wheel setting back to the computer - and the operator will then adjust the wheel the incorrect amount...

It's usually a case of taking the car back to a specialist you really trust - but finding one in the first place is of course the trick.
Rob Bell

hi again
thanks for your comments
but how to do a good tracking without the laser ?
i am interrested to know it ?
thanks again for your reply
pascal
pascandrea

There are probably more ways that I know of - but the 'classic' way of doing this is using a guide wire and a ruler... You can see Greg at Techspeed using this method here: http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/DIY/steering_rack/images/image_14.JPG
Rob Bell

thanks Rob
i didn't know this method but for sure it's less high tech and i am sure it must work too....
pascandrea

It's doing effectively the same thing as the high-tech methods - but rather than a laser beam, prisms and a sensor, you've got a long stretch of wire and a decent metal ruler! :o) Both methods measure the position of the leading edge of the wheel rim relative to a datum point - it doesn't matter much whether that is a taut wire or a laser...
Rob Bell

If you use nylon fishing line there's no sag.
The difficult bit is making sure the two lines are parallel and square to the car.
Ken Waring

Techspeed have these rather useful jigs that bolt to the front and rear subframes from which the wire/nylon line is strung between - you can make them out in the picture link above.
Rob Bell

Jigs would help a lot but the possible alignment errors between subframes means a lot of accurate measurements and a bit of trig. Once you know the alignment of your sub-frames then it gets a lot easier.
Ken Waring

Very true! :o)
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 23/03/2006 and 29/03/2006

MG MGF Technical index

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