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MG TD TF 1500 - Wheel Alignment

Hi,

I've read a number of articles on wheel alignment for my 51 TD but looking at it eye level it seems like a camber adjustment not toe in, which from what I understand is not adjustable? I can't find any videos and the adjustment of the tie rod is a mystery to me. Here's a pic of the wheel, the tread and angle look like camber issue but the wear looks like toe in. I'm totally ignorant into alignment. Can someone send me some pics or diagram of what I'm supposed to be adjusting to see if that can help resolve the issue? FYI I think this is what was causing the shuddering in my prior post.

Steve



SD Denham

What's the other wheel look like
If it's a toe problem they 'should' both be the same
If it's just the one wheel it's most likely camber
a wheel alignment readout is your best bet
willy
William Revit

It's just the one wheel, I see directions on how to make a gauge from a 1x2 and some carpenter squares but that is for toe in I think.
SD Denham

I think you need to remove the wheel so that we can have a proper look. It could be that something is not right with the suspension assembly.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Might be that top swivel pin (trunnion) is assembled 180 deg out.

Maybe a photo with wheel removed?

Peter
P G Gilvarry

It is very hard to see from your photo but it looks like you have a bent stub axle/king pin.
A line drawn through the king pin axis should hit he ground in the centre of the tyre contact point. See WSM fig K3
You can check this yourself.
Jack up that side under the spring pan as close to the end as possible till the tyre just clears the ground. Mark the tyre centre on the ground, remove the wheel and use a straight edge to see the alignment.
Ray TF2884
Ray Lee

I agree with above suggestions. For a crude check, use a carpenter's level, and compare to the other side. The wheels/tires should be close to straight up and down. If the lower edge is leaning in a lot, something is broken/bent/loose, etc. George
George Butz III

I always thought that castor, king pin inclination and other such settings were fixed on a T Series and only damage could affect them. What does need to be set though is toe in and toe out, i.e.adjustment of the track rod ends. I took my TF to a specialist but they couldn't set mine because their computerised equipment didn't accept my registration number so I did it myself. I simply fitted a piece of string to a couple of bricks, about six feet behind the car, at wheel centre hight, and stretched the string to two bricks six feet in front of the car. I adjusted the position of the bricks so the string was exactly three inches from the edges of the rear wheel rim at 3 / 9 O'Clock positions. I then made a similar set up at the other side of the car. With the steering wheel dead centred I then adjusted the tracking rods so the 3 / 9 positions on each of the front wheels was the same. This wasn't three inches as on the rears due to differing track sizes but I made certain they were the same for each wheel. This set all my wheels parallel and perhaps there should be some toe in but the car steers beautifully, doesn't pull to either side has even tyre wear.

Jan T
J Targosz

Steve
Any chance of a pic of the other side ,taken from the same spot with the camera lined up with the inside edges of the tyre like the one you provided here
William Revit

You can shim the shock mount to adjust camber.

Warmly,
Dave
Dave Braun

One also has a bit of camber adjustment in the positioning of the links, which can be unscrewed a turn or two on the swivel.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

That amount of wear will not be fixed by shims or link adjustment. It can only happen with a bent kingpin/stub axle. I wacked a kerb on ice and got exactly that wear pattern. I had to hunt scrapyards for a Y type to get the unit ( you could do that in the 70's)
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Ray, do you happen to have a picture of a kingpin and stub axle? I can't find those when looking at Moss Motors section on Steering and Suspension.
SD Denham

Anglo Parts have an illustration at: https://www.angloparts.com/en/catalogues/group/786/mgtd-tf-front-suspension?page=2#img1 Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

As you can guess the one on the left is the undamaged one.
The photo is one I downloaded a bit back, I don't know who it belongs to and hope I haven't trodden on somebody's toes.

Ray TF 2884


Ray Lee

Steve,

The best way to test for straightness of the swivel pin is to, raise and remove the wheel pull the track rod end off the arm then turn the hub assembly fully to one side and the other. If the movement is smooth then the pin is straight, if it tends to jam at each extremity, it is bent. It may be a good idea to grease the trunnions beforehand.

John

52 TD
J Scragg

Re-activated for Ian Bowers.


Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Thanks, Ray
Ian Bowers

Steve and Ian,

any answers to your tracking problems
Ray
Ray Lee

I have not yet tried John Scragg's suggestion, weekends have been full with a 16 year old son and now my 22 year old niece has moved in with me! I did have all tires replaced (FYI if interested, I purchased Federal SS657 All-Season Radial Tire - 165/80R15 87T from Amazon for $54 each, they were delivered directly to a Sears Auto Center and installed for $67) but unfortunately their alignment system could not accommodate my little lady so I'll ask Big O or American Tire if they have gear that can, it would be good to have everything measured with those laser beams so I know exactly what is going on.
SD Denham

Waiting for dry weather here 'up north' where the car lives.

I suspect I will have to reduce the track on one side, but will wait till all the measurements are done and checked again.

When I have THE answer I will report back.
Ian Bowers

This thread was discussed between 23/06/2018 and 02/08/2018

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