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  • Another tracking query

    So, after reading Bash's threads for the last few days and even having given him a suggestion as to a company who are, certainly as far as the Mercedes forums that I frequent are concerned, the best there is, I find myself with an interesting question.

    Today I've had both front bottom ball joints replaced on my kzn185 on standard tyres, along with both rear springs replaced with Roughtrax +20% rated springs, as recommended by Barry.

    Before the surf went in, it drove like it had since the day I picked it up. Dead straight steering, no pulling, no uneven tyre wear, no noticeable problem.

    Tonight, when I picked it up, I was told to get proper computerised four wheel alignment done as the steering was 'snatchy'. I asked if perhaps the rack bushes had gone, the arb bushes had gone, the rack ends needed replacement and if the track rod ends had packed up. I was told that everything had been checked twice and it was solely down to the tracking.
    He showed me the graduated camber bolts and the paint marks were not aligned. He did not have a four wheel alignment set up and so said that it could only be the alignment and that I must go elsewhere to sort it.
    Is that correct?

    Snatchy is not the word! It feels solid but it wants to do anything except drive in a straight line.
    It's as though the steering rack is no longer connected to the chassis.
    The last time I drove anything that would suddenly wander off to the left or right that badly was a 70's car in the 80's!

    It's a hard pull. Nothing seems to predetermine which way or when it'll pull. The steering doesn't seem loose, it just suddenly needs a fairly large correction one way or the other every 50 metres or so.

    Any suggestions, or will new bottom ball joints really throw it that far out?

    One was knackered, the other one wasn't bad.

  • #2
    HI,

    I have changed the lower ball joints in my 3rd Gen a few weeks ago, original Toyota ones, I then had an alignment done and all is perfect,Also as I drove to the alignment place I hardly noticed any difference.
    Unless they haven't been fitted properly...but I can't think how. The passenger side one was the most knackered, to the point that camber couldn't be done.
    I also have the RT springs. Weird...
    Cheers
    Last edited by tashtego; 6 February 2016, 06:54.

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    • #3
      Just finished work and stood in the pouring rain looking at the front wheels.

      I guess the answer to my question is; it depends on how enthusiastic the fitter is when undoing things to do the job. He must, imo, have undone the track rod ends for some strange reason.

      With the steering wheel in the straight ahead position, the nsf wheel is pointing quite markedly to the left and the osf wheel is pointing quite markedly to the right!
      Much more toe out than I've seen, even on drift cars.

      So that's it now. It's either me or Tony that gets to work on the truck.

      I tried Motorline South Toyota in Bristol last year and I can say with all legality that they are so utterly rubbish, I wouldn't trust them to boil a kettle, let alone work on a vehicle.
      Not of any kind whatsoever after my experience.

      I'll update my other thread on that...

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      • #4
        Wheel alignment specs for 3rd gen kzn185's.

        So, lhs toe out was -7.3mm and rhd toe out was -11.95mm.
        It's no wonder the thing aquaplaned all the way to Gloucester on Wednesday in the pouring rain on the M5!

        I found a guy in Bristol, Lee at FCM Wheel Alignment, based at FCM Motorsport.

        I arrived first thing this morning and the collection of Japanese sports saloons that came out, in order to make room for the day's customers, was fantastic. It certainly looked like these guys mean business and having spent two hours there chatting to a couple of them, it's apparent that they know their Japanese cars and how to improve them. They're about to stick a 2jz into an rx8, which interests me as I'm about to somehow fit a Pettit supercharger to an rx8.

        Anyway, back to wheel alignment.
        To help anybody looking for information in the future, the specs for a kzn185w are as follows:

        Caster Min 1°45'
        Caster Max 3°15'

        Camber Min -1°00'
        Camber Max 0°30'

        Toe Min -0.2 mm
        Toe Max 0.7 mm

        The above figures apply to both sides and I hope this may be of use to someone.

        Mine now goes in a straight line and the steering wheel points straight ahead too.

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