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MG MG Y Type - toe-in set

Just had my car assessed for insurance value. The guy who expertised it measured the steering and found some toe-out, three metres per kilometre. While I have not yet converted this figure to angle degrees, this seems a very precise value. Now I just wonder if one could not return it to the desired zero value by turning the trackrod adjusters a defined amount (rather like the Click-Adjust system for valves), so a measurement after adjusting would no longer be neccessary. In other words: I could avoid going to a specialist garage and do it myself. Does anyone know how much to turn for, say, one degree adjustment ? In the archive I saw no such information.
Remo Peter

Remo, I have no idea what it would be in Swiss Francs, but I would either go to a specialist garage and have it done, or better check if between you and he you can fix to borrow his equiment again and play with it.

Paul
Paul Barrow

As the toe-in should be zero, the distance between the front of the frontwheels should be the same as the distance between the back of the front wheels.

As my wheels are not exactly straight, I was toying with the idea of making some plywood triangular dummy wheels for exacter measurement (I want my steering wheel centered when driving straight ahead).
For a proper measurement the suspension needs to be loaded so the triangle will rest on the ground with the longest side and in the top 90degr. corner the bolt- and hub holes will be drilled.

I haven't measured it yet but estimate that the longest side will be a meter or so, enough to get good precision?
Willem van der Veer

Thanks for your hints; but they are exactly what I would like to avoid (I have no means to measure rim distance by the millimetre). Since I know so exactly now how much the steering is "out" (I have even been given a computer diagram), knowing how much to move the nuts to arrive at zero would make it so simple. BTW: Cost in Swiss Francs having it done professionally : 100.- (around 75 EUR or a nice tête-à-tête wine and dine
in a restaurant).
Remo Peter

Remo,

"wine and dine" vs "proper alignment" you really have to get your priorities right LOL!

I suggest you calculate the degrees this way: if the combined toe out is 45 degrees wrong, ratio would be 1000m/km? So that would mean 0,045 degree/m? Total toe out with 3m/km would be 3 x 0,045 = 0,135 degrees. To correct this you would have to turn each wheel half this amount: 0,0675 degrees....

Can you feel this "enourmous misalignment" on the tyre? When you rub the palm of your hand over the thread of the tyre the movement should feel the same in both directions. Toe out produces sharp ridges on the thread that you feel when rub to the car side, to much toe in can be felt when rubbing to the outside.

I know and admire the Swiss obsession with precision but suggest you invite your wife for a "nice tête-à-tête wine and dine in a restaurant"? Bon appetit!
Willem van der Veer

Dear Willem
I had not yet taken out my pocket calculator, nor even roughly figured out what the "out" angle really was like, so thanks for your figures - now I see why in the valuation report it said "marginally negative". Just not worth bothering, I guess. We'll have our dinner over the weekend July 16/17, at the Swiss MG Club rally in the Alps, combined with mountain steam train ride. And I think only in the Netherlands (and soon in Spain) I could call HIM my wife - in this country the people just voted for a registered partnership, but not(yet?)marriage. By the way, did anything come out of the contact to my clubmate who had YA wheels for sale ? I remember you being interested.
Best wishes from Zurich: Remo
Remo Peter

O, well invite your partner for dinner then, my mistake.

Where is the gathering in Switserland? On Sunday I will be going on a three week holiday to Wallis (Arolla was the last destination chosen by my wife). I haven't thought much about the wheels anymore, the Y is misbehaving very badly by overheating constantly and I haven't had the time or funds to fix it properly.

I will take your and the "wheelsellers" phonenumber with me, in case I can pursuade my wife to transport the wheels back to Holland in the caravan. When I asked her if she would mind, she said she would.....
Willem van der Veer

Dear Willem
I will tell you about event details in a separate mail, because this is off topic.(or if any other Y drivers will be in Switzerland next weekend, ask me directly !)
Remo
Remo Peter

This thread was discussed between 06/07/2005 and 09/07/2005

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