weird mr2 tracking allignment issue

[lazarus]

Hello all

 

I have a revision 2 mr2 mk2. Ever since I got the car it has crooked steering. The car drifts to the left if the steering wheel is kept straight.

 

Since then I have had the car looked at by 4 different shops, doing 4 wheel alignment. the problem persisted unchanged.

 

It was as if noone had ever done any work on the car. This happened again today. Shop looked at it. Set everything straight, gave me printouts explained the values to me , explained everything, drove off and the car was EXACTLY the same.

 

I have had 3 different sets of wheels on that car, with 4 different sets of tyres and the problem has been there exactly the same every single time.

 

Can anyone shed any light on this.. any ideas ... anything ??????

 

 

thank you

[CIH]

Can we see the latest print-outs ?

[Tony]

Hello

The printouts would speak volumes.... If this isn't possible could you type the end values for the SAI or it might say KPI and the values for the front set-back.

[lazarus]

Hello

The printouts would speak volumes.... If this isn't possible could you type the end values for the SAI or it might say KPI and the values for the front set-back.

 

 

I will fetch them for you guys in a few minutes .. thank you .

[Tony]

Hello

The printouts would speak volumes.... If this isn't possible could you type the end values for the SAI or it might say KPI and the values for the front set-back.

 

 

I will fetch them for you guys in a few minutes .. thank you .

 

No need to thank us.... this is what we do

[lazarus]

Hello guys

 

you want believe how much trouble i had installing my scanner ..

 

anyway these are my numbers :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No need to thank us.... this is what we do

 

but I do thank you for you time.

[Tony]

That is not a full Geometry?...... The most important angles haven't been measured ie castor/ kpi/ set-back and so on, this is why your problem is persisting.

[lazarus]

That is not a full Geometry?...... The most important angles haven't been measured ie castor/ kpi/ set-back and so on, this is why your problem is persisting.

 

 

Thanks.. I will go back in there again this morning ... i will ask to get these done if possible.. they should be able to do it.

 

 

I will let you know ..

[Rich]

That is not a full Geometry?...... The most important angles haven't been measured ie castor/ kpi/ set-back and so on, this is why your problem is persisting.

 

 

Thanks.. I will go back in there again this morning ... i will ask to get these done if possible.. they should be able to do it.

 

 

I will let you know ..

 

Chances are they don't have the equipment to measure those angles otherwise they'd be on the report. May have to find someone else.

[lazarus]

hello guys

 

first of all I thank you for you time

 

OK, I went to the shop again, camber was adjusted on o/s wheel also to no effect.

 

The angles mentioned above were not measured. I was told the geometry of the car was perfect and nothing was bent or anything like that.

 

To correct the left drift /crooked steering problem the shop offset the steering.

 

the result now is that the car drives straight, the steering has become neutral again, it is as sensitive as my other MR2 and in general it feels like normal.

 

1- However my main question is : Did this correct the problem or merely mask it by compensating for it ?

 

2- if the chassis was bent or twisted (although the car has no indication of major damage ever) , setting the 4 wheel alignment correct to a straight steering wheel would still make the car go at least straight no matter how off everything else would be in terms of handling etc ..

am I wrong to assume that ??

 

3- How much of a full geometry set-up can be done on an MR2 , not being very knowledgable I have heard they are particularly difficult cars in terms of setting up their suspension geometry . ( the car is stock with the exception of 16' alloy wheels)

 

4- Who near Portsmouth/Southampton would be capable of carrying out a full geometry set up like the one you are suggesting.

 

 

once more thank you so much for you time

[CIH]

I haven't done an MR2 but given the big aftermarket support for the car they're bound to be fully adjustable, though it would require parts being fitted and the geometry re-done. Sounds like the problem has essentially been fixed but ask them why the top box has empty fields ie; castor, kp(i), IA etc......

 

I imagine Tony will say something like "They have no right to make adjustments or declare the geometry perfect without getting the full picture first"

Either way, I assume you paid for a full geometry and it's not hard to get a full picture, even if they do not know what those figures mean.

 

Have you got any print-outs from the previous sessions by the other workshops ?

[lazarus]

I haven't done an MR2 but given the big aftermarket support for the car they're bound to be fully adjustable, though it would require parts being fitted and the geometry re-done. Sounds like the problem has essentially been fixed but ask them why the top box has empty fields ie; castor, kp(i), IA etc......

 

I imagine Tony will say something like "They have no right to make adjustments or declare the geometry perfect without getting the full picture first"

Either way, I assume you paid for a full geometry and it's not hard to get a full picture, even if they do not know what those figures mean.

 

Have you got any print-outs from the previous sessions by the other workshops ?

 

 

See I am a car geometry noob, I had and still have no idea about most things.. I am currently looking through my pile of papers for the latest alignment done to the car prior to the latest. if I find it I will put it up.

having had the chat with you guys though in the forum I know doubt any of the tests on my car was a full geometry test. more like just standard 4 wheel alignment thingie

 

back to my questions though

1-- offsetting the steering , solves or masks real problem

2-- Anyone you know near Portsmouth/Southampton who could do a full geometry test and set up ?

 

 

cheers

[Tony]

Something stinks here...... On the printout the camber and toe positions were perfectly symmetrical so they cannot influence the steering position, a change in the camber to correct another geometric fault would need to be dramatic and not advisable since the change would be dynamic, meaning it's an absolute guess.

 

Why didn't they measure the full Geometry once again, the machine is more than able to gather all the angles i highlighted?..... Do you want me to give the me to call them and explain the error of their ways?

 

At the end of the day mate they are at fault not you so it's up to them to offer the "full picture" and then identify the real criminal causing your complaint, or on the phone to them i will.

[Rich]

So it's possible to do a part or full geometry on these? Why have that option when it only gives half the picture as it shouldn't take much longer to measure the other angles anyway.

[lazarus]

Tony

I don't undestand something.

 

If they have the capacity to do a full geometry check why didn't they. As I said I am a noob, so I go to the shop and I tell them what the problem is.

 

they then proceed from that to do what ever they feel is necessary for the problem to be fixed. If they haven't done a full geometry check perhaps I am at fault in not explaining properly what I needed ?

 

What should have I said??.

 

The shop staff were very good very polite and very patient with the car, they had it checked 4 times after 4 test drives by me. So it is not like they were head strong and just let me complaining.

 

If they didn't do a full geometry check did they perhaps think it was not necessary because I didn't relay the message properly, I made the problem appear it was something else than it really was ?

 

I thoughtful of the fact that from a dead straight set-up as done first time around , the next changes were made to the camber on both wheels which is usually done on an MR2 mk2 only if lowering springs have been fitted along with larger wheels. The next change was to offset the steering to correct the issue but the other changes have not been set back to original values.

 

apologies for the long post

[lazarus]

bump

[MarkO]

bump

tony is snowed under at the moment he said he will catch up with you later

[CIH]

I think it depends how much they offset the wheel by. The steering wheel's "straight ahead" position is subjective so minor corrections aren't so strange. If it was like half a turn or something that would be crazy.

[Tony]

So it's possible to do a part or full geometry on these? Why have that option when it only gives half the picture as it shouldn't take much longer to measure the other angles anyway.

 

No idea mate?..... For whatever reason you can opt for primary or primary and secondary.

[Tony]

Tony

I don't undestand something.

 

If they have the capacity to do a full geometry check why didn't they. As I said I am a noob, so I go to the shop and I tell them what the problem is.

 

they then proceed from that to do what ever they feel is necessary for the problem to be fixed. If they haven't done a full geometry check perhaps I am at fault in not explaining properly what I needed ?

 

What should have I said??.

 

The shop staff were very good very polite and very patient with the car, they had it checked 4 times after 4 test drives by me. So it is not like they were head strong and just let me complaining.

 

If they didn't do a full geometry check did they perhaps think it was not necessary because I didn't relay the message properly, I made the problem appear it was something else than it really was ?

 

I thoughtful of the fact that from a dead straight set-up as done first time around , the next changes were made to the camber on both wheels which is usually done on an MR2 mk2 only if lowering springs have been fitted along with larger wheels. The next change was to offset the steering to correct the issue but the other changes have not been set back to original values.

 

apologies for the long post

 

Most times your explanation of the complaint would be solved by measuring the camber and toe, if the complaint remains then the other angles should have been measured. Obviously i feel this is the way it should be done every time.

 

Personally i feel company's don't measure a full Geometry because they don't understand the information gathered, had the company you used taken a full image then we would know exactly what's wrong.

 

I can't offer a reason why the sequence of events has left the steering in the current condition without a full picture of the entire chassis as it is now.