bushwhacker Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Been out with the spare washing line no string or electric wire available. 😋 So I have the line touching both front and rear of each front tyre center, on the drivers side it is ok on the rear tyre but on the passenger side the rear tyre is approximatly 15mm from the line to the front of the tyre. Do I need to adjust or is it ok as is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Sounds like you have toe in. You should have toe out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 He’s talking about the rear axle. Unless front is out massively. Defenders are rarely square but 15mm difference across the wheel diameter points to a problem with either bearings or the axle. Are all the bushes etc. okay? On mine with the string round all four corners it just touches on both sides of each wheel, in other words I set the tracking dead ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) I had this issue (max of 5mm probably more like 2-3mm though from memory at that back wheel) It was like the rear axle was ever so slightly twisted. I posted on here and general consensus was that it was LR build tolerances. So.....i gave up with the string and measured the distance between the inner rims on the front and back of the front wheels and adjusted so it was 0mm toe in/out i.e. parallel. I check straight ahead roughly by centerimg the steering box using the key on the back of the drop arm then go for a drive and fine tune by adjusting the drag link. Been doing it this way for the last 60k or more. It drives straight and I get no uneven tyre wear at all. The rear BFG ATs have done over 100k miles and they started life on the front. Edited February 21, 2019 by reb78 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 39 minutes ago, Retroanaconda said: He’s talking about the rear axle. That is not how I read it. His description is quite vague. All you are looking at is the toe, so the line from the front tyres to the rear is all that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 Thanks for the replies, the 15mm is on the rear passenger tyre. The fronts are even on the tyre front and rear of driver side and passenger . I'll run it how it is and see how it goes. The 90 was a fixer upper new tre's and track rod and a shed load of other things. 😢 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 As I understand it , you are running a line straight from the front tire to the rear. If there is a gap, you have toe in. Adjust the toe. That said, what you are doing is not at all clear..... And that tyre is garbage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotts90 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Better to measure to the rim (assuming it’s the same as the front). Different tyres, pressure, condition (as mentioned) and load may cause the sidewall to flex differently from the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I agree with the above. it sounds like your are checking if the string touches both sides of the tyre evenly with the string straight - and have a rear wheel (albeit measured from the tyre) that doesn’t seem to sit square to the others... I’d measure the distances between inside of the wheel rims as close to inline with the axle centres as you can. It could all be dodgy tyres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 11 hours ago, Red90 said: That is not how I read it. His description is quite vague. All you are looking at is the toe, so the line from the front tyres to the rear is all that matters. He's doing this. The string is 15mm off of the front of the rear left wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 (edited) Do you have a lift kit fitted/taller than standard suspension ? Toe in at the front can cause the line to move away from the front of the rear tyre, turn the steering until you get the same gap at the front of both rear tyres, if you can. If you have toe out on the front then, with the steering straight, you'll see a gap appear at the rear of the front tyres. Edited February 22, 2019 by Dave W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted February 22, 2019 Author Share Posted February 22, 2019 The 15mm gap is only at the left side of the rear passenger tyre as you look at it everything else looks good. Completely standard set up. Yes it was Hybrid's mini tech I was using worked very well for my 110. 👍 I'll do the measuring on the front wheels and see what I have. Thanks again for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dailysleaze Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I did the string method once and whilst everything looked aligned, it turned out to be 8mm toe out and ruined my brand new tyres in 20k miles. Now I do the curtain-pole-rim-to-rim method and having it checked at the garage has confirmed this way to be pretty accurate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 41 minutes ago, dailysleaze said: I did the string method once and whilst everything looked aligned, it turned out to be 8mm toe out and ruined my brand new tyres in 20k miles. Now I do the curtain-pole-rim-to-rim method and having it checked at the garage has confirmed this way to be pretty accurate. I do similar and use a modified old track rod now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 3 hours ago, bushwhacker said: The 15mm gap is only at the left side of the rear passenger tyre as you look at it everything else looks good. Completely standard set up. Yes it was Hybrid's mini tech I was using worked very well for my 110. 👍 I'll do the measuring on the front wheels and see what I have. Thanks again for the help. Are you saying the string is touching the rear tire at the front or back and has a 15mm gap at the other side? Then your axle is seriously bent. I suspect, though that you are doing something wrong. Take a picture further back of what you are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 4 hours ago, dailysleaze said: I did the string method once and whilst everything looked aligned, it turned out to be 8mm toe out and ruined my brand new tyres in 20k miles. Now I do the curtain-pole-rim-to-rim method and having it checked at the garage has confirmed this way to be pretty accurate. I use a curtain pole too - and when I’ve had it checked afterwards it’s always been spot on 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 (edited) I can’t see how one rear wheel can be out of line, as it’s a straight forward live axle with no adjustments possible. You could adjust the alignment of the axle but it would alter the other side as well. Unless the offset of the front/rear wheel is somehow incorrect, such as if you fitted a spacer behind the wheel. If the whole axle was located incorrectly (maybe due to accident damage) then it would surely show on the other side as well. But he says the other side is fine. Edited February 22, 2019 by Lightning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Lightning said: I can’t see how one rear wheel can be out of line, as it’s a straight forward live axle with no adjustments possible. The only way is a severely bent axle. That is why I suspect he is just doing something wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Or a buckled rim and/or a massive deflection in the tyre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Tyre damage, I've seen bulging tyres that would cause that. Farmers vehicle, had steel wires sticking out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted February 22, 2019 Author Share Posted February 22, 2019 Right got the wife's extending mop shaft out (less the mop bit) done the front of the front wheels and the the back of the front wheels. I am getting approximatley plus 15mm difference at the back of the front wheels. So as it had looked the passenger front wheel needs to come in at the back or out at the front (this should bring the line in at the front of the passenger rear wheel) which is the way I think I will adjust as the track rod ends on the track rod are both nice and even. Unfortunately I ca'nt try this out until Sunday as we have a forest event on Saturday. I will keep an eye on wear. I bought this 90 as a complete unknown and I am just sorting it out for an MOT. I hope this makes sense. 😵 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I would suggest you try and identify if you have a bent axle or not. I used a length of braising wire to check the distance between the front and rear of the rims of the front wheels. I suggest you do this simple check to see if your wheels at the front are parallel or near to it. If one is wildly out it could be pulling the string away from the front of the rear tyre but it would need to be something severely wrong to pull it away 15mm from one edge of the rear tyre. I'd also do a check on the rear axle as this should also help t see if the rear axle is bent... (Edit - You posted at the same time as me... Definitely need to shorten the drag link ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 (edited) Well if it’s the FRONT wheels that show a 15mm difference then it could just be that your tracking is out. Why not take it into a tyre fitter and get the tracking checked, it will at least eliminate that as an issue. Edited February 22, 2019 by Lightning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I concur that it sounds like the front tracking is out. I set mine this way: Put string tightly around vehicle. Set steering box in straight ahead position (using slot at rear of drop arm) Adjust drag link to set front left (passenger side) wheel dead in line with rear wheel on same side. Adjust track rod to now put front right (drivers side) wheel dead in line with rear wheel on same side. Reposition steering wheel on column if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I misread it then - I though you were saying one of the back wheels was out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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