tracking

**asifxxxx** · 07-12-2006,01:53 AM

Hi,

With all the wet weather we're having, I've gone through loads of puddles (some shallow, some deep) on the road sometimes faster than I should.

I'm not doing damage to the car am I? Will tracking be affected?
Even with traction control on the 2003 A4?

Cheers.

**onzarob** · 07-12-2006,02:30 PM

I wouldn't advise going through puddles too fast due to aqua planeing, which can seriuosly damage yor car....ie causing you to crash!!!!

Tracking won't be affected by water, potholes can cause more issues here.

Rob

**asifxxxx** · 08-12-2006,01:22 AM

You're totally right!! I thought I noticed the steering slightly pulling to one side and thought damn those bloody puddles, they're everywhere!

Surely the traction control is supposed to help avoid tracking problems in that it distributes power differentially to the wheels? e.g. if going through a deep puddle at speed, the wheel taking the impact will have its power increased to counteract the force of the water? Or am I talking nonsense?!

Cheers.

**onzarob** · 08-12-2006,08:44 AM

Tracking is due to steering not traction. basicall you hit the water it grabs the wheel and pulls it in. If you hit it hard enough you will spin!!!

The traction control, controls power delivery to normal road surface wet or dry. It still requires the driver to make judgemnts as it can only make slight adjustments to traction.

Rob

**tony_anon** · 08-12-2006,11:54 PM

Ok, I get it now. Do you think when the water grabs the wheel and pulls it in, the tracking will be affected? I'm sure there's a slight change since I hit a deepish puddle. Car is pulling slightly to the right with the steering wheel dead centre.

Maybe I should pop into the local garage and get the tracking checked?

Cheers.

**onzarob** · 09-12-2006,11:01 AM

Hitting water can be as hard as hiting a pot hole, so yes your tracking may now be out, get it checked.

Happy motoring.

Rob

**asifxxxx** · 15-12-2006,08:44 PM

Got the trakcing checked. Left wheel was spot on, right wheel was out by 2 units. Garage said it was perfectly set, only the 2 units out, so no need to alter it. I told them the steering wheel is slightly to the left when going straight but when I centre the steering wheel, the car moves slightly to the right! They said its not the tracking.

Can the steering wheel be set to the centre position using the steering lock facility i.e. which allows you to change steering wheel height and towards you/away from you position?

**onzarob** · 19-12-2006,04:14 PM

Ok, I think I know what going on here.

I'll explain what pulling to the left/right means it when you drive straight (Not steering wheel straight, but car is going in a straight line) if you lhold the steering wheel loose in your hands the car then starts to move to the left/right without any driver input. that is pulling and can be due to the tracking.

If you hold the steering wheel straight and the car move to the left/right then the steering is not centred correctly, this can be due to poor adjustment of the tracking,but not due to the tracking being out. If this is the case then you either remove the steering wheel (You can't use the console adjustment) and centre it or you get the garage to adjust the tracking, after setting the steering wheel to centre. The garage should be aware of this.

Finally tracking is the road wheels alignment to each other, which needs to be almost parrallel with the front edge in by 1 or 2 degrees, called toe in. like the diagram below but not so exaggerated

Hope that helps

Rob

**asifxxxx** · 19-12-2006,06:57 PM

Totally get it now, many thanks for that explanation!! (and pic!).

The front edge in the right wheel was in by about 2 degrees but the left wheel was at 0 i.e. not towed in by the same amount as the other wheel.

So when I get the garage to adjust the tracking, after setting the steering wheel to the centre, should they set both wheels to be the same i.e. about 2 degrees toeing in?

**onzarob** · 19-12-2006,09:49 PM

Glad you like the diagram, worth a thousand words and all that!!!

The toe in figures for a standard supspesion A4 are 1/6 of a degree +/- 0.1 of a degree. But the garage should have the figures. If yours is 2 degrees one side and 0 the other the when the car is running straight they will both be 1 degree! But the steering wheel will be out slighlty.

Now to adjust this there is a nut on each side of the steering rack, these are call track rods,each side needs to be adjusted whilst the steering wheel is straight and all should be great.

Now one more complication, there are two types of wheel alignment tool, 2 wheel and 4 wheel . 2 wheel is obvious as it takes care of the front 2. 4 wheel is when they also take into consideration the rear wheels, this makes sure the car is running true by taking measurments to the rear wheels. Somes garage have this setup as it gives a more accurate setup. I had this done on my golf at a national tyre fitters and they did an excellent job.

I hope thats enough info for now. I suggest you watch as they do it and it will become clear and you can see that its done properly.

It great to get the basics right first before getting stuck into the extra complexities of modern cars. By the way the toe in helps the steering centre, along with camber and castor, but thats another diagram

Rob