Board logo

Using a tracrite
WestfieldSEI - 21/9/14 at 11:37 AM

I have bought a tracrite (gunson's), no sniggering now!.
I find the instructions with it a little basic. If I roll the vehicle over the tracrite this is showing me the total toe rather than individual toe per wheel, I get that, but it doesn't really explain which trackrod I have to adjust to bring the wheels back into the correct toe?
any help gratefully appreciated.
TA

Sam_68 - 21/9/14 at 11:45 AM

If your steering wheel is centred correctly, then you will need to adjust both trackrods by an equal amount in order to keep it thus.

britishtrident - 21/9/14 at 01:34 PM

You probably find no matter who carefully you adjust both track rods equally you end up doing a minor re-adjustment to re-centre the steering after a road test.
Be careful to check the white pointer in the Trackrite is properly engaged with the rivet in the top plate before driving a vehicle over.

I found after a lot use I had to trim the plastic rollers that act as bearings for the top plate by a small ammout so they sat snugly in their recesses.

WestfieldSEI - 23/9/14 at 06:33 AM

Thanks. I think that makes sense.

steve m - 23/9/14 at 07:28 AM

I have a Trackrite and found it absolutely useless

in the end I used two long pieces of straight wood, pointing in front of the car, and bolted to the front hubs
measure the distance at different points, and adjust the trackrods to suit, until all the measurements were the same,
ie 0% tracking


steve

WestfieldSEI - 23/9/14 at 09:47 AM

What did you find 'useless' about it? It does seem they give the marmite effect, people either love them or loathe them. I believe it the fact that all gunson's stuff appears to be useful but then the instructions are all incomplete, they tell you how to use the tool but not how to make the adjustments necessary from the information the tool gives, if that makes sense?!

loggyboy - 23/9/14 at 09:52 AM

I would only ever use one as a basic guide to get things 'close'. Before taking it to a garage to be done properly within a few hundred miles.

whitestu - 23/9/14 at 09:59 AM

I've got one and thought it was great - really easy to use and gave consistent results.

steve m - 23/9/14 at 10:07 AM

I have tried numerous times to get them to work, and have given up, and gone back to basics, ie two pieces if wood and tape measure

The trakcrites need to be attached to the floor, as they skate around, and really should have a rubber backing to stop the slip
but I screwed them to the floor

EVERY time I move the car on and off I get a different reading, and even if I was going to use them now, and I know my car is on zero, they will read +0.5 to -0.5 each time

My set are old, and I was given them something like 20 years ago, as my neighbour could never get them working properly either

Just my experience with them

steve

WestfieldSEI - 23/9/14 at 11:31 AM

quote:
Originally posted by steve m
I have tried numerous times to get them to work, and have given up, and gone back to basics, ie two pieces if wood and tape measure

The trakcrites need to be attached to the floor, as they skate around, and really should have a rubber backing to stop the slip
but I screwed them to the floor

EVERY time I move the car on and off I get a different reading, and even if I was going to use them now, and I know my car is on zero, they will read +0.5 to -0.5 each time

My set are old, and I was given them something like 20 years ago, as my neighbour could never get them working properly either

Just my experience with them

steve


It wasn't a criticism, just interested to know what people find. I don't find it skates about but I am quite fortunate to have access to a polished concrete floor to use it which I think helps.
I too suffer from it not giving repeatable results but again this I believe is down to the poor instructions not suggesting that the wheels may suffer from large amounts of runout and so to take at least two readings and average it.

I like the fact that it takes dynamic readings and not static ones but with the car on the ground its a PITA to adjust the track rods easily.

whitestu - 23/9/14 at 11:50 AM

Maybe they have changed over the years as I didn't notice mine slipping, but I bought them new a couple of years ago.

I used a home made laser & mirror setup to set the track initially and then bought the Trackrite as I wasn't confident in my measurements. The Trakrite gave almost exactly the same resulyt so I was happy!

I also used it on the rear as several people had suggested that Indy's often have unequal settings left to right or even toe out at the back, but luckily mine was spot on.

Stu

britishtrident - 23/9/14 at 12:38 PM

They are pretty accurate, probably as accurate a typical garage's old style periscope and mirror or laser Dunlop or Sealey gauges.

There used to be a similar device to the Trakrite a much robust special tool used by Triumph dealerships I think it was made by Bradbury in the 1950s/60s?

There is as easy test to see if you have an accurate result, check the reading going forwards then without zeroing reverse back over the Trakrite the reading should go back to very close to zero.


The problem is as with most Gunson stuff is it is not robust enough, the carboard box it comes in probably costs more to manufacture.

The only two problems I found were (1) the pointer is easily broken, after loaning one to a friend I ended up having to make a replacement. (2) The little plastic rollers that act as bearings between the two plates were too long for the grooves they are located in and as a result cause friction this was easily fixed by trimming the length of the rollers by a few mm.

Slimy38 - 23/9/14 at 04:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by WestfieldSEI
What did you find 'useless' about it? It does seem they give the marmite effect, people either love them or loathe them. I believe it the fact that all gunson's stuff appears to be useful but then the instructions are all incomplete, they tell you how to use the tool but not how to make the adjustments necessary from the information the tool gives, if that makes sense?!


+1 to that, that sentence describes the Eezibleed absolutely perfectly!!

WestfieldSEI - 23/9/14 at 07:50 PM

Well off-topic now but I have an eezibleed and the first time I used it I ended up with brake fluid everywhere, in the end I stopped putting brake fluid in the eezibleed bottle, just topped the master cylinder reservoir right to the top and then pressurised it using the eezibleed and it works fine. You have to refill the reservoir more often but you don't end up with a brake fluid fountain!