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Topic: Not enough adjustment in track rods to get properly aligned (Read 592 times) previous topic - next topic

Not enough adjustment in track rods to get properly aligned

hi folks

Just back from trying to get my tracking/geometry done having changed more or less all the steering and suspension on my 1.6 petrol. The guys at the garage told me that it was impossible to do as there was not enough adjustment on the track rods. they unscrewed the track rod ends until the thread dropped out but still not enough to get things lined up.

Does this ring any bells for anyone?

My first though was that there might be two different length and i'd fitted the short one but a quite look doesn't show up any different length parts.

Something could be bent somewhere but seems unlikely as I've just changed everything.

Any thoughts wlecome - had a search for old threads but didn't throw anything up.

All the best
Ogz

Re: Not enough adjustment in track rods to get properly aligned

Reply #2 –
Something to look into... When I was getting my own and if I recall correctly there were differences in length for cars with and without PAS, plus the type of PAS even mattered too - ZF or TRW aren't compatible.

Re: Not enough adjustment in track rods to get properly aligned

Reply #3 –
I believe the ZF/TRW spec steering was only available for 93-98 year golf/Jetta?

Re: Not enough adjustment in track rods to get properly aligned

Reply #4 –
Thanks for replies:

Car is not modified or lowered - everything is stock

Not sure if was one side or both sides. If i've understand the process right they centre the steering wheel before doing the adjustments. If this is the case and I've had the steering wheel off and put it back on un-centered then this could mean that one side was sufficiently of to mean there wasn't enough adjustment, but not both sides. Is this what you were thinking?



Re: Not enough adjustment in track rods to get properly aligned

Reply #5 –
Can you post up the make / part number of the new rods, maybe even measure them for yourself in mm (the bare rods, without ends etc.)?

Do you (or did you once) have PAS - also guessing you don't have the old ones to compare to?

Because my car is such a late one, made just as the MK3 was coming on line, there's some factory cross over of MK3 mechanical bits on it. It makes me wary as I've been caught out before when the correct MK2 bits are different to what I need.

I've definitely a TRW rack, though having said that I do still think the ZF and TRW were fitted on MK2's with PAS

I'd a quick look on Autodoc, to see what rods are available, and without going into any depth nor cross referencing / checking their info. there does seem to be several lengths of rod, with suitability depending on model.

If we can rule out that you've incorrect rods, things can maybe be taken from there.



Re: Not enough adjustment in track rods to get properly aligned

Reply #6 –
Yes thanks that's what I was planning to do, measure them up etc. That's good news (!) that you found different lengths on auto doc; I had only checked on mister auto and oscaro, so maybe they're using different databases. I did try changing the model in the search several times but threw up nothing. I have to old ones still and did a visual check before fitting the new ones and they semmed identical, but I didn't go as far as unscewuing them and checking that there was the same amount of thread right enough.

Anyway I'll try and find a mo to measure them up and check what I bought and post back

thanks again