Boxster toe way out at max adjustment

[TROOPER88]

GreenV8S said:

A pipe wrench will give you massively more grip than a mole wrench - I wouldn't expect a mole wrench to be sufficient.

Thanks, I am actually in work and think we have a pair here.

Do I ideally need one pair or two?

[kev b]

Re-reading this I am not sure now, was it the garage that failed to free it off or the OP?

[TROOPER88]

kev b said:

Re-reading this I am not sure now, was it the garage that failed to free it off or the OP?

It was a tyre and exhaust type place that do tracking.

I don't think they went at it with heat or anything. I think they tried with a 13mm spanner and gave up (I think!).

It has been back and forth to them a number of times now due to the issues I have had.

To be fair to them, they have been very good and not charged me anything yet,

[kev b]

This is the kind of thing mechanics deal with every day, why not take it to another garage and get them to free it off for you?

Shouldn't cost more than half an hours labour.

[Mignon]

TROOPER88 said:

I don't think they went at it with heat or anything. I think they tried with a 13mm spanner and gave up (I think!).

There's no way any car's tracking adjustment nuts are 13mm. More like 17mm to 19mm.

[TROOPER88]

Mignon said:

There's no way any car's tracking adjustment nuts are 13mm. More like 17mm to 19mm.

Please read the thread before replying

[Mignon]

I did, very carefully. 13mm is the hex size for the nut on an 8mm thread and those just don't get used in tracking adjustment systems. Usually it's a 10mm or 12mm thread with a 17mm or 19mm nut. But by all mean clarify which bit of the system you were referring to.

[TROOPER88]

Mignon said:

I did, very carefully. 13mm is the hex size for the nut on an 8mm thread and those just don't get used in tracking adjustment systems. Usually it's a 10mm or 12mm thread with a 17mm or 19mm nut. But by all mean clarify which bit of the system you were referring to.

No worries.

I'll have a look myself later and confirm.

The lock nut prob is a 17-19mm and this can be undone no problem.

The flats on the inner rod then I'm told require a 13mm spanner to make the necessary adjustments.

[E-bmw]

Don't, you are right & he didn't read it, the 13mm is the size of MANY flats machined into the inner rod (adjuster, which is the bit you turn to adjust, the TRE you hold when adjusting) ) as you have said it is on yours.

Edited by E-bmw on Wednesday 13th December 10:28

[TROOPER88]

Hi Guys
I had a look at the track rod ends today and luckily it did not take long.

Used a blow torch to heat up the track rod where the threaded section screws in and they were both free after a couple of minutes!

Thanks

[Mignon]

I suggest you wind the inners as far in as you can from the track rod ends and then wire brush and coppaslip the exposed threads before screwing it back together so they don't corrode together again anytime soon. Now you've had heat on it you'll have burned off any oil and grease that was preventing rust.

[E-bmw]

^^^ Wot 'e said, every time.

An old mechie said to me many years ago, "assume you may be the next one to take it off" so make sure it is free & greased whenever you go there.

[SlimJim16v]

Good advice. My rods were so bad I measured the thread, bought a die and ran it over.

[helix402]

Did they die?

[stevieturbo]

Mignon said:

I did, very carefully. 13mm is the hex size for the nut on an 8mm thread and those just don't get used in tracking adjustment systems. Usually it's a 10mm or 12mm thread with a 17mm or 19mm nut. But by all mean clarify which bit of the system you were referring to.

Steering arms on my Corsa/Combo van use a 12mm Hex to adjust tracking, main nut size at the track rod end is 19mm

Basically it's roughly a 12mm steel bar, so 12mm hex makes sense so the boot can slide over it

[TROOPER88]

An update

Took the car back to have the tracking sorted today after fitting the new adjustable control arms on the rears and freeing of the front track rods.

All done at last!!

Ok Rears:

NSR: Camber -1.47 Toe 0.04

OSR: Camber -1.37 Toe 0.05



Fronts:

NSF: Camber -1.00 Toe 0.04

OSF: Camber -0.32 Toe 0.03



Does this all look good and fall within normal parameters??



Cheers

[GreenV8S]

TROOPER88 said:

Does this all look good and fall within normal parameters??

Shouldn't you be asking the people who 'sorted' it for you?

While you're there, you might want to ask them why the front camber figures are so wildly different side to side and why one of them is miles outside the specification shown in your original posts.

[stevieturbo]

It does seem to be quite a difference in front camber.

Probably never really feel it anyway....but if they're going to the trouble of giving exact readings...then they should be a lot closer together than that

[TROOPER88]

GreenV8S said:

Shouldn't you be asking the people who 'sorted' it for you?

While you're there, you might want to ask them why the front camber figures are so wildly different side to side and why one of them is miles outside the specification shown in your original posts.

They said that all was now good and within spec.

I may take it somewhere else tbh, as you say, they should know this

[helix402]

Front camber is way out, there’s a big difference between left and right. Without knowing Boxster specs I can’t help with telling you what they should be.

As others have said, the operator of the alignment equip should know.