tracking knocked out by uneven drive ?

[Celt]

Would it be possible for my wheels to miss align by parking one side of my car on slabs other on chuckies? The slabs are about 3 inches higher than the chuckies. My wheel appears to be about an inch out of line. Car is a 182.

[Mastodon2]

Is it a cup suspension 182? I've heard the stiff cup suspension is particularly susceptible to the tracking going out of alignment after hitting potholes, that is more likely to be what's done it.

[Celt]

Yeh its a 182 cup. If just got it so being as cautious as possible with dodging pot holes. But could possibly hit one or two.

[Mastodon2]

Celt said:

Yeh its a 182 cup. If just got it so being as cautious as possible with dodging pot holes. But could possibly hit one or two.

More than likely it's had this problem since you got it. Once you come out of the honeymoon period you start to notice these things!

Parking it on an uneven surface should not affect it, it should revert back to it's neutral, correct position when moving back onto flat ground, unless there is something deeply wrong with the car, which is unlikely.

[XG332]

In answer to your question.


No

[Eggman]

If it's really an inch out, sounds like you might have a bent track rod and your tyres won't last long with it like that. I'd get that checked asap. (btw, what are chuckies?)

[spikeyhead]

Eggman said:

.... (btw, what are chuckies?)

I'm thinking egg related

[Celt]

Sorry iv not been very specific. The car is still driving normally however the steering wheel is mis aligned, left hand would be an inch lower than right, but traveling in a straight line.

[Eggman]

In that case it's most likely either someone's had the steering wheel off (to replace a dud switch or something) or they've done a lazy job of setting the wheel alignment. If it annoys you, you could either get it checked to see if there's an uneven amount of thread sticking out of the track rod ends or get the steering wheel removed and put on squarely.

[Mastodon2]

Celt said:

Sorry iv not been very specific. The car is still driving normally however the steering wheel is mis aligned, left hand would be an inch lower than right, but traveling in a straight line.

So the steering wheel does not tug,and the normal centre point, that would be 12 o clock, is now just closer to 11 o clock? If you drive and the let go of the wheel (in controlled conditions, obviously) and it doesn't pull in either direction I would have thought the tracking was ok. I'm no expert, but could this not be fixed by just removing the steering wheel and putting it back on in the correct position?

[Tsippy]

spikeyhead said:

Eggman said:

.... (btw, what are chuckies?)

I'm thinking egg related

I remember that game

[shalmaneser]

Sounds to me like you're tracking is out. Get it straightened up by someone with decent laser gauges and don't worry about it. It's happened before and it'll happen again, especially with stiff suspension. Doubt where your parking has anything to do with it.

I have to get my tracking done at least yearly on the 205. Needs re-doing now really, but I don't know any decent places near Brighton!