TR5/TR250 TR250 do it your self alignment

The PO of my 250 rebuilt the front end & the thing pulls hard to the right & seem to scrub on a sharp turn. Has anyone done the string method to get their alignment (toe in only) close for some light travelling?

Any info would be appreciated.

Hello Gary,
The following is second hand advice and I have not actually tried it.
Set the car to straight ahead on the steering, then put a magazine in front of the front wheels. Drive or push the car over the magazines, and if the tracking is out then the magazines will twist as the tyre runs over them. Adjust the tracking to compensate and try again until the magazine(s) do not twist.
This principle is used on at least one commercial tracking gauge sold here in the UK.

However, the cause of the pull is unlikely to be due to a mistracked steering. (I take it that it hasn't got power steering and the rack is off centre?) I would look carefully at the front suspension comparing one side to the other.

Alec

Note: Only use magazines devoted to riced up Hondas. Using back issues of Classic Car will cause the Prince of Darkness to darn you to heck, as they say in Dilbert. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Hello Gary,
This principle is used on at least one commercial tracking gauge sold here in the UK.
Alec

[/ QUOTE ]
Forty years ago, several shops in my area had this type of gage built into the shop floor. As customers drove over the gage the mechanic would note the tracking & often sell the customer a front end alignment job. Don't know if they are still doing it.
D

Gary, It sounds to me like a camber problem. Get a cheap carpenters level and check each wheel. If you find either wheel is off the "bubble" more than the other, it's trouble, likely a prior accident poorly fixed.
In a front end alignment a vehicle will allways pull to the POSITIVE camber side, therefore if the cross camber is over 1/2 deg its bad.
With the IRS , you will need to have thrust checked too, find the best front end man you can in your area. Its a job for a pro.
MD(mad dog)

Aloha Gary,

I've used the string method on my MG and TR3. I'm assuming that you are referring to stretching a string from the rear of the car to the front along the tires and sighting down the string to see if it is straight. I've found that it is quicker to use a string on both sides. If you make an adjustment to toe in, roll the car forward a bit and recheck. The flexing of radial tires when you make adjustments can sometimes give a false reading, moving the car allows them to relax so to speak. I gotten good results in adjusting toe in with this method. This method doesn't allow for any check of chamber and castor however. Since my cars have no adjustments for these, any problems are from perished suspension parts.

Safety Fast,
Dave