Taking D for wheel alignment - any tips?

Big Frog

Big Frog

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Fellow Frogger
Joined
Sep 4, 2012
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439
Location
Somewhere near Mudgee, NSW
Hi All,
Taking the ID19 (69) in for a wheel alignment to the local tyre guys. Any tips on D model issues that may arise or specifics they should know?
BF
 
Could be fun BF if they're not familiar.

I had to take my DS23 in once. Booked it in and turned up at the tyre shop. Oh, what's this? A DS? Wow, how old? Not sure if it's on the computer list. We trawled through the programmes and he found some measurements to work with. Great, let's get it on the alignment ramp and get it done. Oh, hang on, it's too long for the ramp, overhanging by half a metre! He tried to tie it on with strops but it was too dodgy and we gave up. He recommended I book into a commercial alignment centre. I did this with the nearest one, about an hours drive away, yeah sure, bring it in. Got it on the ramp, 'go and have a coffee, this won't take long'. Sat in the waiting room for 20 mins and he came over. 'This could be tricky, mate. I think the front wheels are wider than the rears'! Really? You don't say. I showed him how to take the rear guards off and he got the alignment clamp thing on the rear wheel and away he went. Did a great job and it ran true as anything afterwards but boy it's fun turning up with a citroen to people who know nothing about them. Hope it all goes well, definitely a job worth doing.
 
Danny Robins said:
Could be fun BF if they're not familiar.

I had to take my DS23 in once. Booked it in and turned up at the tyre shop. Oh, what's this? A DS? Wow, how old? Not sure if it's on the computer list. We trawled through the programmes and he found some measurements to work with. Great, let's get it on the alignment ramp and get it done. Oh, hang on, it's too long for the ramp, overhanging by half a metre! He tried to tie it on with strops but it was too dodgy and we gave up. He recommended I book into a commercial alignment centre. I did this with the nearest one, about an hours drive away, yeah sure, bring it in. Got it on the ramp, 'go and have a coffee, this won't take long'. Sat in the waiting room for 20 mins and he came over. 'This could be tricky, mate. I think the front wheels are wider than the rears'! Really? You don't say. I showed him how to take the rear guards off and he got the alignment clamp thing on the rear wheel and away he went. Did a great job and it ran true as anything afterwards but boy it's fun turning up with a citroen to people who know nothing about them. Hope it all goes well, definitely a job worth doing.
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You left him with the car :confused: If your lucky they come ask for your help to rescue there jack from under the car. It's about then you'll find they have put the jack somewhere you sure as shit shouldn't jack from, and have buckled the shit out of everything.

It's also priceless when they put the cars up on 2posts hoists, then find the can't get the hoist booms out from underneath when it's lowered back to the ground..... :roflmao:

Last time I took a DS to a tire place, I swore never again. The guy the cracked the shits with me big time when I stopped him from jacking from the 4th place he tried. "Get out of the workshop" area doesn't work with me.

seeya,
Shane L.
 
My advice would be first jack it up and make sure you've got no play in the steering track rods, idler arms or ball joints. If all is well then go along to a wheel alignment place and point out the adjustment sleeve, and that when the wheels are pointing straight ahead the steering wheel spoke should be at 4 o'clock (RHD) and the cam at the end of the steering column should have the little wheel sitting in it, and ask them to leave the engine running when adjusting it. I had one place setting it with the steering wheel set to 6 o'clock - understandable I guess as they were unfamiliar.

There are a few places here that give a full print out of front and rear wheel angles before and after setting the alignment, which is interesting but expensive (40 quid). It's handy on a CX or XM to see how bad the rear arm bearings are, but a bit unnecessary on a D as its a better design.

Cheers

Marc
 
marc61 said:
There are a few places here that give a full print out of front and rear wheel angles before and after setting the alignment, which is interesting but expensive (40 quid). It's handy on a CX or XM to see how bad the rear arm bearings are, but a bit unnecessary on a D as its a better design.

Cheers

Marc
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Wow, every wheel alignment machine I've ever had my car on does a print out if I ask, and for no extra costs.

jo
 
Thanks for the tips and war stories, alignment completed without fuss, it went on a 4 post hoist, I copied the notes from the manual for alignment with no hurt egos when handed over. Toe out of 4 was remedied to 3 toe in.
cheers
BF
 
Great news Big Frog and you probably are their 'customer of the week' as you gave them something different and the 'how to' guide.
Many years ago I got the job of doing a wheel alignment on a Mark VII Jaguar, beautiful motor above the plimsoll line.....below the Exxon Valdez!:eek: Test drove like a regal swan, almost wanted to put on long white gloves and wave to the peasants in Rowville.
Drove up onto the alignment machine and scooted underneath. Attached the measuring devices and then it got to ,"Please take a seat this is not pleasant news." Every oil soaked steering component was wound into or out to its limit. They all had to be replaced but the bright side was they weren't seized.:wink2:
:cheers: Brendan.
 
BF, keep an eye on wear in the front tyres. If it is even across the tyre you are sorted. If the outside scrubs out a bit you might have to reduce the toe-in a mm or two. Toe-in on a D is sometimes a compromise between rail-riding and tyre wear.

Roger
 
I make them leave the engine running for two reasons;
1. The body doesn't sink onto the equipment.
2. No chance of camber change.

D; Take rear guards off. CX; take rear spats off.

By the way I have put Nitrogen in the TRX's its supposed to be better which is probably negligible but with the tyres costing $500 each any help to extend their life is worth trying.
 
I understood when doing a wheel alignment for a D, the engine be kept running and car loaded with usual cargo- driver /passengers to get accurate results. Maybe the handbook compensates for sensitive long travel suspension and load. The long boards and block is a tried and true home method.
 
I just use a track rod these days - too hard taking it to the professionals....

I slid one piece of RHS (20mm?) into the next size up with a bolt clamp, and welded some pointer "arms" which are half the height of a D wheel.

I then sit the car on stands so the car is at running height by depressurising the suspension.

I then slide the track rod under the car, lock the track rod, and point the pointer arms at about the middle of each tyre. I then as accurately as I can place a white mark on the tyre where the pointers touch the tyres.

I then set up the track rod at the front of the tyre, jack up each wheel and rotate them until the marks are at the same height as the pointer.

I then line up the pointer and the mark on one side and measure the other. This gives me the toe in or out difference. Half the difference back to front is where the wheels are parallel so I adjust the track rod to this distance and check it's correct by adjusting the toe adjustment on the rack.

From this position I adjust the toe in 1-2mm at the front.

I've re-edited the last two paragraphs as I realised I had been assuming the wheels were close to parallel - which is true for my cars but this may not always be the case. Best to get both wheels parallel first then adjust the correct toe in.

Cheers,

Mark...:)
 
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IE23 said:
By the way I have put Nitrogen in the TRX's its supposed to be better which is probably negligible but with the tyres costing $500 each any help to extend their life is worth trying.
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I use 78.09% Nitrogen, 20.95% Oxygen and 0.93% Argon blend in all my car tyres. The cost is zero.
 
Wow .. what a thread resurrection. I just use an extendable tent pole in a pinch to set the toe :)
 
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A few more ppm CO2 will make no difference at all. It's a trace gas, isn't going to do much inside a tyre/tube, but it can vibrate and become very excited! Worry more about moisture and oxygen causing degradation.
 
andrewj said:
Will the increased CO2 component over the last 8 years make a difference?
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As tyres use carbon to give them their black colour, I would only be concerned if I had whitewall tyres that all that CO2 might leech through and turn them black.😐😐😐🤣🤣.
 
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