General New front wishbones - Do I need to get the tracking done?

[GrumpyOldMan]

Sei 899 SX, 2001.

Hello all,
as the thread title says, I'm putting in new wishbones today, weather permitting, but wondered if it is necessary to get the tracking done afterwards? Doesn't look like it will be affected but just wanted to make sure as I will be doing about 1000 miles in it next week.

Has an ARB by the way, probably from new. I thought 899's didn't have an ARB? Won't have one now though as most of the ARB bolts broke!

Ian.

 

[Eklipze3k]

I didn't and have had no issues.

 

[Honeymonster]

Sorry have to disagree, everytime I've changed a set of bones the tracking has gone miles out (I've changed at least 4 sets). Even removing the anti roll bar brackets that share the bone bolt puts the tracking out in my experience.

You'll know if it's considerably out anyway. If it steers one way more easily or the steering wheel is no longer straight the tracking has gone out. Personaly I'd still get it checked anyway.

 

[Eklipze3k]

If I actually got it checked I'd probably find that it is out, but if it is it's not noticable. Tbh tracking is pretty cheap anyways, I'm just lazy ... and a cheapskate

 

[Lecook]

I would if you value you tyres I wrote off one of my fronts and it cost me 75quid for a new one, no harm in just having it checked, it only takes 1 degree out to start killing them off, for the sake of 30quid to have it done even if it saves you that on one tyre its worth having it done

Lee

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Thanks chaps.
I was thinking it would be better to get it done so I will. Going away at weekend though and a bit pushed for time.
One thing though is that I will be leaving the ARB off for now, until I sort out the broken nuts on the brackets. HoneyMonster, you say that the ARB bracket affects the tracking so I guess that means getting it tracked again when I replace the ARB?

Ian.

 

[Honeymonster]

With new bushes it will spring back open as soon as you undo it, so yes it will more than likely go out. I did this a few weeks ago, fitted new bones then a week later fitted new ARB bushes. Drove the car and the steering wheel was on the hit and miss. Checked tracking and it was on the moon. See what it's like once you've changed the bones and if it can wait until you fit the ARB I'd do that.

 

[blu73]

Fraz have you seen the pics of what happened to my tyres on the van when the tracking was out?? That drove perfectly but after one long journey the surface of them had melted and blistered. It cost alot more than getting the tracking done lol

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Fraz have you seen the pics of what happened to my tyres on the van when the tracking was out?? That drove perfectly but after one long journey the surface of them had melted and blistered. It cost alot more than getting the tracking done lol

Wow, that's bad. Tracking must have been seriously out though for that much damage.

Once I got the wishbones off I could see how it would be possible for the tracking to be affected. Also, the amount of serious whacking I had to do to the passenger side balljoint to split it I thought I might have to put the whole car on a jig to straighten it! Other side came off with a couple of light taps. Speaking of ball joints I learned the hard way that it's best to take the nut completely off before splitting. Once the joint was split the whole lot turned, I had to hacksaw it off.

Job's almost finished so I'll have a test drive later and see how it feels. I have repainted the brackets so I'm waiting for the paint to dry whilst I have dinner. My wife isn't too chuffed, I painted the first one then gave it 20 mins in the oven at 100c. Made a lovely job but she's baking a pie at the moment and is grumbling that the oven stinks of paint, lol.

Have to go to work later so might not be able to update until tomorrow.

Ian.

 

[blu73]

yeah the tracking was way out, but the van still went straight and true when accelerating, braking & coasting..

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Just done an 80 miles or so round trip and I have to say the car does feel different. That could be because I now no longer have the ARB on or it could be that the ball joints were a lot more worn than I realised, the steering definitely feels tighter.
I felt the tyres when I arrived on my journey and they looked okay and didn't feel hot or anything and the tread hadn't fallen off. The steering feels true and straight. But because I have also recently fit new strut tops and new struts I've booked in for tracking tomorrow morning. There's a lot of changes there so has to be worth doing.
I'll update on what they have to say.
Not sure if I'll put the ARB back on. The outer bushes look knackered and are starting to split. A new set is about £30 and I'm not sure it's worth that plus the hassle of refitting, especially since I'll have to grind the nuts off and retap the threads.

Ian.

 

[blu73]

alot of long term members swear they are better without the arb, not tried myself yet..

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Right, I've had the tracking done this morning. They said it would take about 20 minutes but it actually took nearly an hour! They said it was so far out they want me to take it back in next week just to make sure everything has settled in.
It has made a HUGE difference to the handling of the car and was £30 well spent.
Thinking about it, the wishbones have been clattering about under there for a couple of years so all that banging around must have moved something. The ball joints were also very worn so all in all it was a no brainer really (in hindsight).
I have replaced the struts, the strut tops and the wishbones and it feels so much better.

So the answer to the question "New front wishbones - Do I need to get the tracking done?" is a definite YES.

Cheers to you all and thanks for listening,

Ian.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Quick update. I've done about 600 miles in the car this week and the handling is far better than I could have imagined.
I doubt I will put the ARB back as I can't really see that it does anything and it will cost me about £35 for new bushes.
I guess the main difference is the fact that I put new shocks on. The car is almost at 91,000 so that is more than enough to mean they were probably clapped out. I will do the rears befor summer (lol) is over. I regret not doing the springs now but there is a limit to how much to spend on a car worth about £400.
If you're intending to keep the car though I'd say doing the suspension is high on the list of things to do.

Ian.

 

[ycming]

i done the front shocks and top mounts like 2 weeks ago. only cost around £70 !

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

i done the front shocks and top mounts like 2 weeks ago. only cost around £70 !

That's cheap! Probably cost me about £100 and I thought I'd done well. Then I did the wishbones which cost £50, tracking was £30 and I had to buy a balljoint splitter which was £8. So about £188 in total, (would have been about £240 if I'd done the springs too). It's worth doing though isn't it? It's the biggest improvement I've yet made to the car. The car had only done 28,000 when we got it and it now has 91,000 miles on the clock, that's why we hadn't realised the shocks were so worn, we'd just got used to them.

Ian.

 

[ycming]

That's cheap! Probably cost me about £100 and I thought I'd done well. Then I did the wishbones which cost £50, tracking was £30 and I had to buy a balljoint splitter which was £8. So about £188 in total, (would have been about £240 if I'd done the springs too). It's worth doing though isn't it? It's the biggest improvement I've yet made to the car. The car had only done 28,000 when we got it and it now has 91,000 miles on the clock, that's why we hadn't realised the shocks were so worn, we'd just got used to them.

Ian.

Yeah defo! I had lower shocks ans springs .. passenger side shock was busted!

Ming