Hi all. Had my vrs for four years now and it has always pulled to the left. Had it tracked approximately eight times since I've had it and still the same result. New tyres went on in October and the inner edge had worn to the ply by end of this Feb. Had two new tyres put on last week and tracked again (still pulling to the left. ) More or less all the suspension has been renewed. I'm at a loss with it. Point to note. The rear console bushes where changed and the console arms removed for fitting. Since then it has worn tyres quicker than normal.  And the camber is out more so on the left wheel since then. 

 

Any ideas? 

 

Cheers 

JP

In a previous life I had a Nova that done that ...! Ended up it was a bent chassis leg - I had to get it bench pulled at the finish up

 

As a quick check for yourself measure the distance from the tyre to the wing on both sides - See how many fingers you can get in the gap.. Is it the same both sides ?

 

Get a sheet of cardboard - make sure one edge is straight. Draw a line parallel to the edge and put a string on it with a weight attached to the top of the line. Put the sheet of card against the wheel and this will give you a fair indication if the camber is the same both sides !

 

Now both these methods are for a rough idea but might give you an indication whether there is an issue with the suspension or chassis.

 

 

@Johnnynapalm

Best stop paying for tracking and adjustment of that is what is happening and get someone to check the cars alignment, and that someone needs to have the gear, more than an idea and then be able to correctly adjust what needs adjusting.

4 hours ago, Roottootemblowinootsoot said:

@Johnnynapalm

Best stop paying for tracking and adjustment of that is what is happening and get someone to check the cars alignment, and that someone needs to have the gear, more than an idea and then be able to correctly adjust what needs adjusting.

Totally agree. Finding that someone is proving difficult though

maybe your subframe or consoles are out of alignment. Subframe can get shunted. You want to also make sure you have the correct side balljoint on the correct side. some people mix them up. could also possibly be shagged console bushes but that would maybe just give sloppy feeling

 

 

59 minutes ago, corndog said:

maybe your subframe or consoles are out of alignment. Subframe can get shunted. You want to also make sure you have the correct side balljoint on the correct side. some people mix them up. could also possibly be shagged console bushes but that would maybe just give sloppy feeling

 

 

Thanks for the reply. I think you may be right regarding the consoles. They where removed for fitting of new console bushes 

1 hour ago, corndog said:

maybe your subframe or consoles are out of alignment. Subframe can get shunted. You want to also make sure you have the correct side balljoint on the correct side. some people mix them up. could also possibly be shagged console bushes but that would maybe just give sloppy feeling

 

 

 

I don't think that the balljoints are handed since they're symmetrical, it's been a few years since I did mine but don't recall them being different part numbers.

Definitely handed, see e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moog-Lower-Ball-Joint-Pair-for-SKODA-FABIA-Mk-1-2-ROOMSTER-SEAT-IBIZA-Mk4-6L/124066014521?hash=item1ce2e92539:g:2bQAAOSwGCBeWQ6T

So they are, sometimes memory is an unreliable organ, however looking at the bolt pattern it looks impossible to fit them incorrectly, rendering both mine and corndogs points irrelevant.

There's only one part number for the wishbone itself, therefore the bolt pattern must be symmetrical, I believe.

Edit, nah, that's probably bollix.

I should really get off the sofa and go and check with various spares, but I think Sep's right on this last point.

Edited 27 March, 20206 yr by Wino

Figured it out without getting off my RS. The little triple nut plate things fit either side, therefore the bolt pattern must be symmetrical.

5 hours ago, Johnnynapalm said:

Thanks for the reply. I think you may be right regarding the consoles. They where removed for fitting of new console bushes 

 

If you look very closely at the points that the consoles meet the chassis, you may be able to see mismatches between the original factory position and their current positions, by seeing relatively clean/dirty areas around their contact footprints?

Edited 27 March, 20206 yr by Wino

8 minutes ago, Wino said:

 

If you look very closely at the points that the consoles meet the chassis, you may be able to see mismatches between the original factory position and their current positions, by seeing relatively clean/dirty areas around their contact footprints?

Had a good look round at the consoles today. Can't see anything untoward. I did loosen the bolts and tried to tap the console in somewhat. Don't think I achieved any movement as tested with a home made plumb line. It's going back to have the tracking looked at again next week so will see what they say (again) 

Problem is that both consoles are bolted to the subframe that the steering rack sits on, so in order to move one console any significant amount, both sides need to be loose.  The whole thing, two consoles plus subframe all move as one, side to side, and front to back; or twisty combinations of those.

Edited 27 March, 20206 yr by Wino

You would only be guessing slackening and tapping the consoles, as said already it is not a front end tracking issue alone, it needs 4 wheel re-alignment carried out!

6 minutes ago, Wino said:

Problem is that both consoles are bolted to the subframe that the steering rack sits on, so in order to move one console any significant amount, both sides need to be loose.  The whole thing, two consoles plus subframe all move as one, side to side, and front to back; or twisty combinations of those.

Ahh...that's makes sense. Hadnt thought of that! Cheers 

6 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

You would only be guessing slackening and tapping the consoles, as said already it is not a front end tracking issue alone, it needs 4 wheel re-alignment carried out!

Quite right. I am literally guessing. 

My thoughts are that to completely resolve any issue with the consoles causing camber issues, then they would have to be adjusted while the car is on a hunter alignment (or equivalent) . Or is specialist equipment available to reset the subframe/consoles ? 

Yep, that seems to be the only way to me too.

I thought there was a set of tools that could restore the subframe back to the central position but I realised after buying them and looking at them, that @Tech1e had been trying to tell me all along that that isn't what these tools do; they just allow you to take the whole subframe-plus consoles off then put it back exactly where it was. No use to you if they're not in the right place at the moment.

 

I think if I were you I'd do loads of measuring, with the car on the most level surface you can find, with steering wheel and front wheels as straight as you can possibly get them, to see what discrepancies there are side to side.   Not tried that myself so not sure how easy/not that is.

 

 

Bloody tricky measuring accurately without the car up on a lift, however you could start by measuring corner to corner since the back end is not likely to have moved since it was installed at the factory.

Also wheel centre separation front to rear on each side?

 

Thanks for this lads. Gives me something to do while I'm off work with this corona virus pandemic. I'll get my tape measure out tomorrow

 

its going back for another realignment next week so I'll have a play and maybe get lucky. The front bushes where totally knackered and now replaced with psb ones. Hopefully the inner tyre edges won't wear so badly this time . Other wise it's going over the cliff at flamborough head. 

One more thing. If the consoles have been off (which they have ) does this still put the subframe out of its original alignment? 

They do have a bit of wiggle room in them. I normally spray paint the area around where they meet the shell before I take them off. 

Would these do the trick ? 

 

https://www.awesomegti.com/brands/powerflex-bushes/powerflex-black-front-wishbone-front-bush-camber-adjustable-fabia-2000-2007-pff85-201gblk/