td5 wheel alignment

hi everyone, recentley baught a 2002 td5 discovery and noticed that the steering wheel was off centre so i took it to work and did the tracking on it and locked the steering wheel in the straight ahead position with a wheel clamp and set it to parallel with the back 2 gauges reading same number, took it for a test drive and the steering wheel is still off centre and when the steering wheel is straight it pulls straight over to the left. so i check it again and it hasnt moved. i swapped the tyres around and check pressures and still no change. ive done a few landrover wheel alignments at work and had no come backs etc. does the steering box need centering? its really doing my head in i cant stand the steering wheel been off centre. help somebody please

the thing that has always confused me when doing wheel alignment on landys is uve got the drag link and then the track bar both are adjustable but which do you adjust to get the correct setting? i clamped the steering in the straight ahead position and used the drag link adjuster and track arm to adjust the wheel alignment. am i doing this wrong? thanks

See if this helps bud

Small adjustments can be made lengthening/shortening the drag link.

There is slot on the back of the drop arm that should line up with a bolt hole in the steering box casing with the wheels dead straight.

Del.

Disco Inferno said:

See if this helps bud

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Bingo !.

Del.

disco2shaun said:

the thing that has always confused me when doing wheel alignment on landys is uve got the drag link and then the track bar both are adjustable but which do you adjust to get the correct setting? i clamped the steering in the straight ahead position and used the drag link adjuster and track arm to adjust the wheel alignment. am i doing this wrong? thanks

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The track rod is to adjust the the wheels relation to each other.

Altering the drag link will move the steering wheel, but only for small corrections. If the steering wheel is too far out, then steering column shaft will need undoing and moving over a spline.

Del.

great that mate, been doing it completley wrong by the looks of it

right so just to simplify this a bit if i disconnect the drag link from the drop arm then centralise the steering box with suitable bolt think there m8 then adjust drag link until tappered ball joint is centralised within the drop arm. is that correct?

thanks disco inferno!

disco2shaun said:

right so just to simplify this a bit if i disconnect the drag link from the drop arm then centralise the steering box with suitable bolt think there m8 then adjust drag link until tappered ball joint is centralised within the drop arm. is that correct?

Click to expand...

Check the tracking with your tracking guages, and udjust, if necessary the track rod. ( behind the axle ).

Now you,re wheels will be driving straight.

Without turning anything, lay under the steering box, and see how close the groove in the drop arm is with lining up with the bolt hole in the box casing. It doesnt have to be spot on, just somewhere close.



Now have a look at you,re steering wheel, if its not too far out, you can now lenghten/shorten the drag link to bring it to the center.



It will take a couple of test runs to get it spot on.

When you,re happy, just have another look at the groove/bolt hole on the box to make sure its not too far out. If its miles out, then the car could be limited when turning in one direction.

Del.

No problem disco2shaun. That sounds right from how I read it. Ive just bought 2 solid steering bars this morning with 4 new track rod ends and Im going to change them tommorow. With the long bar correctly set and the steering box locked straight ahead with the wheels straight just adjust the shorther bar to line up... I think Hopefuly some on can confirm this before I get cold on the driveway tommorow and do it wrong

There we go Del to the rescue Im to slow at typing my replies and got beat to it

Disco Inferno said:

No problem disco2shaun. That sounds right from how I read it. Ive just bought 2 solid steering bars this morning with 4 new track rod ends and Im going to change them tommorow. With the long bar correctly set and the steering box locked straight ahead with the wheels straight just adjust the shorther bar to line up... I think Hopefuly some on can confirm this before I get cold on the driveway tommorow and do it wrong

Click to expand...

When the box is locked with the bolt, as long as the steering wheel is within the " 5 too ", and, " 5 past ", position, then this can be adjusted out by lengthening/shortening the drag link.

If its more than this, then really, the steering linkage needs to taken of at the steering box input shaft and moved over a spline.

Del.

Disco Inferno said:

There we go Del to the rescue Im to slow at typing my replies and got beat to it

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Always makes me laugh when you,re bangin away on a reply, and then find that someone else has beat you to it !.

Del.

50 pence said:

Check the tracking with your tracking guages, and udjust, if necessary the track rod. ( behind the axle ).

Now you,re wheels will be driving straight.

Without turning anything, lay under the steering box, and see how close the groove in the drop arm is with lining up with the bolt hole in the box casing. It doesnt have to be spot on, just somewhere close.

Now have a look at you,re steering wheel, if its not too far out, you can now lenghten/shorten the drag link to bring it to the center.

It will take a couple of test runs to get it spot on.

When you,re happy, just have another look at the groove/bolt hole on the box to make sure its not too far out. If its miles out, then the car could be limited when turning in one direction.

Del.

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when checking and adjusting the tracking shall i leave the steering wheel un clamped and free? when checking and adjusting i usually clamp steering in straight ahead position.

disco2shaun said:

when checking and adjusting the tracking shall i leave the steering wheel un clamped and free? when checking and adjusting i usually clamp steering in straight ahead position.

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Yes, leave the steering wheel alone.

Its unlikely that the steering wheel will be dead straight aswell as the drop arm groove lining up, and it doesnt matter anyway, as long as they,re not miles out.

Del.

instead of waiting till i can get it in my work again, cant i put the steering wheel in the position where the disco drives straight then adjust the drag link till the wheel is straight. i know the wheel alignment is ok. were out in tmoro and cud do with it driving right lol. thanks

disco2shaun said:

instead of waiting till i can get it in my work again, cant i put the steering wheel in the position where the disco drives straight then adjust the drag link till the wheel is straight. i know the wheel alignment is ok. were out in tmoro and cud do with it driving right lol. thanks

Click to expand...

Yep, perfect !.

Del.

Thanks for the help

I ve just replaced drag link and steering wheel out by a 1/4..doesnt seem to be enough adjustment to correct in drag link?