Any ways to check wheel alignment without lazer kit??

There are people who can straighten chassis, it is quite common in the hgv world.
Might have to take body off.

hawky666 said:

insurance have agreed to re insure with a fresh mot all thats needed
i am under no commitment to keep it., just the buy back fee held back to give me time to decide. but the xmas shut downs etc eat into this time badly so trying to weigh up as best i can myself with what guidence i can find.
if i make a call tomorrow they will collect and its gone, im paid up and thats the end of it. just dont wish to pull that trigger when seems it might not be much, but dont want to gamble the pay back figure either, very difficult

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It is a shame and very difficult.
If you can do the work yourself and intend keeping it for a long time then it might be worth keeping it.
If you have had a good payout it seems that prices are on the way down, might be able to get something else?
My son is very attached to his 1989 Ninety.

Anaconda said:

My son is very attracted to his 1989 Ninety.

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Steady on, mate! That kind of personal stuff should stay in AG!

lynall said:

There are people who can straighten chassis, it is quite common in the hgv world.
Might have to take body off.

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But is it financially viable in the OPs position.
I doubt the chassis is damaged, measurements could be taken from the other side.
Sounds like lazy estimating of the damage to me.
Failed wheel alignment on mechanical damage and gave up on it by sounds of it.

Buy it back drag link is a good call

Anaconda said:

But is it financially viable in the OPs position.
I doubt the chassis is damaged, measurements could be taken from the other side.
Sounds like lazy estimating of the damage to me.
Failed wheel alignment on mechanical damage and gave up on it by sounds of it.

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my thoughts exactly.

Anaconda said:

It is a shame and very difficult.
If you can do the work yourself and intend keeping it for a long time then it might be worth keeping it.
If you have had a good payout it seems that prices are on the way down, might be able to get something else?
My son is very attached to his 1989 Ninety.

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this is exactly my dilemma.
im quite capable of deciding the financial burdon, but before i can do this i need to be as sure as i can of the actual damge needing sorting, and in this ive had little guidence and been left floating, but if i let it go ive done ok... the buy back is to my mind to big on a gamble.. so i need to assess out the gamble. its really that simple, but dont have the correct tools or anyone with time to look at it properly near me.. if it will track up well, and i can get it to that point at minimal input.. its a keeper as i did it for a long, long term specific need, purpose. its all but there and i have all the other bits to go with it in the way i want.. it has personal value.. but lokewise i need to put that aside and be sensible where needed.

My prior point is that you won't know the physical detail before tomorrow morning, so then surely, all you have to work with is best and worst case financials?

I think it is, therefore, a financial decision?

Apologies, one question I forgot to ask -

I think you said "HD" steering stuff?

Are we talking gwyn lewis "HD" or britpart "HD"?

I still can't get my head around the specific bending that would be required to keep one wheel straight (with the steering centered) whilst the other pointed out, but, that aside, not all "HD" is going to be the same.

Britpart and I'd think that would fail long before the chassis bent. Those stainless things from gwyn lewis and it would be more open for debate, I guess.

Good luck whatever choice you go with!

julianf said:

Apologies, one question I forgot to ask -

I think you said "HD" steering stuff?

Are we talking gwyn lewis "HD" or britpart "HD"?

I still can't get my head around the specific bending that would be required to keep one wheel straight (with the steering centered) whilst the other pointed out, but, that aside, not all "HD" is going to be the same.

Britpart and I'd think that would fail long before the chassis bent. Those stainless things from gwyn lewis and it would be more open for debate, I guess.

Good luck whatever choice you go with!

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Earlier photo showed front HD GL disco drop arm and steering tube.
Can’t see the rear tube but if this is a GL it will be fun straightening it.

@hawky666

Do the doors closes and do the lines look straight?
Gap along edge of bonnet to bulkhead?

I’m still going for steering just knocked out off line. Is the tube that links the wheels together a GL heavy duty(earlier photo can’t tell but as the nuts were rusty it was not changed)

You need to put some decent photos up if you want more help.
If it was only hit on the wheel then check the chassis where the radius arm bolts on and spring top mount. Being a recent galv chassis you should be able to check it relatively easy.
With current info it would suggest steering arms are bent and maybe swivel housing or pin damage.

The tracking and steering wheel off centre could be caused by several things, some of them as simple as a bent steering rod.

srayztop said:

The tracking and steering wheel off centre could be caused by several things, some of them as simple as a bent steering rod.

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That may have already been mentioned earlier on

I'll just re-emphasise what a couple of others have said. You need to call the insurer and tell them that you're having more time. Then get measuring - the answer will be obvious once you're found it!

boguing said:

I'll just re-emphasise what a couple of others have said. You need to call the insurer and tell them that you're having more time. Then get measuring - the answer will be obvious once you're found it!

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If he has been paid out, he is no longer in the driving seat.

I don't know the details, but, if someone has bought a car off you, it's theirs. If they offer you until sundown to decide if you want to buy it back, that's the offer. Saying "you're having more time" when it's someone else's car may actually result in you having no more time at all.

Again I don't know the detail, but, my impression is that the OP no longer actually owns the car.

julianf said:

If he has been paid out, he is no longer in the driving seat.

I don't know the details, but, if someone has bought a car off you, it's theirs. If they offer you until sundown to decide if you want to buy it back, that's the offer. Saying "you're having more time" when it's someone else's car may actually result in you having no more time at all.

Again I don't know the detail, but, my impression is that the OP no longer actually owns the car.

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The insurance haven't completely paid out though, they owe him £6k by the sounds of it.
Back on the subject of Cat S, think it needs to be inspected by an engineer before going back on the road.

HI Guys.
A little update on this and clarity.
We were able to look at all again this morning taking on board all of your kind help and comments and have taken a multitude of measurements and cannot find any issue on chassis or indeed axle.
Now here's the interesting part.
Insurance assessor at garage end had stated that they had tried tracking and couldnt get it out of the red.. which is where my big concern came from as they stated they COULD NOT SEE any obvious reason for this and stated axle should be changed... but on inspection the track rod ends on rear bar still have unbroken mud on them at points of adjustment and have not been touched by hand or spanner!! make of that what you may!!.
Track rod ends on the front bar (this has been changed to disco set up back to steering box) have both got split rubber shrouds and show signs of impact damage.. the steering box itself has a little more play in it indicating possible internal issue. possibly jumped as steering wheel is a half turn off centre now.
Both HD bars have had a streight edge comparison on circumfrence and show now deviation / gaps indicating NOT BENT.
On freeing up and turning the track rod ends in pivot on front bar the wheel and moving the heads, it nearly corrected itself back in line, all be it not tested with lazer level but with string which was at hand. This was again without making any adjustment on the rear tracking bar.
The alloy wheel is not showing any buckle and still holding airso probably not cracked. Just has paint and scrape damage.

I stated to insurance decision maker during negotiations that i would have an independant engineer attend and inspect at which point they agreed for me to have it taken to my chosen location at their cost as the garage at which it had been for assesment wern't overly happy, and on then speaking with assesor there (once it was clear it was being moved) he stated he didnt think there was much wrong with it and couldnt understand why it was being written off, nor why the insurance company decision maker had costed the repairs as highly as they had. They added many bits to the report he stated. He strongly suggested that i should buy back!!
I dont feel it right to put on a public forum what i feel has been an intention here, nor name any companies involved etc, but you can make your own suppasition.
Insurance buy back was agreed as they simply wouldnt budge off price and i pushed them to the max on my insured figure so was happy as that cannot go up and therefore was at stale mate.

Now.. Track rod ends have been ordered and a new steering box is already on site as i had a spare, but this can't be done until over xmas or early after now. I cannot do myself on location, but it looks like apart from replacing the wing and some paint, mechanically there is not much to do. This is a cost i can stand and after done, if tracking is an issue, which im pretty sure it wont be.. i can still walk away.

The Cat S cannot be changed, but its quite correct to state that this was probably totally unneccessary.
When you consider that all the worry was over the issue with not being able to track.. and engineers comments i think most of my worry was misguided by this. It probably didnt even see a ramp.
I am sorry if i wasted anyones time, and very grateful for all suggestions.
I will update again once im a little further on with it.

hawky666 said:

HI Guys.
A little update on this and clarity.
We were able to look at all again this morning taking on board all of your kind help and comments and have taken a multitude of measurements and cannot find any issue on chassis or indeed axle.
Now here's the interesting part.
Insurance assessor at garage end had stated that they had tried tracking and couldnt get it out of the red.. which is where my big concern came from as they stated they COULD NOT SEE any obvious reason for this and stated axle should be changed... but on inspection the track rod ends on rear bar still have unbroken mud on them at points of adjustment and have not been touched by hand or spanner!! make of that what you may!!.
Track rod ends on the front bar (this has been changed to disco set up back to steering box) have both got split rubber shrouds and show signs of impact damage.. the steering box itself has a little more play in it indicating possible internal issue. possibly jumped as steering wheel is a half turn off centre now.
Both HD bars have had a streight edge comparison on circumfrence and show now deviation / gaps indicating NOT BENT.
On freeing up and turning the track rod ends in pivot on front bar the wheel and moving the heads, it nearly corrected itself back in line, all be it not tested with lazer level but with string which was at hand. This was again without making any adjustment on the rear tracking bar.
The alloy wheel is not showing any buckle and still holding airso probably not cracked. Just has paint and scrape damage.

I stated to insurance decision maker during negotiations that i would have an independant engineer attend and inspect at which point they agreed for me to have it taken to my chosen location at their cost as the garage at which it had been for assesment wern't overly happy, and on then speaking with assesor there (once it was clear it was being moved) he stated he didnt think there was much wrong with it and couldnt understand why it was being written off, nor why the insurance company decision maker had costed the repairs as highly as they had. They added many bits to the report he stated. He strongly suggested that i should buy back!!
I dont feel it right to put on a public forum what i feel has been an intention here, nor name any companies involved etc, but you can make your own suppasition.
Insurance buy back was agreed as they simply wouldnt budge off price and i pushed them to the max on my insured figure so was happy as that cannot go up and therefore was at stale mate.

Now.. Track rod ends have been ordered and a new steering box is already on site as i had a spare, but this can't be done until over xmas or early after now. I cannot do myself on location, but it looks like apart from replacing the wing and some paint, mechanically there is not much to do. This is a cost i can stand and after done, if tracking is an issue, which im pretty sure it wont be.. i can still walk away.

The Cat S cannot be changed, but its quite correct to state that this was probably totally unneccessary.
When you consider that all the worry was over the issue with not being able to track.. and engineers comments i think most of my worry was misguided by this. It probably didnt even see a ramp.
I am sorry if i wasted anyones time, and very grateful for all suggestions.
I will update again once im a little further on with it.

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Thanks for the update, all seems very strange though.
Just wondering out loud, I wonder if you could appeal the status as there is no evidence of structural damage, even in their report. Probably too late now as you have accepted the payout, if you had chosen to fight it then I think you would have won it.

Did you keep it?