Disco 2 Steering geometry check

Is there some special process for checking/setting wheel alignment and camber on these vehicles?
Took mine to a local tyre depot and was told "sorry mate we can't do these you will need to take it to Land Rover"
Accepting that it is probably a pain in the arse due to rusty/seized nuts is this actually true?

Cheers
Y

He's talking ball cocks

Any tracking gauge should do front axle. Camber can be checked with a camber gauge but cannot be adjusted. Any four wheel alignment set up should be able to be used although Land rover do specify certain brands.

Yorkie57 said:

Is there some special process for checking/setting wheel alignment and camber on these vehicles?
Took mine to a local tyre depot and was told "sorry mate we can't do these you will need to take it to Land Rover"
Accepting that it is probably a pain in the arse due to rusty/seized nuts is this actually true?

Cheers
Y

Click to expand...

you can check the steering is centered by aligning a slot in the drop arm with a pin in the hole on the bottom of steering box , you then check steering wheel is central if not you can adjust it by removing it and refitting correct or by removing a uj on the link between steering wheel and the steering box, box and steering wheel would then both be centered ,if you go for a drive, if road wheels need adjusting by the drag link ,steering wheel wont be central whilst driving in a straight line, when you come to adjust it leave road wheels on the ground and steering wheel offset as it was when you were driving ,you adjust rod till steering wheel is sitting central , go for another drive to check and fine tune if necessary , but tracking needs doing first, which is all you can do d2 axles are beam axle with no adjustment for camber or caster, any tracking equipped firm can set the tracking its done on the track rod behind the axle

Thanks as ever people.
Never had one of these before so not familiar with any specific wear pattern.
Have 255x55 Grabber AT's, the fronts are wearing evenly from the inside to outside on both sides. If for arguments sake there is 5mm of tread on the inside this gradually tapers off to 2mm on the outside so the wear is occurring across the whole width of the tyres. Steering wheel is central at straight ahead wheel position and there is no strong pull either right or left. I would have said there is negative camber but if this isn't adjustable I guess I am wrong. From past experience tracking normally causes uneven tyre wear i.e. one will wear on the inside or outside but these have worn identically.
Cheers,

Y

Yorkie57 said:

Thanks as ever people.
Never had one of these before so not familiar with any specific wear pattern.
Have 255x55 Grabber AT's, the fronts are wearing evenly from the inside to outside on both sides. If for arguments sake there is 5mm of tread on the inside this gradually tapers off to 2mm on the outside so the wear is occurring across the whole width of the tyres. Steering wheel is central at straight ahead wheel position and there is no strong pull either right or left. I would have said there is negative camber but if this isn't adjustable I guess I am wrong. From past experience tracking normally causes uneven tyre wear i.e. one will wear on the inside or outside but these have worn identically.
Cheers,

Y

Click to expand...

steering wheel might be but it needs to be that when steering box is central, you need to get tracking done first in any case as it sounds like its toeing in

Just gone through the same thing on my D2. After replacing my track rod.
Two tyre places said "oh, Land Rover, complicated, that will be £30 PER adjustment"!!!
Found a local one in Letchworth, £30 all in, incl VAT. Job done.
Ive only let two places work on mine, that one and the MOT place who changed my rear calipers and were happy for me to supply the parts.
A lot of places seem to think LR owners are: 1) Thick, 2) Rich, 3) Both!
Mark

Yorkie57 said:

Thanks as ever people.
Never had one of these before so not familiar with any specific wear pattern.
Have 255x55 Grabber AT's, the fronts are wearing evenly from the inside to outside on both sides. If for arguments sake there is 5mm of tread on the inside this gradually tapers off to 2mm on the outside so the wear is occurring across the whole width of the tyres. Steering wheel is central at straight ahead wheel position and there is no strong pull either right or left. I would have said there is negative camber but if this isn't adjustable I guess I am wrong. From past experience tracking normally causes uneven tyre wear i.e. one will wear on the inside or outside but these have worn identically.
Cheers,

Y

Click to expand...

that fits with tracking, mine was badly tracked by a garage with excessive toe out it scrubbed both inner edges bald

I have not actually used this service, but they seem to have some pretty elaborate kit for alignment, and it seems to be a franchise so there are places around the UK
Anyone had any experience?
http://www.stationgarage.info/align.html

Mark, did it involve much work to adjust it?
I hope to have a trawl round my local tyre places at the weekend but suspect I will get the same reaction.
Having now seen how simple it is (rusty nuts apart) I am almost tempted to have a go myself.
I know it won't be accurate but I'm guessing if mine is toeing in I will just have to adjust the rod so it is effectively shorter?
Maybe just give the adjuster one turn and see what effect that has on the tyres.
Cheers,
Y

I adjusted my 90 300tdi , to check for toe in or out, I used 2 lengths of 10mm threaded studding with a long nut in the centre , allowed me to set it between the inside edges of the rear of the front tyres and then check to see if the front was toed in or out. ( I have heard others have used a length of adjustable curtain rod ).

ATS were not interested in touching it to adjust it. A local LR specialist said they would likely need new ball joints due to the heat required to undo the rusted threads. I managed it without causing any damage.


Cheers

Hi Yorkie
It really wasn't difficult, they spent longer getting new batteries for their laser tool!
When I changed the track rod the adjusting lock nuts didnt seem that bad, it was the original rod as well.
ATS, Quick Fit etc really dont have a clue, for example, Quickfit: Many years ago, left a ball pein hammer under the bonnet of my Renault 5 after doing an oil change! I found it a month later, I still have it, its got the fitters initials scratched into it, they matched the name on the invoice!
The same branch did my Brothers tracking, they forgot to tighten the clamps on the trackrod end which nearly came off as he was driving onto the M1!
It wasn't difficult to get it almost aligned myself, follow what James Martin/Neilly wrote, its pretty easy.
Nice thing is you have lots of space under the car to do the work.
Mark

Thanks for that, will have a look.
Things mechanics have left in my cars include: Inspection lamp, snap on screwdriver, snap on ratchet and a bungee cord.
Sadly I too have nothing but bad memories of Kwikfit.
Cheers,
Y