RE: Alignment - 200TQ - front end is off a tad.

["Peter Berrevoets" <peterb@mysysltd.com>]

Has anyone tried using a bicycle inner tube and a couple of nylon cable
straps to cover the adjusters on the tie-rods?

It seems like an obvious thing I'm wondering if there is a "Don't do it
because..." lurking out there.  I'm going to fix mine this weekend and I
thought that, after cleaning them thoroughly, I would just oil and grease
the adjusters and seal them with a piece of inner tubing.  I'll probably
just slide the inner tube on and leave it sitting on the tie rod until I've
had the camber and toe set.  Then lube-it, pull the inner tube sleeve over
it and tie the ends. Should work yes?

Sometimes it seems that team door handle was employed to ensure that people
would eventually have to buy new Audis.  This tie rod end in it's exposed
place has got to be some kind of built-in obsolescence.

Later,

Peter
1990 200TQ

-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Munro [mailto:munrof@isys.ca]
Sent: Monday, July 19, 1999 10:32 PM
To: peterb@mysysltd.com; Quattro List
Subject: Re: Alignment - 200TQ - front end is off a tad.


Hi Peter;

    On my last alignment, I watched the mechanic at the local dealer sweat
for 1.5 hours to remove the left tie rod end.  He used every form of
persuasion known (short of a cutting torch - well, he did use a cutting
torch but without the extra oxygen feed, though it must have been sorely
tempting). That's why I took it to the shop - better him sweating with it on
a hoist than me on my back under the carport! For some reason, these tie rod
ends seize up something fierce.

    On both of my Type 44's, the camber could not be set right on spec with
the adjustment available. Usually the left side would come on spec, but the
right side wouldn't just quite make it.
    A good alignment does indeed make a world of difference on these cars.
If you've found a good shop, treasure it - most shops won't take the time
and care necessary to set the car up right.

Fred Munro
'91 200q  277k km

----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Berrevoets <peterb@mysysltd.com>
To: Quattro List <quattro@audifans.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 1999 3:50 PM
Subject: Alignment - 200TQ - front end is off a tad.


> Had the car in the alignment shop yesterday - found an excellent guy in
the
> Toronto area if anyone wants to know email me.
>
> Set the rear alignment to -0.20 camber (preferred setting was -0.24) and
toe
> to +1/32 (the preferred setting).
>
> Front end was problematic.  It looks as if there had been a collision with
> the drivers side front wheel and a stationary object.  The shock had been
> replaced, and there were indications of some sub frame adjusting.  The
> steering rack was also discovered to be slightly offset towards the
> passenger side.
>
> Net result was that the caster on the left is at +0.96 (preferred is
+1.00)
> the right at +.084 (preferred again +1.00).  The Camber on the left is
> at -0.84 (preferred -0.52) with the right at -0.56.  The toe could not be
> properly set due to totally rusted tie rod ends. The current toe is left 0
> (preferred +1/16) and the right -5/16 (preferred +3/32).
>
> He also measure the front set-back - the amount that the distance between
> wheel centres front to rear differs from left to right and discovered that
> the drivers side is shorter by 1/32 indicating a rearward relocation of
the
> front suspension.
>
> Even with these problems the drive feel of the car has improved
> tremendously. Now I just have to figure out how I can fix my baby so the
> set-up can be the 'preferred' all the way around.
>
> If I loosen the sub frame bushings and lever the left side forward a
touch,
> will this correct the problem, or am I opening a nasty can of worms?
>
> BTW the mechanic has offered to redo the four wheel alignment when I
replace
> the tie rod ends at no charge! And this after he spent over two hours
> checking, measuring and adjusting!
>
> TIA
>
> Peter Berrevoets
> 1990 200TQ 10V
>
>