On the right track?
QMy 1968 Wolseley16/60 has radial tyres that have worn on the outside. I would like to check that the tracking (toe-in) is correct, but think that the measurement given in the manual will be for crossply tyres. I remember from an old PC that if you fit radial tyres in place of crossplies you should alter the measurement slightly. Can you help me with this please?
Dave Last, Poole
Ed says:
ALarge toe-in angles specified for some cars originally equipped with crossplies can be inappropriate for radials, causing steering that deviates on bumps and contributing generally to excessive wear of the outer shoulder of the tyre. Unless the manufacturer supplied data for radials, correct adjustment is a suck-it-and-see job. For example, a car with 7mm toe-in that didn’t drive well could be adjusted to, say 2-3mm experimentally. Your Wolseley, like other BMC Farinas, has a fairly modest 1.5-3mm toe-in, which we don’t reckon would cause a problem. Have the toe-in measured. It’s probably far larger than this if the tyres are worn. If it falls within the correct range, try setting it to 1 to 1.5mm, but also consider other factors. The wheel alignment may alter when on the move due to loose wheel bearings,
sloppy track rod end joints or worn trunnions. If you’re not doing it yourself, it would be a good idea to have the tracking checked at a garage, rather than a tyre bay. The garage will be equipped to deal with, say, rusted-up adjusters – and will also be alert to other defects.