tram lining, is my rack shot?

[audiman]

My car has started to tramline quite badly! It seems to have started after fitting the 5mm wheel spacers to the front end. I was wondering if i should do the same to the back end? Not sure if this would help?

Also the steering 'feel' changes. sometimes it feels nice and heavy and then sometimes it will change to super light mode! I have the servotronic module unplugged. Im thinking it must be the valve in the rack sticking or something? I dont want to remove it as the seals are not available! And knowing my luck they will break when i take the valve out

Any one had this experience?

[Crawford_S2]

I have slight problems with this since i got the fatter wheels, and spacers on the front axle are known to cause this problem ifit changes the ET from factory figures.

But last year i had chronic tramlining probs, it felt like something was loose at the front :eek2:

So I replaced the bushes with poly jobs, no effect Then I had the 4 wheel alignment done (£50 ) still no effect. Then i replaced the steering damper, which has since deposited all its oily contents all over the engine bay again, the old one was shot but still no effect

Then i thought maybe its the tyres, i had some standard size goodyear F1s on the front and pirellis on the back, the goodyears were fairly worn so i swapped them to the back and the ****** thing was fine

So bought some toyos and skipped the goodyears much better But never buying Badyears again they cost me a fortune. So swap your boots round before going mad with the plastic, wish i had.

[Graham]

I had a scary episode with tramlining and it turned out to be the 2 large bolts which hold the hydraulic rack to the steering rack, these had worked loose which gave me a knocking noise and scary tramlining.
Graham

[91_S2]

Re: tram lining, is my rack shot?

Originally posted by audiman
My car has started to tramline quite badly! It seems to have started after fitting the 5mm wheel spacers to the front end. I was wondering if i should do the same to the back end? Not sure if this would help?

It could be the change in the "scrub radius". Read the effect that changing the ET will have on scrub radius and steering effort:

http://www.hrsprings.com/site/frametechnical.html

[sal_s2]

When I had the konis fitted, my car was tramlining real bad, but after getting the alignment set the car is ok even with 235 tyres.

Check whether your spacers have had some effect on your cambers etc.

[audiman]

All the alignment is spot on, done last week. Wish it was something simple, will try swapping tyres front-rear and see if that helps! But im almost certain its inside the rack itself Thats about right for me innit!

[Martynf]

Tom,

I bet the spacers are the main culprit. When I used to be Parts Manager, I had a new A4 every 3 months with bigger different wheels and tyres each time. Some of the wheels had different ET's and drove piggin horrible. Sometimes the wheels were the same and it was the tyres that made it drive horrible. Its a fine line with wheels and tyres, get them wrong and it can ruin a car...

Can you take the spacers back off to prove / disprove the theory?

Martyn
oh, btw, if it's the rack which I doubt, I've got a brand new OE rack here 'spare' non servotronic rack, but I bet it fits!

[AbsS2]

mine was did the same 6 months back. When I got new tyres I noticed the inner side of the front tyres were showing wire :eek2: . New tyres sorted it out! Has been re-aligned to.

[audiman]

Mate i need the spacers as the brakes are too big!! I cant fit the wheels without them

But i think you are right. Need to buy some 18's. ********, life a bitch and all that!

Nothing is hanging off the tub, bearings, bushes, top mounts have all been done! Nothing left to replace now Except con rods, but thats another story