Manual steering alignment

Whatcha. Tomorrow Spare Jimny is going in for an alignment as it's pulling the outside corner of the passenger tyre to bits. I'm half reliably informed that mother smote it against a pot hole. At speed. Anyway it's going to my preferred tyre place this time but its got me thinking given the simplicity of the alignment on the jimny and the lack of rear adjustment does it make sense to look at buying one of those tape measure tools that bolt onto the wheel flanges and give you the clearance to measure the relative length in front and behind the axle to determine toe as a linear measure. They're usually two large flat plates with notches to support the 2 tape measures. It's just that given the state of the roads this is likely not the last time I might need to check the wheels are still pointing in the same direction. 

DaisyInner 2 Pcs Wheel Toe Alignment Tool Plate Automotive Wheel Alignment Provides Accurate Wheel Alignment Measurements Tool Toe Plates Fast Accurate Measurements for Car Truck SUV Vehicle (Silver) amzn.eu/d/hv8ymx5

This sort of thing. 

Yeah it only doing it to the front passenger side is slightly worrying as there is no independent action to each wheel. I'll see what is said later.

Soeley wrote:

Never seen those brackets before, but you could easily make some up with a piece of angle iron or ally. I bet some old dexion shelving stuff would be ideal?

Yes I suppose I could but then I wouldn't have another shiny new thing to play with!

Well it seems to be a teachable moment. Spare Jimny is in need of a new track rod end apparently. So it would appear that having the facility to assess and then coarsely adjust the tracking at home and then send it in for laser adjustment with everything freed off is the future. I suspect that had I found a stuck thread having the time to take it off the car and work it on bench could have saved the new joint. Still it is what it is and while I don't like it paying for someone else's time it's not like someone has been hurt as a result of ignoring the issue.

If you are looking for toys......(no idea if this is any good)

www.trackace.co.uk/

Reading the article, he is at least honest about its limitations

Well it's going to be tomorrow now. Apparently they sent the wrong tre this morning and can't get a left hand one till tomorrow. And somehow it's needing a new lock nut too. At least I'm being looked after by the garage. And to be fair the last time I had to do this to my previous jimny it ended up with a completely new rod assembly so one tre and nut is winning?

As for doing things the most primitive way, that's not my preferred path, I aspire to a properly equipped building with ramps and the tool truck on speed dial . And yes I am aware that I could have built a unit with what I have spent on tools thus far but TOOL GOBLIN LIKE SHINY!!! Ooh I need that on a shirt!