front wheel alignment when you can't move track rod ends

[David Stepney]

I have just checked my RP saloon, the front wheels of which are set to parallel, and the trackrod from pin centre to pin centre measures 34 1/8". Does this help?

[JonE]

Thankyou muchly. Sure will on Monday when I go down and measure mine!! (and hopefully, David, there will be hordes of others now checking theirs match yours...)

[David Stepney]

The actual distance between pin centres will vary from car to car, but yours should be about the 34 inch mark. The other way to check is (and I am assuming that the axle is still on the car) is to set the front wheels parallel and pointing straight ahead and (you will need the help of an assistant!) measure from hole centre to hole centre on the steering arms. That is how I set my tracking having taken the trackrod off the car to unseize the ends. I put the offside track rod end pin in and then adjusted the nearside so that the pin just went into the steering arm. A block of wood set against the base of the tyre and rim each side will tell you if either of the wheels have moved. It is, however a bit fiddly and you do need two to do it.

[Bob Culver]

This was all raked over once before and I am sure the exact dimensions, offset etc of the track rod was tabulated if anyone can find. 
The assembly was fine for the original lightweight cars driven mainly on unsealed roads but frail for later heavy cars, esp with 16 inch tyres. The tradition of the time was to not haul on steering when stationary but few adhere to today. "Mechanics" also force the trackrod because the adj is too coarse. Along with prangs easily grow longer.
Is it the thread on the rod or in the ends which runs out?

[JonE]

Well exactly.

FB too suggests that the rod lengthens/straightens with age. Have spent ages trawling via google and came across Ruairidh's advice to trim a bit from each end... 2014.

http://pub25.bravenet.com/forum/static/s...1&cmd=show

Can anyone else suggest the tabulation thread that Bob refers to?