Tracking Setup: Questions & Answers

Hello fellow DIY enthusiasts,

I'm having a tiny little problem regarding the tracking on my Golf IV.

Also, ich habe bei meinem 4er die Spurstangenköpfe getauscht! Danach stand das Lenkrad nicht mehr mittig! So far, so good!

I went to get my alignment checked! They adjusted it, but they didn't fix it properly!

Okay, so the car is now going straight, but the steering wheel still isn't centered!

If I understand correctly, when adjusting the steering linkage, you're only changing how far the rod is inserted into the steering knuckle, which determines the toe angle. Nothing is adjusted in the steering gear itself!

Okay, so I could turn the steering wheel all the way up and then adjust the alignment! Right? Of course, I would have a very poor turning radius on one side, but I'm just trying to explain this! Because somehow, the alignment specialist doesn't seem to understand me.

'I'm now considering having a colleague hold the steering wheel in the center while I slightly adjust the tie rods myself, which I've marked beforehand. If it still doesn't drive straight after that, we'll have to re-align it, but at least it will be centered.'

'This is really frustrating, especially when you're not being listened to by someone who's supposedly an expert! They always act like they know everything because they've been doing it for 25 years, and they think they're gods. I'm so incredibly annoyed!'

I hope someone here can explain this to me, or tell me if I'm right about something!

Thank you.

Edit Admin: exclamation marks are sufficient.

Hehe, I had that problem before too. My 'wheel alignment tool' adjusted the alignment three times until the steering wheel was straight. The last time, I was in the car and helped stabilize the steering wheel by holding it, so it wouldn't twist during the alignment.

It's not possible to reposition the steering wheel on the steering shaft in a Golf 4.

Julian wrote:

Moving the steering wheel on the steering shaft is not possible on the Golf 4, by the way.

Why not? / What is preventing the transfer?

What a relief that the 9N didn't inherit this design .

Hello Julian,

So, did I understand the topic correctly?

@ Admin, sorry, this won't happen again. It was just frustration about the tire thief.

Moving the steering wheel on the steering shaft is not possible on the Golf 4, by the way.
Why not? / What is preventing the transfer?

What a relief that the 9N didn't inherit this design .

a) a notch, and b) think about what the ESP steering angle sensor 'thinks,' since it's located on the steering column...

Steering wheels with airbags should generally never be replaced.

Julian wrote:

think about what the ESP's steering angle sensor "thinks", since it's located on the steering column...

Ah yes, that's right... but as someone who only uses ABS, I don't need to think that far .

Quote:

Airbag steering wheels should generally never be replaced!

Do you mean twisting it on the steering column, or just removing it?
Reasoning (excluding handling of explosives -> caution, etc.)?

In any case: Too late... I had already removed it from the Golf, and even from the Polo, on several occasions.
I also used to ground myself whenever I was handling it.

Nothing exploded, and the ignition check afterwards was also OK (no error messages).

Ah yes, that's right... but as someone who only uses ABS, I don't need to think that far ahead.

Besides that, there's also a defined zero position for the mechanics, where the toothed rack is precisely in the middle. However, only then do you have the maximum adjustment range available at the joints.


I also used to ground myself whenever I was handling it.


'But you're the exception; the majority of people who enjoy nature and hiking probably don't even think about things like that.'
Therefore, the advice should always be 'keep your hands away from the airbag,' as tampering with it can also lead to legal problems. For example, if you take an airbag to a friend's place, you are actually committing an offense.

CU Gremlin.

If you're not sure: track refers to the difference in the wheel offset between the front and rear of the wheel. If the wheels are closer together at the front, you have positive track, etc.
Okay, first of all, the alignment doesn't directly affect whether the vehicle drives straight or not. I once had an alignment that was off by 26mm!!!, and the car still drove straight. However, the tire wear was significantly increased.
I always have the alignment adjusted at the ÖAMTC's optical testing station. Apparently, the procedure there requires that the steering wheel be perfectly centered first, and any subsequent adjustments to the alignment won't affect the measurements. This ensures that you always have a perfectly aligned steering wheel.
I would go back and raise the issue again – I've done that before. Or, you could adjust the alignment on both sides equally, which would keep the track alignment the same.
As a guideline for how precise you need to be: on my vehicle, the front wheels are 0.55mm closer together than the rear wheels, and the tolerance range is from 0mm to 1.1mm.

Edit: It doesn't change anything at the equator. Why would it?

Normally, when aligning a vehicle, the steering wheel is locked in the center position. Then, the alignment process is performed. If you replace the tie rod ends, I can imagine that the steering wheel might not be centered afterward if it has the ability to move freely.

So, first of all, the track has no influence on whether the vehicle is running straight or not. }

That's already clear... but if I rotate the left head 1 cm to the right and the right head 1 cm to the right as well...

Then the vehicle's suspension is still technically optimal, but the steering wheel is crooked, or the steering rack isn't centered when the vehicle is driving straight.
(strictly speaking, it's not optimal, especially considering the spoke angle difference).

'Sometimes, there are markings or guides used to precisely align the steering gear to the center position, which then allows you to center the steering wheel or make a correct adjustment of the joints.'
And even if the (wheel) alignment is perfectly accurate, the steering linkage is still misaligned. So, it's a shoddy job; back to the workshop it goes...

CU Gremlin.

Gremlin wrote:

then the vehicle's chassis is still technically optimal, but the steering wheel is crooked, or the steering column is not centered when the vehicle is driving straight... (strictly speaking, it's not optimal, keyword: track difference angle)

I hadn't even thought of that .
I'm experiencing the exact same issue where the steering wheel isn't centered when I'm driving straight.
What exactly is the track difference angle?

Gremlin wrote:

if I rotate the left head 1cm to the right and the right head also 1cm to the right... Then the vehicle's suspension is still technically optimal, but the steering wheel is crooked, or the steering rack isn't centered when the vehicle is driving straight. (strictly speaking, it's not optimal, keyword: track difference angle)

Hmm??
The track difference angle is created by the different steering angles of the suspension arms when the steering wheel is turned, right?

However, for example, if I turn the steering linkage halfway to the right and adjust the tie rod ends to be perfectly straight (assuming the threads are long enough), the alignment will be 100% correct in that position, and the car will drive straight.
While I can achieve a right-hand turning radius (corresponding to the maximum steering wheel angle) to the right, turning to the left at the steering limit will likely cause the wheels to rub against the wheel arches and/or damage the drive shaft joints.

But until the normal steering angle is reached, shouldn't I also have the normal tracking values, since the lateral displacement of the steering tie rod is compensated for by the different lengths of the tie rods?

Or what spatial geometric effects have I overlooked?

Do you mean twisting it on the steering column, or just removing it?
Reasoning (excluding handling of explosives -> caution, etc.)?


No, I think you handle explosives perfectly. My concern was solely about the geometry of the steering column and its behavior in a crash. The steering column also has a crumple zone in the area near the steering mechanism. Depending on how the accident unfolds, the airbag deploys earlier/later, and the position of the steering wheel depends on that. If the steering wheel is now misaligned, the airbag will be twisted, and I can imagine that this could play a role in the accident.

But that they saved on this notch with the 9N? My A4 has it, and the Golf 4 does too. Did your Golf 3 not have an airbag? (3kg less? )

Julian wrote:

But did they save on that notch with the 9N? My A4 has it, and so does the Golf 4. Did your Golf 3 not have an airbag? (3kg less? )

Which notch are you suddenly referring to?

The G3 already had an airbag - otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to buy one (my post from yesterday) .

Which notch are you suddenly referring to?


Hm, the one from my post yesterday. The steering column has a notch, and the steering wheel has an extended tooth, so it can only be tightened securely in one position.

Julian wrote:

ulf wrote: Which notch are you suddenly referring to? Hm, the one from my post yesterday. The steering column has a notch, and the steering wheel has an extended tooth, so it can only be tightened securely in one position.

Aah, now yes, an island...

On my 9N, the steering wheel can be mounted perfectly normally, offset by one tooth at a time.
It might be because it only has ABS, but not ESP.