To help those pulled into this thread by the title the topic is geometry

One of the things that makes me what i am is if i dont understand why 'dont' let it go!... So when i was setting the geometry on the IS 200/ 300 in volume every now and then i had a complaint....one in ten'ish had steering wheel offline to the right.

The final setting position of the steering wheel is only cosmetic but important for the overall result, at first i thought it was my eye, so i then asked the customer to set the position, still every now and then wheel off to the right.

Although my system Auto calibrates i then had Supertracker out to test the program and it passed no problem.

I pulled the reports to see if there was a common adjustment area 'angle' recovery that could explain why..... no luck, albeit one adjustment or fithteen there is no match to explain why.

Of all the fine tunes done so far the tyre wear issue that smothers the IS has gone so it would seem the then new WIM set-up is not to blame, i have been told that 'body noise' on some cars also has gone so it would seem the parallelograms also are at rest.

What has evolved is that geometrically there is three settings for the 200/300
GB
Europe
Asia
excluding index mark 99 and sport models

Of all the cars set few seemed to come back for the fine tune, this initaly worrid me so i made contact to find out why, seemingly the reason is distance, travel 400 miles have the geo done if now all is well then people are reluctent to travel back for the fine tune, this i can understand.....

So to my point if you have had a geometry done with me and the steering wheel ended up off line can you please pm me your index so that i can research the problem further.

What reads weird is that appart from the odd Micra the IS is the only car i have this issue with...... and one SC430!!! but i think that was my fault ( human )

As you can read this is not a good advert for me but i need to know why this cosmetic steering wheel position happens, and stop it!!!!!!

Tony, wouldn't it be easier for everyone to just do this on the meet ?

Tony,

I have no idea if this is related or not. If not then I appologise.

When I first got my geometry done at Drury Lane, on their new fancy geometry machine my steering was also off-centre to the right. I brought it back it a few days later and they sorted it out for me immediately.

Nothing gets at me more than a need to know why! There is no one to ask so all the research has to be done through people i have serverd here in LOC. it's bothering me and since i at the moment cannot predict who will be a winner then i feel i need to act, if that makes me look bad.. so beit.

Im 99.9% sure the UK/EU/AS conflict is to blame, if it is then i want to own the explination and display it here at LOC.

'Yes Anees' That helps me alot....... 'BIG TIME'. this proves its the car not the opperator. We know Drury are 100% customer aware, like me, so no way would they ever knowingly release the car with the SW RHD, by chance do you still have any reports i can see, email, pm, post, i just want to compaire.

Hi Tony

I'm fractionally to the right, and I mean fractionally.

I'm certainly not complaining though and the whole driving experience is a lot more positive. I reckon I used to have a slight drift to the left before which has now been corrected.

Had a bit of a scare a week ago after the torrential rain when I hit a large puddle whilst doing about 50. Fortunately I had a good grip of the wheel otherwise I reckon I would have been slung left. Hopefully it hasn't affected any geometry setting - feels OK still

Yeap as you know Tony, mine isnt straight, but i havent had my fine tune yet but will be booking it in soon .....mines to the left ..eerrrr i think so...will check later

Hi Tony,
I've had mine tracked a couple of times (at the dealer), and the steering wheel has always been very fractionally right afterwards, I should have the report sheets if you want copies

My steering wheel is off to the left

It was like it when I picked the car up from the dealers a month or so ago ??

I never mentioned it as I was too excited at the time and it would have meant I didn't have the car for the weekend (I picked it up 5.00pm on a Friday !)

Your meet was mentioned to me the other night so I may venture down if only to say hi

If you could let me know if my geo is fooked though i would appreciate it.

Tony

Mine steering wheel is off to the right slightly, I have sent you a PM with my details.

Hope this helps.

I am due for the fine tune shortly so I will be in touch.

does it move right...after the car is driven, or after someone has sat in the car, could the weight difference move the alignment off.

i know with race cars, when we corner weight the car, and do the alignment adjustments, its with a weight, similer to the driver on the drivers seat, also the corner weighting, is done with full oils and fuel

Weight would certainly be possible in my case


As a side issue, when Tony did my full monty the other week he took tyre depth measurments.

Based on those measurements and based on the fact that I have been running around at 34psi (reducing to 33psi on some tyres at times because I don't check them that often) he suggested that from now on I run at 35psi because the wear pattern was indicating slight under-inflation.

Tony, I know my car hasn't been done by yourselves, but on the occasions I have had tracking done etc the steering wheel sits usually slightly to the right...

Don't know the process but when it's done they have a metal hanger thing which clamps onto the wheel and then sits on the seat - they tighten it up with the wheel straight and then do their mechanical stuff...

It's marginally out now as well I believe, was in Gord's car yesterday and that was out but he needs to have that seen to....

Tony,

My car was absolutely perfectly straight when I got it but I had the dreaded inside front tyre wear problem so I got the goem done and now it is slightly to the right aswell and it REALLY annoys me

I havent had the time or inclination to back with it and keep putting it off but it niggles at me...........

Keith

Tony, when I had the geom done here (castor problems aside) I also had the steering wheel slightly off to the right, this was on 4 brand new tyres. I *thought* it might be something to do with the dodgy castor in my case, but it seems maybe not after all.

Si

suggest you keep a count on the cns of cider each night that may be the answer

Tea total me mark well untill 9pm

is that when the kids get to you or when they go to bed

is the parrot still alive or are you doing the scetch from monty python
now

fair comment back to subject we at discount have the same probs
with all makes not just lexus just need fine tune suggest small road test
after geom woukd be recomended

Good point i thought that lateral shear might be the cause so i did the maths:

The IS 200/ 300 needs no loading before measuring, and the fual load can be 0 to 100% ( so we are told? )

Taking my maths into account i feel the lateral shear would vertically compress the drivers suspension, lift the NSF upper parallelogram and lower the OSR, if true then the disparity would be the 'new, driver on board' NSF camber position bias toward the negative but this would conclude with a steering wheel left hand down since the angles force is conical > to the OSF ( compensate NSF )

To date no IS in this condition ( RH Down ) has a pull generated by any angle, i/ we know the rear has a 0 thrust angle so its not straight line ( crabbing ) correction to blame.

One of the first geos i did for LOC was a 'modist' size man who had tyre wear probs time after time, so i corrected the geo for his weight, the fine tune 2000 miles later showed no wear, then again another 2000 miles no wear. But never before or after any adjustments was the steering offline, i have to conclude body weight ( human ) cannot be the reason.

Some months ago i did ask Drury lane service station if they could do some tests for me on weigh plates so i could form a mapping process on the IS but due to the new equipment this has been delayed 'ANEES LITTLE HELP'

Today i fine tuned a 52 IS that had diagonal ( NSR/ OSF ) camber adjustments also involving the 'indirect' castor adjustment then front toe ( quite a major move geometrically ) after the initial adjustment the SW was straight, todays 'tune' only involved slight toe correction, still the SW is straight.

In addition because of this post i have had ( out of sight pm's ) from other companys also saying they have this problem with the IS and the steering wheel position.

Those that have used WIM know the fine-tune is free so any corretion costs you nothing more than your time, i just dont want to waste it!!!

My SW sits slightly to the right and has done since I got the car!
Before I bought the car from Steveaudiox he told me that the goemetry was spot on as he regularly had it checked because he knew the guy who did it!
I have no reason not to believe him and this now just backs him up!
The first place the car was going when I get it back was to get the geo set up properly but I think I will hold off until I get new rear tyres very soon!!..........and hear some more on this topic!!

And you will... do you have a geometry report that you can display here or email me, in addition can you pm me the cars index.

my steering wheel sits to the right but the car drives straight and I have absolutely no steering problem

It was caused by a meet with a roundabout kerb

Mate you need a geo anytime yesterday.

if you have a meeting with anything i.e pot hole or kerb

then a geom is paramount

just for picece of mind. after all tyres cost money

my geo is ok but the steering wheel is now sitting to the right.
It was 1.5 years ago.

'UPDATE'!
Since most of you that have met me know i work fo STS and i am not happy with this steering wheel topic. I have only been given a few reports regarding problem that i have, and another five from other companys that pm'd me, this is not enough to map a common reason.

Now i have to assume the problem this equipment i emailed STS and said 'unless this is sorted' i will 'NOT' support the Lexus geometry day! knowing this so far has cost them thousends..

Today:
The Calibration on the geometry machine was re-tested: passed
The Calibration program was re-tested : passed
The ramp was tested for level : passed
The Alloy hangers for the cameras were tested they : passed
The 'data' rod that measures the track was tested it :passed
The Radius plates ( car on bearings ) did show some concern, these are ment to be maintainence free...... so i wonder!!!!!!! they.......? :passed
WELL there is no more to test, of the 5% who have had the steering wheel off-line after the goemetry i have 'at this time' no answer why. good, bad, sad i dont know!

In veiw of todays efforts i will support the PR day since all measurments will be actual and a matter of 'fact'. WIM is back if needed 'STS' passed

suppose i should get my geometry done fairly sonn, had a few meetings with kerbs now, and wheel studs sheering.

my tseering wheel is to the the left...about an 1/8th of a turn but thats my fault not the cars.

Any pics of the wheels

as i did another one in this morning will take a pic of that one

Mine is also to the right. Or left? Dunno yet. But you know. What about this?
SteeringWheelOffCenterAdjustment: LINK

Thanks for that link, i will get to the bottom of this but at the moment i dont have enougth examples top map.

The only common area is movement of the castor position toward positive and then the toe recovery after, it would seem that even though the car is on radius plates this does not allow the upper parallelogram to move diagonally and to be fair why should it, this i can now understand or a least image but? why is the steering wheel always to the right? that i dont understand ( yet )

Hi Tony,
just wondering if you wanted me to send my results over? If it'll be of any help but I had my geom done on the 5th sept, the same day the ramps were tested.

Lee.

Yes!.. the reason for this post is evident, of the 100's of Lexus's set 'why' has there been this SW off line RHD issue, As you know i have had every eliment tested and passed, from this thread other companies also have said they have the same problem. Supertracker explain my concerns have become more visible by the volume of Lexus's measured. But the initial issue still exists 'WHY'.... To be continued...