Gunson G4008 Trakrite Wheel Alignment Gauge

I was pretty sceptical at first, given the cost and apparent simplicity of this device. But I'm pleased to say that it worked incredibly well in practice. It was very simple to use - slightly tedious having to keep driving over it, adjusting and repeating - but after a few cycles I was able to get a perfect reading.I took my car (a 1965 Mustang Coupe) for a test drive before and after the adjustment, and what a difference - no more squealing tyres when going round corners.The only downside is that it is pretty flimsy, being made entirely of plastic. I managed to dislodge the pointer several times at first when the adjustment was way off, making the pointer deflect beyond the limit. But it was very easy to pop everything back in place.I'd say this is by far the cheapest and most accurate way of setting the toe-in alignment on pretty much any car that you can carry out yourself. Highly recommended!

This is an ingenious device which seems to be accurate in showing whether a wheel is toed in, toed out , or neutral. The results are reproducible in repeated tests. It is important to ensure that the device is on a level surface, and to ensure this I used a sheet of hardboard to absorb any loose gravel on the road surface . Its only fault is that the pointer has a tendency to drop out of the device when it is carried. It is easy - if a bit fiddly - to put it back in, but a nuisance nonetheless, and there is the risk of loss of the pointer

As a mobile mechanic myself I once saw my grandfather use one of these in the workshop, given the advances in "laser" technology I dismissed it believing that you could never obtain any level of accuracy with a tool such as this.I had to carry out a repair on my own van late one evening and I had to drive it considerable distance for 3 days without time for alignment, so while digging for a tape measure to rough set it my mate suggested that I set it using his one of these. "Haha, that cr@p DIY thing? Well I guess it cant make it any worse!".I dialed the toe to zero following the guide, drove the vehicle and centered the wheel with equal adjustments, then rechecked/fine tuned the toe after.It was easy to obtain a constant zero scrub reading so i drove away thinking that it was roughly good for my journeys but I'd check it as soon as possible.A delay the next morning gave me a surprise opportunity to get it on the ramp and I was completely gob smacked, no spanner required, it was spot on for toe!...So I brought my own and had a go on the wifes car with the same results when compared to the laser alignment kit.Ok, so its only going to set toe (which is often all that is adjustable on many cars), and although it cant have the perfect level of accuracy of the garage kit but wow its close enough to be within tolerance for every car or van I've tried it on.It now sits in the back of my mobile van and allows me to set the toe after a mobile suspension repair with ease. As many customers are too tight to add the cost of alignment to a repair I like to leave knowing that its at least good enough not to destroy thier front tyres in a few miles.A surprisingly good bit of kit but carry a brush to remove any gravel that might be in its way first and it will deliver consistant results.A lot better that watching the local minimum wage tyre monkey negate the expensive lasers accuracy by resting it on a balancing wieght or setting the tracking for the wrong vehicle model! Any kit is only as good as its operator.

I did what instructions said to, I drove over it.The tool showed good.Tried other side of car, tool said/read good.Well my car still pulls to the passenger side, but tool says good.

You have got to know what you are doing to use this. My car had over steer which was a little unpleasant on long journeys plus the tyre wear was not 100%. Adjusted the car to vehicle specifications and centred the steering wheel on adjustment. The job took about an hour with this tool and now drives perfectly.

These have been around for years and I have allways thought of them as a bit of a gimmick until a client showed me his and how it works. I read the reviews and purchased one.The plus points are I have numerous vehicles and two of them needed the tracking doing. My local tyre fitters charge £40 per vehicle (and I have to take the car back until they get it right) so after 2 x vehicles I have allready saved £35.Also found it very easy to use. Followed the instructions and also used a straight edge along the tyre to ensure that it ways all in line.Negative points are it reads in degrees and the toe in/out measurements from the manufactures are usually in mm. Not a big issue as long as you know if it should be toe in or toe out.The other negative was each time I drove over it before (and after adjustments) the readings were all ways slightly different, maybe my drive and I may need more practice with it aswell.Overall a very good product, saved me some money and the affected vehicles (one is a 3.5t transit horsebox) drive with the steering straight.