Tracking gauges measure toe, the angle the wheels point relative to the car's centreline, and they are one of four measuring tools a race car set-up needs alongside camber gauges, corner weight scales and a level reference floor. VMEP supplies laser tracking gauges at £660 ex VAT, with a digital readout, suiting 12in to 20in wheel diameters.
Tracking is the measurement most often got wrong, because it is the one most affected by everything else. Measure toe on an uneven floor, at the wrong ride height, or with the car at a different weight to how it races, and the number you write down is not the number the car runs. That is why the set-up gauges below are sold as a related family rather than as separate tools: the gauge gives you the reading, the pad levellers and set-up floor make the reading mean something. This page lists the full VMEP set-up measurement range with prices and specifications, all ex VAT, and explains what each gauge is actually for.
Tracking and alignment gauges
Laser tracking gauges, £660. Laser tracking gauges with a digital readout, suiting 12in to 20in wheel diameters. Simple, quick and accurate for setting toe. Contact us for lead time.
Race car wheel alignment string line hub stand kit, £2,750. A set of four hub stands including tracking plates and anti roll off plates, adjustable between 515mm to 655mm and 655mm to 720mm tyre diameters. Each hub stand has two ball transfer units, so the stand moves with minimal friction in all directions between adjustments. Confirm hub PCD and stud count when ordering. Larger tyre sizes can be produced to order.
The choice between these two is about method, not budget. Laser gauges measure the wheel as fitted and are quick between sessions. A string line and hub stand kit takes the wheels off and measures the hubs against a fixed reference, which is the more repeatable method and the one used for a full geometry set-up on a single seater.
Camber gauges
Magnetic digital camber gauge with adjustable framework, £180. Handheld framework that adjusts between 12in and 20in. It attaches to a brake disc, or is used with the framework to measure wheel camber angles from the rim. Accurate to 0.01 degrees, with a zero function, a hold button and power on/off. The gauge body is machined from high grade aluminium with the digital dial box held inside. The framework has two handles for easy measurement from the rims, with laser etched plaques marking where to position the studs for each wheel size.
Suspension measurement
Bump steer gauge, £215. Two dial gauges to accurately measure wheel steer through suspension travel. Supplied with 4 and 5 stud hub plates as standard. Bespoke hub plates can be made to your dimensions.
Motion ratio gauge, £545. A kit supplied in a case with a range of adjusters and a memory stick with an Excel file included, for measuring the relationship between wheel travel and damper travel.
Tyre pressure gauges
Digital tyre pressure gauge, £45. Handheld with an LCD display, switchable units, reads up to 200 PSI, supplied in a small carry case.
RaceSense tyre pressure gauge with case, £230 to £280. Supplied with a carry case and an optional temperature probe. A separate right-angled temperature probe is available for tight access, such as closed-wheel prototypes. Note that the right-angled probe on its own comes in its own carry case rather than the rubberised case.
Why the floor matters more than the gauge
A tracking gauge reading is only as good as the surface under the car. Workshop floors are rarely flat enough for geometry work, and a few millimetres of variation across a wheelbase changes corner weights and therefore ride heights and therefore the geometry you just measured.
That is what pad levellers and set-up floors are for. The range, ex VAT:
- STR corner weight scale pad levellers, £440
- Pad levellers, kart, £385
- Pad levellers for Intercomp / Longacre 15x15x2.5in scales, £525
- Aluminium scale pad levellers, £660
- STR pad levellers, roll on and off, £715
- Billet aluminium pad levellers for 15x15in scales, £1,635
- Wheel alignment pad leveller extension tables, £1,595
- Raised height floating alignment tables, £1,650
- Legend set-up floor, £2,195
- Stage set-up floor kits, £3,245
- Stage set-up floor kit with aluminium rack, £4,950
What to buy first
In the order that gives you the most usable accuracy per pound spent:
- Tyre pressure gauge, £45. The cheapest measurement that changes lap time, and the one you use every session
- Camber gauge, £180. Quick, repeatable, and camber is easy to set once you can measure it
- Pad levellers, from £385. Before more gauges. Without a level reference the readings drift and you chase your own tail
- Laser tracking gauges, £660. Toe, measured properly, on a level car
- Bump steer gauge, £215, and motion ratio gauge, £545. Development tools rather than race weekend tools
- String line hub stand kit, £2,750. When you need full geometry repeatability rather than between-session checks
Storing and transporting set-up equipment
Set-up equipment is precision equipment, and it does not enjoy being loose in a race truck. We build cases for it, from a corner weight scale flight case at £325 up to a set-up equipment storage flight case with pad levellers and hub stands at £4,065. The full set-up equipment case range runs £250 to £9,895 ex VAT.
Before you order
For tracking gauges, confirm your wheel diameter. For hub stands, confirm tyre diameter, hub PCD and stud count. For pad levellers, confirm which scales you own, because the leveller is machined to suit a specific scale footprint. Bespoke sizes are made to order at our Bidford workshop, and the whole set-up equipment range is designed and built there.
Browse chassis set-up equipment or contact VMEP with your wheel size, scales and car before ordering.