Wheel Alignment???

djmaker · 02-06-2006, 11:48 AM

My car ever since i bought it has a mean tilt to the left and it anoys me badly.... so called up for a wheel alignment place close to me and they said something like $38 for a front wheel allignment is that a decent price???? or i should go else where.

Thanx

BI6TIM · 02-06-2006, 11:51 AM

That's about standard for a decent one.

djmaker · 02-06-2006, 11:55 AM

kewl thanx yeah its just really anoying having to constantly correct the steering wheel on a straight road :S lmao....

gozza · 02-06-2006, 12:13 PM

if you got it lowered make sure they adjust the camber...not just the toe

**if you have a camber kit lol

vegabass · 02-06-2006, 12:27 PM

Go to bob jane and get a propper wheel balance! its like $11 per wheel but its sooooo worth it. I had a mad vibration in the steering at odd speeds..I thought it was my steering rack. I had multiple alignments and balances no joy. Took it to bob jane and no more vibration. the exercise cost be about $80 but id pay it again tomorrow.

djmaker · 02-06-2006, 01:47 PM

mmmm.... i dont have a problem where it shakes only at really high speeds but the whole car is shacking at those kinda speeds but yeah just ever since i got it on dead straight road let go of the steering wheel will go to the left even the steering wheel on a stand still isnt straight so think it just needs a good wheel alignment and it should be sweet.

Aaron_EF8 · 02-06-2006, 02:38 PM

Wheel balances will only stop vibrations, steering wheel pulling to the side is from alignment (provided tyre pressure/wheel offset/mechanicals are all correct). Normally wheels are balanced when you fit new tyres, and they generally don't need to be re-balanced.

When you get an alignment, ask for a full alignment of camber and castor, not just a 'Toe and Go', which is what 75% of wheel alignments are. $38 is a normal price for an alignment.

As a general rule of thumb in regards to vibrations, if it shakes below 100kmh it's the front end, and if it's above 100kmh it's the rear end, including the tailshaft.

djmaker · 02-06-2006, 03:03 PM

i feel shacking at 160-170+..... at 200 its pretty violent but not that bad... if i ask for an alignment of the camber as well will they charge extra normally???? or its basically one of those things they wont do unless you ask.

Laminge · 02-06-2006, 03:07 PM

Where would you be shaking at those speeds?

djmaker · 02-06-2006, 03:10 PM

what do you mean...

BENT_8 · 02-06-2006, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_EF8

When you get an alignment, ask for a full alignment of camber and castor, not just a 'Toe and Go', which is what 75% of wheel alignments are. $38 is a normal price for an alignment.

I bought an EL fairmont off of Olympus last week and discovered it needed a wheel alignment.
As i have rescently moved to the country and haven't had a wheel alignment done since i moved here, I went lookin for someone who knows what they are doing.
I was impressed when one bloke got down on his knees and checked it out tellin me he could do the job no prob's.
I though i would give this bloke a go.
When i arrived back an hour later he told me he had to "tickle the Toe a bit"
to which i laughed and asked what about the camber.
His reply was even funnier when he told me he only adjusts camber if it needs it and mine was ok.
I asked him if it even had a camber kit fitted to which he replied " i dont know as i didn't look.
WTF- how can you be under a car, working on the front end alignment and not know if it had a camber kit?
Then i looked over my shoulder into the carpark and wouldn't you know it, it was full of commodores.
From this i concluded that this so called wheel alignment specialist who knew everything about my cars front end, wouldn't know a camber kit from a shagged upper strut mount.

Laminge · 02-06-2006, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djmaker

what do you mean...

Exactly what I said, where would you be when doing those speeds?

djmaker · 02-06-2006, 03:50 PM

ohhhhhh really long straights used by trucks at factorys when its closed..... thats where i tested it.

djmaker · 02-06-2006, 06:13 PM

well took the car in they said i got 2 diffrent types of a bracket or some like that and his like all i could do is a toe alignment but it wont make a diffrence really you need to change one of the sides to match the other side and it will be sweet.... so yeah MORE F****** money

ratter · 02-06-2006, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I bought an EL fairmont off of Olympus last week and discovered it needed a wheel alignment.
As i have rescently moved to the country and haven't had a wheel alignment done since i moved here, I went lookin for someone who knows what they are doing.
I was impressed when one bloke got down on his knees and checked it out tellin me he could do the job no prob's.
I though i would give this bloke a go.
When i arrived back an hour later he told me he had to "tickle the Toe a bit"
to which i laughed and asked what about the camber.
His reply was even funnier when he told me he only adjusts camber if it needs it and mine was ok.
I asked him if it even had a camber kit fitted to which he replied " i dont know as i didn't look.
WTF- how can you be under a car, working on the front end alignment and not know if it had a camber kit?
Then i looked over my shoulder into the carpark and wouldn't you know it, it was full of commodores.
From this i concluded that this so called wheel alignment specialist who knew everything about my cars front end, wouldn't know a camber kit from a shagged upper strut mount.

His comments could be correct and he could still have done the job properly, although he may be dodgy.

When they check the alignment, they fit the alignment heads to the wheels and then check all the angles on their monitor, if the toe is out, yes he needs to get under and adjust the tie rod ends to get the toe correct, but if camber and casters are within specs, he doesnt' need to go any further, As fas as looking for the kit, he probably does 15-20 alignments a day and is sick of looking at things he doesn't need to, he probably does what is needed and then move on to the next car.

Aaron_EF8 · 03-06-2006, 02:25 AM

It'll only need a camber kit if the camber is out by a fair whack.

You can check if it has a camber kit yourself, all they are, is where the upper wishbone bolts onto the body, the bolts are longer, so you can fit more shims in there. Have a look under the bonnet at the 2 bolts on each side of the shock towers, they're the bolts I mean.

I can take a couple of pics tomorrow when it's not so dark and show you what I mean.

Quote:

well took the car in they said i got 2 diffrent types of a bracket or some like that and his like all i could do is a toe alignment but it wont make a diffrence really you need to change one of the sides to match the other side and it will be sweet.... so yeah MORE F****** money

We can't really help you if you don't explain what he said, it could possibly be fitting 2 camber kits, one for each side. Ring a wrecker and see if they have any for sale, I got a pair for $60, a lot of E-Series have them fitted, due to the lack of adjustment from the factory.

djmaker · 05-06-2006, 11:00 AM

ummmm i cant remember the exact word that he said for it think he called it a bracket or something but i do remember him saying that my right front had a ratchet system and my left side wasnt ajustable which is why i needed to change it cause basically he said the tyres sitting on a angle

ON_DUBS · 05-06-2006, 11:42 AM

if your cars been lowered on crap bushes then they will offset your alignment over time also. thats why mine pulls to the left.

BENT_8 · 05-06-2006, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratter

His comments could be correct and he could still have done the job properly, although he may be dodgy.

When they check the alignment, they fit the alignment heads to the wheels and then check all the angles on their monitor, if the toe is out, yes he needs to get under and adjust the tie rod ends to get the toe correct, but if camber and casters are within specs, he doesnt' need to go any further, As fas as looking for the kit, he probably does 15-20 alignments a day and is sick of looking at things he doesn't need to, he probably does what is needed and then move on to the next car.

Woops i forgot to mention that i told him it had pedders lowered suspension and as i only had the car a few days i hadn't looked to see if it had a kit but presumed that as the height had been dropped it would put the camber out.

Olympus · 08-06-2006, 11:58 AM

Hi Steve, the reason the allignment would've been out is because I didn't have the wheels alligned after I took my 17" wheels off and replaced them with the stock rims.
I don't think the car has got a caster/camber-kit, the car is only slightly lowered.
I have been told it's very common for Falcon's to have out of wack camber.

How's the car going anyways ? Did you receive the logbook & receipts?

Cheers,
Paul

1TUFFUTE · 08-06-2006, 09:42 PM

when i got my ute lowered at pedders not long ago they said it was too low an they couldnt even allign it, so they paid for bob jane to do it on a saturday....how weird.