Wheel Alignment - Problems

[BlackBimmerUK]

I decided to get my wheels tracked (camber/toe etc) after noticing uneven wear on my tyres.

Found a guy who would do it for £45 and went down 2 weeks ago and the guy did all the wheel alignment with his machine. Yesterday I noticed that the steering wheel wasnt centre and to drive in straight line I had to point the wheel to about 5 degrees to the right!! :eek:

So i went down today and first he wanted another £45 quid to correct his mistake (steering wheel pointing the wrong way)and then went on about how i must of hit a kerb!!!! He finally settled on £15 and said he would do all the adjustments again.

On the ramp he noticed all the readings were out again and the rear bush had gone and thats why the steering was off centre. Is that correct??? Can a worn bush affect the way your steering wheel is pointed?

Another question is where can I get my wheel aligned/tracked etc. A leicester main dealer has agreed to do them on condition i put my original BMW wheels (15"). He said I could then go and put my 19" ones again when I got home. Wouldnt that affect all the readings again!! Speaking to another main dealer in Warwick he said he wouldnt do my KDS as there would be no point doing it on 15 inch alloys and then putting on 19" alloys, as the readings would be all wrong.

Im confused as to who is telling the truth?
And where can I get my wheels tracked from with someone who knows what they are doing!!

Can anyone help? :(

[Dirty Black]

I'm interested in educated replies to the above also. I recently had mine aligned locally but its just not 100% right and I am one fussy son of a bitch.

[Stock323iSaloon]

when I had mine done few months ago, I was asked what my standard wheel/tyre sizes were and the operator was inputting this in the computer. not sure why but the end result is spot on so I'm not complaining.
your broken bush might be a coincidence as I just can't see it just failing within a very short period of time.

[peppernick]

Do remember that all KDS/wheel tracking will never be 100%, at least not whilst your car is back on the roads. It's only natural for people to find reasons to explain what could cause the readings to go out, but that doesn't mean it's not true. Worn bushings can cause alignment to go off but it will not be a 'consistent' off if you get what I mean. You will have to check the bushings themselves directly.

Also, UK roads are all gradient, to help with water drainage. So your steering wheel will never be 100% straight when you keep your car in a straight line. Usually it a few degrees to the right as the roads slope to the left.

As for putting smaller wheels on, it makes no difference. It's just that with certain aftermarket wheels, you can't mount the alignment tool if they are designed to fit a specific BMW wheel.

It's good to add weight to the back of your car using sandbags, to simulate carrying passengers. As ride height and suspension movement can cause variation in suspension geometry.

[Chaos]

Wheel sizes don't affect the geometry of the car, only the unsprung weight. Spring mods most definitely do though, and that's why when you lower a car you have to get a 4WA done as the wheels camber in.

A loose rear bush could possibly cause a toe problem on the rear, but for the sake of 2 weeks I'd be asking why he didn't notice it the first time around as he'd have had to loosen and re-tighten it when he did the 4WA.

Adjusting the steering wheel is a finer point that a LOT of places forget when they're doing a 4WA. I've had this car done twice, the first time it was the first thing they mentioned and the second time I wasn't there (diff place) and they left it a couple degrees out. Nothing major, but a bit annoying when I think about it. SW alignment isn't affected by a rear bush going though, it's affected by not putting the wheel at 12 o'clock when you put the car on the jig, thereby aligning the car with the wheel off-centre. It's a set-up thing rather than a mechanical thing (unless you knock the crap out of your front wheels and push it off-centre that way, in which case the whole car will be crabbing).

[BlackBimmerUK]

Well thats cleared a few things up. ;) . Thanks.

The Leicester dealer said he was happy for me to put my stock rims rims, or I could borrow theirs for £100!!!

The Warwick dealer said there would be no point. I dont want to go back to that little shi**y tyre place in leicester that did them for £45, because I felt he didnt know what he was talking about, and he was a cocky tw**.

Asked him today if i could put some masking tape over my rim where he was going to connect his wheel alignment mirrors. Two weeks ago they ended up scartching my dish. :mad:

He turned around and said his mirrors cost £250 and if they fell off i would have to pay!!! I told well my rims cost £2K and if he scratched them he would have to pay!! Im just p* with the service and bull i got.

So if wheel sizes don't affect the geometry of the car, I will put my 15"s on and go to the dealers and get it done properly next week. And put my 19"s on when I get home.

I assume that should be ok? :confused:

[JazzMan]

I had huge problems with mine. The front was really loose and floaty with the wheel off to one side on the roads and silly tramlining. I had the tracking done twice and both said, its OK. It turned out to be a combination of old Bridgestone SO3's on the front with brand new Bridgestone 050's on the back. Swapped them round and its mostly fixed everything. The car doent just follow the camber of the road anymore now.

[Chaos]

Aye BB, swapping the rims like that is fine/

[BlackBimmerUK]

Thanks Chaos. Much appreciated. :)

I will get under the car and sort the wishbones/bushes out this weekend, and the alignment next week.

Cheers

[Dirty Black]

damn alignment on these is tricky