Wheel Alignment/Geometry - Talk to me
Discussion
Just had a suspension rebuild (shocks,springs, bushes, control arms etc) and been advised that a full 4 wheel laser alignment is the way to go.. i.e. castor/camber etc not just tracking.
Question is, there seems to be a big price difference between the likes of ATS (£65) and some specialists (£100+). As I don't really fully understand what's involved, do we think this is worth the extra?
I'm going along the lines of you get what you pay for but looking for any info none the less!
Question is, there seems to be a big price difference between the likes of ATS (£65) and some specialists (£100+). As I don't really fully understand what's involved, do we think this is worth the extra?
I'm going along the lines of you get what you pay for but looking for any info none the less!
superhans88 said:
Car is a bog standard Focus.. so what will the £65 ATS special miss out if they say it's a 4 wheel laser alignment?
Time and effort. It takes 1-2 hours to geo a car properly.Make sure they put 2x 75 kg masses on the 2 front seats before they set the geos and tyre pressures are correct (or to whatever mass condition ford decree).
GreigM said:
If these were standard suspension components (i.e. not lowering etc) then I doubt you need a full 4-wheel geometry setup. Most likely everything at the rear is non-adjustable and at the front only the toe is adjustable, so basic "tracking" would do.
on standard FWD car there is no benefit to splashing out. In fact it probably has no adjustment on the rear and it certainly doesn't have a complicated suspension set up that would benefit from laser alignment IMEFrom what I gather it is only the front and rear toe angles that are adjustable, although the front camber is dependant on hub carrier position which can be adjusted with steering knuckle to suspension strut mounting bolts (according to the manual!)
Although nothing else is readily adjustable, is it posssible for any of it to be out of alignment following the complete overhaul it has had (almost all new suspension components)?
As the very least it needs is the £65 ATS 4-wheel alignment, I'm just wondering if it's worth the extra £50 at a specialist or a waste of time as it's standard suspension kit?
Although nothing else is readily adjustable, is it posssible for any of it to be out of alignment following the complete overhaul it has had (almost all new suspension components)?
As the very least it needs is the £65 ATS 4-wheel alignment, I'm just wondering if it's worth the extra £50 at a specialist or a waste of time as it's standard suspension kit?
Depends a lot on the car; i run a little alfa that seems happy enough to have the bog standard ats alignment set up and handles just fine with it. I also run a 612 and that's a whole other story... as i've found out it is *very* sensitive to the setup - if slightly out its such a heavy car that it wanders, especially over bumps or ironworks in the road. Was well worth the effort to have full soup-to-nuts alignment done on it as the handling is transformed. my own sense is that if you enjoy feeling that the handling is crisp and want to feel confidence in the twisty bits then its worth spending a few quid more; but to be fair to ats and the like they seem perfectly competent when its for a standard model of car.
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