Wheel Alignment/Geometry - Talk to me

Wheel Alignment/Geometry - Talk to me

Author
Discussion

superhans88

Original Poster:

179 posts

174 months

Friday 2nd December 2016
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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!

John145

2,447 posts

155 months

Friday 2nd December 2016
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I'd expect to pay £100-150 for full geo setup. Bit pointless doing everything else without making sure all 4 wheels are pointed in the same direction and bent over the right amount!

mikey k

13,011 posts

215 months

Friday 2nd December 2016
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What car is it?

superhans88

Original Poster:

179 posts

174 months

Friday 2nd December 2016
quotequote all
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?

SlimJim16v

5,617 posts

142 months

Friday 2nd December 2016
quotequote all
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?
The mechanic/technician/operator.

John145

2,447 posts

155 months

Friday 2nd December 2016
quotequote all
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

6,726 posts

248 months

Friday 2nd December 2016
quotequote all
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.

mikey k

13,011 posts

215 months

Friday 2nd December 2016
quotequote all
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.
yes 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 IME

superhans88

Original Poster:

179 posts

174 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all
From 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?

V8 FOU

2,970 posts

146 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
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Full geo will tell you if there are any problems from anything being bent, worn, etc.

cradock

35 posts

109 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
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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.

superhans88

Original Poster:

179 posts

174 months

Saturday 3rd December 2016
quotequote all
Getting confirmation of any damage is probably a good idea, the car's been pulling left for a while now (since even before suspension rebuild and new front wheel bearings).. no idea what's causing it as tyres are wearing evenly!