Conflicting Advice

[sotal]

Ok, I had my tyre fixed this morning and my front tyres balanced.

Whilst balancing the front tyres they noticed that the FOS tyre was worn slightly on the inner edge (tyre still fine but needs sorting) and that the FNS was ever so very slightly starting to wear on the inner edge.

So I said is that the tracking? and the tyre bloke said no I don't think so mate and had a look and said he thought it was the wishbone bushes but there was a mechanic next door who would have a look for free

The mechanic popped round and had a look whilst they finished the balancing and said the bushes were fine and everything looked fine then noticed that one wheel was slightly further back than the other. He could fit four fingers on the OS between the wheel and the arch and only 3 1/2 fingers on the NS. He said the front wheel must have hit a curb hard and bent something and that I should have it checked with some sort of optical alignment check, he gave me the name of two companies in the area who could do that and walked off.

So I got back and phoned the first company who said all cars have the wheels slightly out of alignment and that they had never seen a car with identical front wheels and that from everything I was saying it was just the tracking and it would be £14inc VAT to sort out the tracking

As for the 2nd company - I can't find their number so I can't ring them!

So that's me thinking tracking, tyre bloke thinking wishbone bushes, mechanic thinking it needs jigging, and jigging/tracking place saying it needs tracking!

My personal feeling is that it just needs tracking, would any of you kind folks be willing to nip out in the cold and rain and stick your fingers between the arch (not bumper side) and the tyre and tell me how many fingers you can fit on each side That should prove the theory!

[GT4 BOOSTER]

may just be "power steering " scrub

[sotal]

I suggested that as I do a lot of low speed driving and he said "nope".

Any idea how many fingers you can fit though Marc??

[mikeb]

Any idea how many fingers you can fit though Marc??

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This is getting a bit personal isn't it?

I would get the tracking checked first. Try and take it to a reputable place that you can trust. Ask them when you arrive for a report of what is what (if any) adjustments they make.

I don't think the 'finger test' is anything to worry about. Half a finger is what - about 5mm? I would say that's well within tolerances, and from what I can gather from your description, I don't think adjusting the tracking would have any effect on the gap anyway.

[sotal]

I wondered why GT4booster had gone quiet after I asked that

So are the front wheels not supposed to be at the same position?? The 1st mechanic was 100% sure they should be. The tracking bloke was 100% sure he had never seen any that were the same! So I don't know who to believe! I don't know either garage so I can't say how reputable they are - my usual mechanic is across the other side of the city now as I have moved office

[sotal]

Well I just managed to find the number for the other place. They said they would put it on the Optical-X machine and it would cost £85+VAT to align. They said that half a finger sounded a big difference.

Now I don't know who to believe!!!

Has anyone had chance to check there's out yet???

[sotal]

Anyone had chance to measure there gap yet??? Anyone know much about the optical-X machine???

Thanks Spotipus for your measurement ;)

[martin_longbow]

Dude I used to be paranoid about this going back to the days of Mk II Escorts after I snapped a u bolt on my lowering kit. I think I have had forty or so different motors since then (never new) I can only remember a couple that I would have said this gap is the same when doing the test you suggest.

Are you happy with the car, were you perfectly comfortable driving it on windy roads and was it smooth on the motorway cruising?

I would get the tracking laser aligned which you should be able to get done somewhere from around twenty five bucks. If there is a problem then they wont be able to track it, and wil tell you.

What ever you do DO NOT mention anything to the outfit you take the car too. Just take it to one of those chains, Halfords, Kwickfit or whatever. Simply ask them to check and adjust the alignment cause you got a puncture fixed and the wheel balanced and you did not have time to get the alignement done. Sit down have a coffee and wait until they come back.

[sotal]

Cheers for the reply Martin,

I am a little confused by it all! Yes the car handles perfectly very smooth corners well holds the road well and slightly goes to the left with the camber of the road if you let go of the steering wheel. So all seems OK. The only complaint I had before was that from about 66mph to 75mph the steering wheel juddered - this was a bit of a pain on the motorway because it forced me to either go at 65 in the slow lane or go at about 80 in the fast lane.

So whilst I was there I got them to balance the wheels up. That was when they noticed the wear etc. Since the balancing has been done there is no juddering at 70mph so now it is perfect.

The only thing that worries me is that the mechanic was an old bloke and he seemed very worried and had never seen one like it. Spotipus has checked his car and they are exactly the same on either side and the Jig place with the optical-x machine said it sounded like it needed jigging.

Then I have completly conflicting advice from the place that specialises in tracking in the area who say that they've never seen a car with the wheels exactly the same and it sounds like it's within tolerance, and now you have comfirmed that you agree with this.

The tyres were brand new when I got the car 18 months ago and I've done 8000 miles in those 8 months and I know I've never knocked the front wheel and there isn't much damage to the tyre (it's still legal - just needs sorting before it does wreck the tyre!) If it was so bad I would have thought it would have done more damage over 8000 miles??

I thing I've decided to take it to be tracked up at the place I rang. Not sure if I'll ask them whilst I'm there - might just wait till they've finished then ask them if they don't mention it

[martin_longbow]

Yep that's wot I would do. Let us know how you get on eh?

[GTForbes]

i'd get the tracking done and if your still paranoid find somewhere doing free suspension checks and stick it in there for a look see.

if it's scrubbing on the inside then it's tracking, if its the outside then it's powersteering scrub

[sotal]

Yeah it's just on the inside, so I'll get it tracked up - hopefully this week if I get a minute, then I'll see if they say anything about the alignment

[Mick24]

If both tyres are scrubbing on the inside edge,it is possible that you have excessive toe-out (tracking) or too much negative camber on the front causing the tyres to scrub(have you got a lowering kit fitted??)

Get a Full Geometry check done for peace of mind - if the Castor and KPI readings are out on the front,then you have something bent/damaged - average cost is about £60-70 with a full print out.

[sotal]

If both tyres are scrubbing on the inside edge,it is possible that you have excessive toe-out (tracking) or too much negative camber on the front causing the tyres to scrub(have you got a lowering kit fitted??)

Get a Full Geometry check done for peace of mind - if the Castor and KPI readings are out on the front,then you have something bent/damaged - average cost is about £60-70 with a full print out.

                                           

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Is that 60-70 just for the check or to rectify the problem???

I don't have it lowered it is completely standard from that respect. The tyre place reckoned something was bent but said everything looked spot on. They reckoned that at sometime the front wheel had banged hard into a curb or something like that???

[daktari]

Just a thought on this. I had a similar problem when i had mine lowered. Eventually ended up fitting adjustable camber bolts. Anyway.

Bearing in mind your car is a few years old now. It`s quite coceivable that the springs have compressed enough to significantly alter your camber.

[CrazyJ]

Im pretty sure I got a full geometrey done with adjustments and print out for under £40 ..