Wheel Alignment Perfection?

Ozbfan on 27/04/2022 - 21:11
Last edited 28/04/2022 - 14:19 by 1 other user

Hi fellow Barginers, I recently made use of the Bridgestone 4 for 3 offer and got 4 Serenity Plus tyres fitted to my 2016 Elantra.

The tightarse in me has never bought a wheel alignment, thought it was snake oil, anyway I figured fresh start, lets get a wheel alignment. There wasn't any problem, steering wheel (SW) was perfectly centred, car tracked perfectly straight and has so since new.

Anyway I paid for a wheel alignment and they gave me a printout, small adjustments nothing major. Anyway from then on, the car was really weird to drive, after a while and going to a flat carpark, the problem was the car, when SW was centred, it would go left, and quite a lot.

Took it back to Bridgestone and they didn't put it back on the machine, just tinkered under the car and took it for a few drives and they said its fixed. (Now my original printout is invalid and the mech just tinkered with it in an uncontrolled manner)

Now it is different, straight SW, it goes right (tested in a carpark). To make sure it isn't in my head I drove a few family members' cars and they all are perfect, and nothing like this.

Reading up about wheel alignments, it seems that the angle of the steering wheel is just set by a human by eye and isn't really controlled during a computer wheel alignment (maybe they knock it as they get out of the car etc). Some systems apparently use a steering wheel clamp, but it isn't exactly to millimetre precision like the rest of the alignment is like toe or camber etc.

My question is, would anyone have any ideas how to fix this, I don't think Bridgestone are my answer since they seem really sloppy, I'm happy to pay whatever for a best of the best wheel alignment to hopefully get my car back to what it was. Does anyone have any recommendations of any really good companies, that maybe specialise in alignments in Sydney?

Automotive Car Hyundai Motors Wheel Alignment

Comments

  • MS Paint on 27/04/2022 - 21:30
    +3

    never bought a wheel alignment, thought it was snake oil

    It's physics 101 not snake oil

    • Ozbfan on 27/04/2022 - 21:38
      +2

      Is it? I do wonder the rate that modern cars go out of alignment. Tyre companies advise every 10k kms, i tried to research if there any credible studies on the subject, I couldn’t find any.

      • MS Paint on 27/04/2022 - 21:44
        +8

        It's not the modern car that goes out of alignment it's the Muppet in control of the car that puts them out of alignment.

        Hitting gutters, mounting curbs, smashing potholes or speed bumps at 60kmh etc. You get the idea.

        I've got 200k kms on my 5 year old car. Just about to add my 3rd set of tyres. I've never had a wheel alignment because I don't hit shit except birds that don't move out of the way quick enough. I rotate my tyres every 15k kms. You probably didn't need a wheel alignment in the first place either.

        • kerfuffle on 27/04/2022 - 21:46

          A wheel alignment is required when fitting Bridgestone tyres to maintain the warranty where they check and rotate your tyres every six months.

          Source: had them on my old car

        • Ozbfan on 27/04/2022 - 21:47

          Let me correct it to say, snake oil wheel alignment marketing. Haha Yeah I’m kinda thinking I didn’t either.

        • Chandler on 27/04/2022 - 21:58
          +1

          I don't hit shit except birds that don't move out of the way quick enough.

          I hadn't pictured you as a bird-slaughterer, but there you go…

  • Pelicannn on 27/04/2022 - 21:36
    +3

    Wheel alignments aren't snake oil, however quality of workmanship can vary significantly.

    Might be worth getting a second opinion on the original work done and if the next mob say it was an incompetant job, a well articulated (leaving emotion out of it, only facts) google review goes a long way on the previous joint.

  • bmerigan on 27/04/2022 - 21:53

    It's definitely difficult to find someone trustworthy. I don't get it done any more as I have never had an improvement from it.
    If I notice some feathering on my tyres then I will certainly get an alignment but definitely not just based on time.

    For you, I guess it's your decision whether to try somewhere else for another $70 or go back again.

  • yippy on 27/04/2022 - 21:55
    +3

    If you want a specialist try Heasman Steering and Suspension in Sydenham.

    • HerpinDerp on 28/04/2022 - 10:04

      Probably a bit overkill lol.But yeah, probably the go to if you have a lot of adjustment or aftermarket suspension upgrades.

      • yippy on 28/04/2022 - 10:06

        Yeah I know it's overkill but op wants the best specialist in wheel alignments and is willing to pay.

  • chuneeperformance on 27/04/2022 - 21:56
    -1

    Heal, toe my friend… It ain't no mofo dance.. it's car life!

  • aoeueoa on 27/04/2022 - 22:02

    PM for recommendation in Sydney East

  • blutek on 27/04/2022 - 22:02

    Based on their Hunter alignment equipment, I would consider the Woollahra Tyre Garage, in Oxford Street.

  • Cave Fire on 27/04/2022 - 22:05

    Definitely not snake oil… might be some other problem that they introduced or damaged. The alignment is verifying the wheels various angles. If there were no other factors, then Bridgestone needs to correct it. If they can't, then someone else eg Hyundai should fix what was done. It also usually measured with lasers at a shop and is very precise. It's up to the workers to manually adjust based on the readings and recheck after that.

  • saliya on 27/04/2022 - 22:29

    Wheel alignments are real (not snake oil).

    They normally check toe-in (how much the wheels 'point towards' each other: parallel = 0 toe; more toe normally means more stable/less twitchy steering/more overall wear); camber (how vertical the wheels are; the more camber the more off-vertical they are, more camber means more shoulder wear); and caster (how much camber changes with steering angle; more caster means camber changes more with more steering, more effort on the steering wheel).

    You can do one yourself at home with a process like this one:
    https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-personal-vehicles/au…

    Most capable shops these days will use kit that does all the hard work for them; and unless it's been dropped/broken it's usually fairly good.

    The thing that normally affects "steering wheel in the middle but car tracking left or right" is none of the above - it is misplacement (off-centre) steering wheel.
    But given that your 'wheel alignment' changed the steering for the worse; it sounds like you bought a misalignment.

    If your car's steering (not the steering wheel, see above) is centred, the road is flat, the wheels are evenly loaded, the car has no suspension problems, and the car is tracking one way or the other then a proper alignment should help.

  • resubaehtgnolhcs on 27/04/2022 - 23:15
    +1

    If you want the best of the best try Heasman steering and suspension in Sydenham.

  • plmko on 28/04/2022 - 00:31

    Wheel alignments are like $50. Who cares really just do it.

  • Euphemistic on 28/04/2022 - 09:28

    If your tyres aren’t wearing unevenly and the steering wheel is centred a wheel alignment may not be needed. However, you may not notice uneven tyre wear until too late so it’s worth getting an alignment done regularly especially if you drive hard or on lots of poor surfaces.

  • the Unforgiven on 28/04/2022 - 10:47

    What sort of wear were the old tyres?
    Sometimes new tyres track one way or the other. We used to swap the front tyres over & they usually fixed it or it tracked the other way. It will then stop when the tyres wear in a bit

  • JIMB0 on 28/04/2022 - 11:09

    I'd never get it done at a tyre shop, most of them are unqualified hacks. Best is a suspension place as they are specialists.

    • Euphemistic on 28/04/2022 - 12:16

      And both use low priced labour to get the work done with probably the same equipment.

      • brad1-8tsi on 28/04/2022 - 12:54
        +2

        I made a fortune when I worked at a tyre place. It was one of the best paying jobs I ever had. Base rate plus incentive.

        Insanely repetitive with 15-20 alignment a day M-F and another 10 on Saturdays. If I did 100 in the week it added 70% to my pay.

  • brad1-8tsi on 28/04/2022 - 12:50
    +1

    It amazes me that people write an essay about a car issue and don't mention the make/model/year of vehicle.

    The best alignment place I know is Heasemans in Tempe but you are looking at $150++

    I spent the first 10 years of my working life doing alignments and have done 5000+ in that time.

    Your description of how to get the steering wheel straight and how to make the car steer straight is laughable.

    The frequency of the need for an alignment depends on:
    a) wear on suspension components.
    b) the condition of the roads we drive on
    c) the person driving.

    I've done 1 wheel alignment on my Octavia in 206k km. That includes fitting lowered springs at 90k; new dampers at 110k and putting it all back to stock at 200k. I don't bother to align it and it steers dead straight on a lightly cambered road and doesn't wear tyres.
    I know some people/cars that need an alignment every 6 months.

    There are many alignment "techs" out there that don't understand the correlation between tyre wear and steering geometry and simply aim to get the gauges in the green. A real tech will look at tyre wear and how the car is driving and adjust as needed.

    • Ozbfan on 28/04/2022 - 13:01

      Hi, I did mention the make and year in the first sentence, elantra 2016.

      Why is my description of how to get the steering wheel straight laughable? What would you recommend here? I’ve had it back twice and it still isn’t fixed.

      When they did they alignment it was after 4 new tyres fitted so the tyres won’t tell them much.

      • brad1-8tsi on 28/04/2022 - 13:43
        +1

        I see it now. "16 elantra" all lower case. Really made that stand out for the skimmers.

        What you said about the steering wheel doesn't make sense.

        You look at the tyres before the fitter changes them. My fitter always called me over for a look.

        Get yourself to Heasemans or Sydney Suspension at Penrith. They'll sort it out

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