Wheel Alignment

[seangti]

And tell the dude who's doing it that the cars hit a gutter so they're across it.

[SBmusic]

Here's how I see it, if it really is pulling to one side or the other then it most likely has more damage than simply having the toe knocked out of alignment. Camber maybe, or more likely caster and SAI, commonly caused by subframe movement. For ~$30 all a tyre service guy will do is check the toe, if it's out then they most likely will claim extra time and charge ~$60. They might check the caster, but they will then tell you it's out but not adjustable. The average tyre service guy will have no idea about SAI and sure as hell won't check the set back to see it the subframe is out of alignment.

You can spend your ~$30 to $60 and get the toe checked and adjusted, but it almost certainly won't fix the pulling. That's where the VW dealer has an advantage, they have all the specs on the alignment plus some knowledge on how to adjust the subframe. If it needs parts, chances are they will be able to source them faster than a third party shop. Dealers do vary, sometimes you will get an apprentice, sometimes an experienced mechanic who has seen it all before. Bit of a lucky dip there, so what I do is establish very early on a dialogue with the Service Manager. I generally insist that the sales person introduce me to the Service Manager when I buy the car.

The best choice for me is a suspension specialist, they have all the gear, are experienced and have contacts with most car manufacturers. They can also offer options that a Dealer can't, such as aftermarket alignment products. In Sydney I'd recommend Heasmans (ask for Doug), StGeorge Steering (ask for John), Exceller Steering (ask for Bruce) and Road & Race (ask for Peter), tell them I said to call (they might look after you or not ).

Hope that helps
Cheers
Gary

Thanks Gary for the in depth response, it's very much appreciated....

Just to also let people know, it was the back left that hit the gutter! The fronts did not hit...I'm not sure if this changes anything for an alignment, but just thought I would give more detail on what happened...

It's not pulling hard by any means, it's a very very gradual pull..

[alexaescht]

Just to also let people know, it was the back left that hit the gutter! The fronts did not hit...I'm not sure if this changes anything for an alignment, but just thought I would give more detail on what happened...

It's not pulling hard by any means, it's a very very gradual pull..

The rear can't really be aligned as it's a torsion bar setup and has no adjustments. I think the only option if it's been bent out of shape considerably is to replace the entire torsion bar, but I'm not sure.