Wheel Alignment

[dubbed]

Hey Dubbers,

I need to get a wheel alignment done on the Golf. The tyres I just replaced were worn unevenly and I don't want my new ones to chew out prematurely. I was just wondering how these cars are aligned? My previous Falcons could be aligned by adding some shims in the front upper control arms, but once lowered too much they required a camber kit (to fit even more shims). So before I go in and get stung, are Golfs easy to align? Do they usually require a camber kit or anything special?

Thanks in advance.

[Golf Houso]

I wouldn't be surprised if you problems just lied in wheel alignment and a wheel balance. I would do those first before attempting to put some camber shims in, I know for my mk3 it wasn't a very big job and was done rather quickly by the tire place when I got my tires re-balanced after I had painted them.

[dubbed]

I would hope it was that simple but like I said the last set of front tyres wore out unevenly and I just got new ones fitted - so they should be aligned and balanced perfectly but it feels like it pulls to the left now.

[No457 Snowy]

Mate, take it back to the alignment place and tell them it's pulling to the left and let them do it again, if it's pulling and you leave it, you'll definitely scrub them out quickly. If it's still funny after that you'd better find an alignment place that knows Euro cars better than where you're taking it. A lot of places are only used to doing Commodores and Falcons.

When I finally found a good place to take mine the guy told me there are a few little tricks in fine tuning the adjustments on Euro cars that the Commodore/Falcon boys don't know about, "they just use the tie-rods for the toe-in/out and that's it", he said.

The car drove better than ever once I left it with him for the day.

Snowy.

[dubbed]

After I picked up my car (half an hour after they said it'd be ready) I just had a bad feeling about the place. They seem really amateur so I don't want to go back there.

I might suss out another tyre place and leave it with them. Next option will be a place that specialises in Euro cars but I'm tipping it'd be expensive...

[No457 Snowy]

Yeah, he wanted the car for the whole day because he was busy, I had to book a week ahead to get it in and it was around $120 for the alignment but it made a massive difference.

Snowy.