Wheel Alignment - Fact or FUD?
- Thread starter detach8
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Re: Wheel Alignment - Fact or FUD?
But it is inaccurate as it subject to the road surface. Best to good for wheel alignment to know whether off-centre.
In which country u drive don't hold steering wheel 99% of the time?
Whether hold steering or not, when steering wheel off-centre, correction needs to be done. That's what gave us the feeling of off-centre.MW;1027702 said:
But it is inaccurate as it subject to the road surface. Best to good for wheel alignment to know whether off-centre.
In which country u drive don't hold steering wheel 99% of the time?
Re: Wheel Alignment - Fact or FUD?
Hi all, my experience: i will go to reputable WS for gearbox, radiator, and other minor jobs, but use agent, in my case PML has been giving me very good services. They have done wheel alignment on my E60 once and my F30 twice as i have some suspension warranty. Good job they did. It's not about machine but training too. I won't go to outside WS for wheel alignment. GB is another story as agent was told not to repair so best to go to good WS for service and repair rather than change at $9000 upward.
Hi all, my experience: i will go to reputable WS for gearbox, radiator, and other minor jobs, but use agent, in my case PML has been giving me very good services. They have done wheel alignment on my E60 once and my F30 twice as i have some suspension warranty. Good job they did. It's not about machine but training too. I won't go to outside WS for wheel alignment. GB is another story as agent was told not to repair so best to go to good WS for service and repair rather than change at $9000 upward.
Re: Wheel Alignment - Fact or FUD?
Agree with you Jason. GB and radiator are not minor jobs. But I meant I will use reputable WS for GB jobs, radiator change, and also other minor jobs. To me wheel alignment involves more than just the right tools, and I want the agent warranty for the job, hence I will go back to agent for wheel alignment.
Thanks for letting me clarify.
Agree with you Jason. GB and radiator are not minor jobs. But I meant I will use reputable WS for GB jobs, radiator change, and also other minor jobs. To me wheel alignment involves more than just the right tools, and I want the agent warranty for the job, hence I will go back to agent for wheel alignment.
Thanks for letting me clarify.
Meek
Well-Known Member
Re: Wheel Alignment - Fact or FUD?
I just want to share my experience with the alignment of rear wheel drives. There are actually many many many settings that can be used to allow the driver to tailor the way the car handles in the corner, lane changes or even get better fc ( did i get anyone's attention here?). Each time i used a different setting the car feels like a total animal. Rear wheel drives especially.
Its okay if you want to get the assurance of the factory default settings by going back to the agent.
It is lots more expensive, i believe, and need to set up appointments to do that. I prefer going to an alignment shop outside, especially those who have 3d hunter alignment machines AND who have specialists to help you tweak the settings to one that suit the driver. Based on the tire wear, it indicates if more aggressive stances are required.
Just sharing.
I just want to share my experience with the alignment of rear wheel drives. There are actually many many many settings that can be used to allow the driver to tailor the way the car handles in the corner, lane changes or even get better fc ( did i get anyone's attention here?). Each time i used a different setting the car feels like a total animal. Rear wheel drives especially.
Its okay if you want to get the assurance of the factory default settings by going back to the agent.
It is lots more expensive, i believe, and need to set up appointments to do that. I prefer going to an alignment shop outside, especially those who have 3d hunter alignment machines AND who have specialists to help you tweak the settings to one that suit the driver. Based on the tire wear, it indicates if more aggressive stances are required.
Just sharing.
Meek
Well-Known Member
Re: Wheel Alignment - Fact or FUD?
I used to test out the various settings on track and sunday hill drives (genting, ulu yam, etc) and i am sensitive to changes in alignment as i have lost my tail numerous times due to alignment issues. Fortunately i countered and caught it back most of the time.... now, if i hit a pothole or a kerb, i do a couple of straight line tests and know when it needs to get realigned. If properly aligned it can retain the life of the tyres and also the occupants.
Just an advice to those who cant understand the need to do alignment regularly.
I used to test out the various settings on track and sunday hill drives (genting, ulu yam, etc) and i am sensitive to changes in alignment as i have lost my tail numerous times due to alignment issues. Fortunately i countered and caught it back most of the time.... now, if i hit a pothole or a kerb, i do a couple of straight line tests and know when it needs to get realigned. If properly aligned it can retain the life of the tyres and also the occupants.
Just an advice to those who cant understand the need to do alignment regularly.
christopher ngo
Well-Known Member
Re: Wheel Alignment - Fact or FUD?
I change tyre every 20-25k mileage depends on tyre condition , rotate @5k, alignment 10k because my monthly mileage was low as less than 700km per month or less, sometimes whole month just lie at carpark.
Recently just facing terrified tyre burst due to some left over screws on NSHW.
davidtch;1060275 said:
I change tyre every 20-25k mileage depends on tyre condition , rotate @5k, alignment 10k because my monthly mileage was low as less than 700km per month or less, sometimes whole month just lie at carpark.
Recently just facing terrified tyre burst due to some left over screws on NSHW.
detach8
Well-Known Member
Re: Wheel Alignment - Fact or FUD?
Why change tyre every 20k? That's every YEAR for typical SG mileage. Do you know that tyres that are 50% worn give better performance because the shorter/worn thread blocks flex less? I'd be glad to buy your used tyres...
Tyres can easily go 40k on SG roads. Going back to the agent will get you factory settings -- good in a way. If you are the slow poke easy going driver, the factory specs are going to give you a car that drives straight and stable at speed.
Agree with Meek that there are good alignment shops out there. Going to one outside means you can tell him what you want. I had a 3rd party alignment shop dial out some toe-in on the front wheels and reduced the rear camber of my Z4. It is so much more responsive to steering inputs now. The downside is that the car feels a little nervous at high speed. And yes, the old alignment rear toe was way off spec, causing the car to drag its rear wheels around. After the realignment, I'm getting 9.6km/l on my Z4 (N52B25), almost 1km/l improvement.
--
For my F10 it was not purely an alignment issue but also a steering issue, so I left it to MA to deal with the problem since it was under warranty. I am quite anal when it comes to how my car drives, otherwise I wouldn't buy a BMW. What is a BMW when it can't drive straight? Even my old beat up Impreza and my parent's old E class that hasn't got a tyre alignment in years drives straight as an arrow -- I can go hands free for several seconds on the expressway.
The 3rd party alignment shop said it's a common/known problem with F10 and cannot be resolved by an alignment. It seems to be an electronic steering related issue, that's why MA had to reset my steering position sensor numerous times and fit shorter upper A arms to my front suspension to increase the camber on one side to counter that effect.
F series cars with electronic power steering (actually the Z4, E90 LCI and X1 LCI also has EPS) has a mechanism to return the steering to center. I am not an expert here. Maybe one day I will ask Rodney how it works, but I am guessing there should be a motor of sorts to enable active steering return. If the center point of the steering is calibrated wrong then the steering return mechanism will cause the steering wheel to return off-center, indirectly causing the car to drive to one side.
I have sold my F10 since and won't discuss that further. When I test drove my Z4 I made sure it drives straight as an arrow before I bought it and I'm frickin glad it DOES.
Why change tyre every 20k? That's every YEAR for typical SG mileage. Do you know that tyres that are 50% worn give better performance because the shorter/worn thread blocks flex less? I'd be glad to buy your used tyres...
Tyres can easily go 40k on SG roads. Going back to the agent will get you factory settings -- good in a way. If you are the slow poke easy going driver, the factory specs are going to give you a car that drives straight and stable at speed.
Agree with Meek that there are good alignment shops out there. Going to one outside means you can tell him what you want. I had a 3rd party alignment shop dial out some toe-in on the front wheels and reduced the rear camber of my Z4. It is so much more responsive to steering inputs now. The downside is that the car feels a little nervous at high speed. And yes, the old alignment rear toe was way off spec, causing the car to drag its rear wheels around. After the realignment, I'm getting 9.6km/l on my Z4 (N52B25), almost 1km/l improvement.
--
For my F10 it was not purely an alignment issue but also a steering issue, so I left it to MA to deal with the problem since it was under warranty. I am quite anal when it comes to how my car drives, otherwise I wouldn't buy a BMW. What is a BMW when it can't drive straight? Even my old beat up Impreza and my parent's old E class that hasn't got a tyre alignment in years drives straight as an arrow -- I can go hands free for several seconds on the expressway.
The 3rd party alignment shop said it's a common/known problem with F10 and cannot be resolved by an alignment. It seems to be an electronic steering related issue, that's why MA had to reset my steering position sensor numerous times and fit shorter upper A arms to my front suspension to increase the camber on one side to counter that effect.
F series cars with electronic power steering (actually the Z4, E90 LCI and X1 LCI also has EPS) has a mechanism to return the steering to center. I am not an expert here. Maybe one day I will ask Rodney how it works, but I am guessing there should be a motor of sorts to enable active steering return. If the center point of the steering is calibrated wrong then the steering return mechanism will cause the steering wheel to return off-center, indirectly causing the car to drive to one side.
I have sold my F10 since and won't discuss that further. When I test drove my Z4 I made sure it drives straight as an arrow before I bought it and I'm frickin glad it DOES.
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