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    #1

    Wheel alignments - necessary when buying new tyres?

    Just got back from shopping around to see what tyres there are and most places insisted a wheel alignment be done if they fit front tyres.

    My car has done 60,000km since I bought it at 160,000km a couple of yrs ago and have never had an alignment because I have no tyre wear issues. The previous wheel alignment it had was about 5 years ago at 120,000km by the previous owner. It doesn't pull, bump steer, or chew tyres at all.

    I told them I'm there to buy tyres and nothing else but they said they wouldn't warrant the tyres if they wear abnormally without an alignment (mostly the same ones recommending nitrogen because its better but wouldnt say why) so I asked if I have an alignment then go do burnouts and come back complaining about poor wear performance if that would be covered by warranty. Didn't get many pleasant replies though.

    Question is, if my last set of front tyres got 45,000km with no uneven wear at all, with rather spirited driving, is a wheel alignment necessary or are these wankers trying to con more money out of me?
    Originally posted by paul05
    don't waste your time asking questions about real cars on the rice forum go to ls1 .com ,it's alot more accommodating and informative than pf.
    WTB in Melb - Ford AU 6 cyl engine - needs to be in good condition
    Tags: None
    #2
    Con

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      #3
      no, you don't need a wheel alignment when you buy new tyres, but when you are replacing tyres it's usually when the wear pattern is checked, however it's as good a time as any to get it done. Should be done every now and then anyway.
      Turns out, far too much has been written about great men and not nearly enough about morons


      Originally posted by seedyrom
      my neighbours called the cops...... not because of the sound of me working in the garage was too loud, but because i taped a cardboard box to my back, covered my self in vaseline and pretended i was a snail on their lawn

      Comment

        #4
        But why...?

        Ball joints are new, tie rods are still fine, shocks are OK, rack isn't leaking.

        All unusual for a ford but there are no abnormal tyre wear patterns at all.....
        Originally posted by paul05
        don't waste your time asking questions about real cars on the rice forum go to ls1 .com ,it's alot more accommodating and informative than pf.
        WTB in Melb - Ford AU 6 cyl engine - needs to be in good condition

        Comment

          #5
          It's always a good idea to get it done mate. I was the same on one of my cars, everything appeared to line up fine and all suspension was in good nick, but my new tyres got hammered and scrubbed out hard due to poor wheel alignment after i'd changed tyres. My old tyres didn't scrub out as well so I figured it would be sweet. I didn't think it would matter, but seemingly so, my tyres got scrubbed out after SFA kms. For the sake of $30 just get it aligned properly and be done with it. Don't be a mad tight ass.

          Comment

            #6
            but why what? If the tyre wear is perfectly even on the old worn out tyres then no you don't need one.

            But through the life of the car minor wear in ball joints and tie rod ends, flex in the body, hitting pot holes or clipping gutters WILL all knock the wheels out of alignment. But this shows up as abnormal tyre wear. The new tyres have no part in the equation at all, except for two things:

            a) by the time you realise it's out of alignment your new tyres will be fucked; and
            b) it's as good a time as any to get one done when it's having tyres fitted.

            But as I said, if the old tyres were worn perfectly evenly, then no you don't need one.
            Turns out, far too much has been written about great men and not nearly enough about morons


            Originally posted by seedyrom
            my neighbours called the cops...... not because of the sound of me working in the garage was too loud, but because i taped a cardboard box to my back, covered my self in vaseline and pretended i was a snail on their lawn

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by Secoh
              but why what? If the tyre wear is perfectly even on the old worn out tyres then no you don't need one.

              <snip>

              But as I said, if the old tyres were worn perfectly evenly, then no you don't need one.
              Thats what I thought, I didn't see that wording in your first post.

              My original concern was with the tyre guys not able to give a technical reason why I needed an alignment.

              Whats even funnier was I rotated the fronts & rears a fortnight ago because I wanted the good new tyres on the front when I get them fitted, the current front tyres have only been on the front axle for about 1,000km, hence have a lot of acceleration-induced wear on them. I asked the tyre monkeys to point out why I needed an alignment then the few I visited proceeded to explain that wear on the fronts was because of toe in (he didn't use that word, he explained in simpleton's words using his hands to show what tyres do, even though I asked him to be as technical as possible). He then wouldn't explain how that wear occured after I politely informed him those tyres were on the rear (live) axle for the past 18 months. Even funnier was none of the monkeys wanted to point out any problems with the rear tyres yet they insisted I need a wheel alignment.

              I didn't go tyre shopping with the intention of being a smartarse to them but I can't help it when the majority try to sell me bullshit I dont need even after they've made glaringly obvious lies.
              Originally posted by paul05
              don't waste your time asking questions about real cars on the rice forum go to ls1 .com ,it's alot more accommodating and informative than pf.
              WTB in Melb - Ford AU 6 cyl engine - needs to be in good condition

              Comment

                #8
                If it aint broke dont touch it. I wouldn't touch the wheel alignment if the wear is ok. Some boofheads that work in tyre places will make the alignment worse anyway . What warranty are they going to give on tyre wear ? If the tyres wear strange they'd just blame you anyway and say you hit something.

                Comment

                  #9
                  wont give you a warranty nor free balancing/rotation without it.

                  Thats why they do it, most decent tyre shops will give you a free alignment when you buy a set.
                  Originally posted by Buford T. Justice
                  This happens every time one of these floozies starts poontangin' around with those show folk fags.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    there is no technical reason for why you need an alignment.
                    the simple reason is that they are putting their product on your current allignment, wich for all they know could be completely screwed and wear unevenly, then you come back saying these tyres are shit, i want a refund but it wont be their fault, hence no warranty. If you want a warranty, they need it at their specs so they can guarantee that its them who screwed it up and not the person who did the alignment 45,000kms ago.
                    this signature intentionally left blank

                    Comment

                      #11
                      I had a similar conversation when taking the wifes Camry in for a service, he rubbed his hand over the 1,000km old front tyre and said it needed a wheel alignment due to uneven wear... He didn't give in until I pointed out that the tyres were less new and it had a wheel alignment when they were fitted.

                      The same place wants to do a fuel injection clean, power steering flush and air con clean at every service. It's only done 65,000km's and if it wasn't for the warranty, it would be getting serviced at home. It's not a good sign when the service given is a "pro" for replacing the car with one from a different dealer.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        I'm fucking cursed.

                        I just annihilated a wombat with the front of my car..... Seems like I'll be getting a wheel alignment now....

                        Earlier I broke my starter motor because it had the one bolt modification - where you CBF putting in the top bolt because its a real PITA to install. Go figure, that starter motor with only one bolt cranked the car up a driveway into my garage in first gear when the LPG system shit itself a few months ago...
                        Originally posted by paul05
                        don't waste your time asking questions about real cars on the rice forum go to ls1 .com ,it's alot more accommodating and informative than pf.
                        WTB in Melb - Ford AU 6 cyl engine - needs to be in good condition

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Originally posted by tandy ass
                          I'm fucking cursed.

                          I just annihilated a wombat with the front of my car..... Seems like I'll be getting a wheel alignment now....
                          Apart from that, it's a good idea to get it checked every few years anyway.
                          But the shop forcing an alignment on you is bullshit.
                          Tell them they jsut lost your business and you'll recommend everyone you know to go somewhere else as well.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Originally posted by tandy ass
                            I'm fucking cursed.

                            I just annihilated a wombat with the front of my car..... Seems like I'll be getting a wheel alignment now....

                            Earlier I broke my starter motor because it had the one bolt modification - where you CBF putting in the top bolt because its a real PITA to install. Go figure, that starter motor with only one bolt cranked the car up a driveway into my garage in first gear when the LPG system shit itself a few months ago...
                            your car sounds like a real pearler....

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Billzilla
                              Apart from that, it's a good idea to get it checked every few years anyway.
                              But the shop forcing an alignment on you is bullshit.
                              Tell them they jsut lost your business and you'll recommend everyone you know to go somewhere else as well.
                              they were never forcing an allignment, they simply said no warranty without an allignment.

                              would you guarantee the safety of the passengers on your plane if you didnt know who did the safety check on the plane?


                              the shop can not know the current allignment, so they can not guarantee no abnormal wear on the tyres.
                              this signature intentionally left blank

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