Is it too late to save my tire?
07-11-12, 10:14 PM
#16
Tech Info Resource
iTrader: (2)
Rubber bushings are going to give you different numbers just driving around the block. They're really not all that great from a pure performance perspective, but they rock for NVH control.
Personally, I'd rather pay a very competent technician $100 every time he works on my car than pay Firestone for a "lifetime" alignment by someone who adjusts until the magic machine shows green on all sectors. Frequency isn't nearly as important as having someone who understands the outcomes of what he's doing. Most importantly, the tech needs to know how you drive, what you expect, and the kinds of roads you drive if he's going to give you something worthwhile.
Telling me it has been off every time is pretty scary. I track my car and I don't see this at all. It sounds like you would be wise to loosen all your suspension bolts, settle the suspension and re-torque all of the bolts so you're at a neutral position - wait - is your car lowered? That would explain it all. Suspension lowered without resetting the bushings to neutral, so they're breaking down internally and changing the alignment as they turn to mush. That actually makes sense...
Personally, I'd rather pay a very competent technician $100 every time he works on my car than pay Firestone for a "lifetime" alignment by someone who adjusts until the magic machine shows green on all sectors. Frequency isn't nearly as important as having someone who understands the outcomes of what he's doing. Most importantly, the tech needs to know how you drive, what you expect, and the kinds of roads you drive if he's going to give you something worthwhile.
Telling me it has been off every time is pretty scary. I track my car and I don't see this at all. It sounds like you would be wise to loosen all your suspension bolts, settle the suspension and re-torque all of the bolts so you're at a neutral position - wait - is your car lowered? That would explain it all. Suspension lowered without resetting the bushings to neutral, so they're breaking down internally and changing the alignment as they turn to mush. That actually makes sense...
07-11-12, 10:29 PM
#17
Lexus Champion
Me? No I'm not lowered. I've had my car 83k miles, and I've never had any tire wear issues with my "life time alignment" at this shop. To me at least, the guys know what they're doing and they have good quality equipment. Can i have them set a specific amount of camber/toe if I wanted them to? probably....but I daily drive my car, i don't take it to the track.
When my car is off, it's not off a whole lot, but I do bring my car in for alignment pretty much three to four times a year or every 6,000 miles...or if i hit something really hard. Like I said, I've never had un-even or any type of irregular tire wear issues.
When my car is off, it's not off a whole lot, but I do bring my car in for alignment pretty much three to four times a year or every 6,000 miles...or if i hit something really hard. Like I said, I've never had un-even or any type of irregular tire wear issues.
07-11-12, 10:46 PM
#18
Tech Info Resource
iTrader: (2)
The hard part about any 2IS with RWD is no camber adjustments except the slop in the bolts. Toe is the only thing Toyota deemed important (and I've been pretty unhappy about that - ARE YOU LISTENING HERE LEXUS?)
Sounds like your alignment techs can deliver. Stick with them, good alignment techs are hard to find. Still, having it off every time and looking at the imbalance in the rear on your print out is a bit unusual. The disparity on the front caster is pretty common, but to be 0.6 degrees different left to right in the rear is pretty odd unless you've hit a curb and bent something.
A friend is dealing with a rear wheel bearing issue related to a previous owner hitting something like a curb really hard and making the bearing hole in the knuckle oval instead of round. Definitely a problem on a track car.
Sounds like your alignment techs can deliver. Stick with them, good alignment techs are hard to find. Still, having it off every time and looking at the imbalance in the rear on your print out is a bit unusual. The disparity on the front caster is pretty common, but to be 0.6 degrees different left to right in the rear is pretty odd unless you've hit a curb and bent something.
A friend is dealing with a rear wheel bearing issue related to a previous owner hitting something like a curb really hard and making the bearing hole in the knuckle oval instead of round. Definitely a problem on a track car.
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