Have you had your wheels aligned lately??

MarkN

It's been a costly 7 days for my car this week...just bought BMW's entended warranty, €700 for a fully comp policy should anything go wrong, I just bring it to a dealer and it's their problem - same as if it were under the standard two year cover. I went with an excess of 300 as I don't expect anything to go wrong with the car having very few kms but the DSC sensors have been known to go so that alone is about €3,000.

http://www.bmw.com/ie/en/owners/warranty/New_Car_Warranty.html

Today I got new rear rubber. I decided to go for the same brand - Michelin but instead of the Pilot Sport Cups I went for Pilot Sport 2s. The cups were great for grip but in the recent bad weather they pretty much left me stranded due to being semi slick and with just under 13,000kms on them since new they were nearing the end anyway, traction was breaking in 2nd and 3rd under load and it was getting far too twitchy.




One thing I hadn't thought about too much was laser wheel alignment and this is the main reason I'm posting I suppose - you should get it done! Mine was way off and with a few lasers and a computer it was put right in about 15 mins. The fronts were pointing one way, the rears another and with two years of Irish roads the car needed quite a bit of adjustment.

You can see part of the machine that sits on the wheel here.



I went to Fast Fit in the end, they are a client of the company I work for so I was able to get a tidy discount, the rubber retails at nearly €500 a corner so I'm glad I was able to get a favour.

Nice to have some threads again!!




Sadly the cost won't end there, I ruined an alloy over Christmas in the weather as the car spun and the wheel met a kerb - new alloy €1,200. Also someone has run something down my bonnet about 6 inches long so the bonnet needs a respray. I'm gonna go through the insurance for those bits as I've paid enough over the years and I've bonus protection.

Good job we all love our cars eh?

colm_mcm

got an X5 aligned through work in Frank Keanes as it was eating rear tyres, must be a very complicated job given the price :eek:

SV

Ok, I get it.
You drive an m3, whatever!



kidding!

CrowdedHouse

Not sure if I'd let Fast Fit fiddle around with the alignment of an M3...maybe they're fine but I think I'd prefer a dealer to do it(mightn't be any better I know)

Midnight_EG

Who the fuck pays €500 a tyre :eek:

MarkN

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Not sure if I'd let Fast Fit fiddle around with the alignment of an M3...maybe they're fine but I think I'd prefer a dealer to do it(mightn't be any better I know)

Suppose, I only got it done as it was getting rears done but it's due an oil service in a few months, I'll get BMW to check it then but the time the guys spent setting it up etc and taking their time with it not to mention that it does feel different I think it should be ok.

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Who the fuck pays €500 a tyre :eek:

I agree with you that it's mental and I got about 30% off but you can't have a car like that and not have it sitting on good rubber - you'll either kill yourself or someone else.

SV

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Who the fuck pays €500 a tyre :eek:

people who drive m3s do! and rightly so!

Anan1

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Not sure if I'd let Fast Fit fiddle around with the alignment of an M3...maybe they're fine but I think I'd prefer a dealer to do it(mightn't be any better I know)

Funnily enough i've heard many good reports of their alignment work in the past and i've used both Townsend St and Dun Laoghaire often myself and been happy. The last time I had it done (a few months ago) I used Castle Subaru in Bray as I heard that Subaru need specialist alignment (?).

@Midnight_EG - Some expensive cars need expensive tyres, nothing new there.

PrettyBoy

MarkN wrote: »

Also someone has run something down my bonnet about 6 inches long so the bonnet needs a respray.

Do you know what it was? Something similar happened to a guy on another forum; he parked his car, came back to it an hour or so later and noticed that there was a candle wax-like substance all over his bonnet. He had an aftermarket clear film covering his bonnet and said, in this case, it paid for itself.

VolvoMan

It's good to see someone who doesn't spare any expense on their car.

Mr Benevolent

Out of curiosity, Mark, do you get to use the M3's performance at all? Or is it mainly a track day thing?

Tefral

Next time your buying tyres have a look here:

www.camskill.co.uk
www.eiretyres.com

500 a corner is crazy money for tyres for road driving!

I agree though the alignment is a great job, i have to get camber adjusters for my Integra before i can get it done right.

cian1500ww

Nice M3

MarkN

I'm aware of eiretyres for many years.

I did say the retail price was, I didn't pay the retail. I got them for 335 each.. You wouldn't get near that on eiretyres.

I just checked eiretyres won't even quote for them.

Confab wrote: »

Out of curiosity, Mark, do you get to use the M3's performance at all? Or is it mainly a track day thing?

Straight line power not often but it's not always about that, the way a car handles, how quick it is on acceleration, what it feels like to drive, the noise off the engine all make driving enjoyable. But the way traffic and roads are here we all might as well drive Fiestas if it was all just about power.

Midnight_EG

MarkN wrote: »

I'm aware of eiretyres for many years.

I did say the retail price was, I didn't pay the retail. I got them for 335 each.. You wouldn't get near that on eiretyres.

On camskill, both 19 inch and 20 inch comes in at €280 and €305 respectively

cabrwab

Fair play Mark N,

Sucks but with a machine like that tyres will cost money.
Nice discount too so it was alright!

MarkN

Very good price so. Add fitting at a tyre place and you'd be on 335 a corner give or take anyway.

Edit: just checked that other tyre site the tyre I got is €332. It's a Y rated tyre needed, might have been difference.

sundodger5

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Not sure if I'd let Fast Fit fiddle around with the alignment of an M3...maybe they're fine but I think I'd prefer a dealer to do it(mightn't be any better I know)

Do you think that main dealers have wheel alignment equipment? Not many (if any) do. They farm that work out to the local tyre place.

Midnight_EG

sundodger5 wrote: »

Do you think that main dealers have wheel alignment equipment? Not many (if any) do. They farm that work out to the local tyre place.

Pretty much all the dealerships I've been in, and the one I worked in had alignment equipment?

mickdw

I had those same michelins on my car from factory. mine are 18". I have fitted various tyres since but I currently have vredestein ultrac sesanta and they are better tyres in all conditions and unreal in the wet. HAving said that, I have a front drive audi so Im not commenting on suitability for M3 but generally excellent tyres for something like €130 approx each from camskill

sundodger5

Midnight_EG wrote: »

Pretty much all the dealerships I've been in, and the one I worked in had alignment equipment?

Fair enough but i worked on the other side of the fence and most dealers did it the other way round.
horses for courses?