Alignment off due to worn tyres??

Denalihighway

Howdy
I'll preface this by saying I'm a right nimrod when it comes to cars...I'm seeking to improve that ASAP...but anyways

went to get the car serviced last wk - it was due a service but also the alignment had gone pretty bad - dragging to the left. So the service was done and on top of that the alignment readjusted.

got the car back anyway and after driving over the next couple o days noticed that the alignment was still pretty bad, dragging to the left.

Brought it back and yer man says it could be due to the tyres being worn (they need replacing and I'm looking into that at the moment) but in fairness he took it straight back to have another gander at the alignment.

I got it back again and he said yes the alignment was off and that he had adjusted it again but the alignment is still off. What's the deal? Can this really be attributed to the tyres being worn or what?

He said it might be a good idea to get the alignment done again after I replace the tyres, I said if I knew that I would have replaced the tyres first then checked the alignment rather than shelling out for it twice but he said he didn't realise the tyres were worn until after he'd done the alignment - don't have too much problem with that I suppose, and I will say this place has a good reputation and I've no real reason to believe there's any shenanigans.

What do you think? The alignment is still off, no doubt about it - should I be bringing it back a third time or wait til the tyres are replaced?

Thanks

mickdw

Alignment will not cure wear in the cars suspension which is what I would think you have if it is pulling strongly in one direction.
First, get the tyres done if they are worn. See how it drives then, if still wrong, have a good garage look around the suspension for obvious wear or damage.

Denalihighway

Cheers Mick.

If that's the case...twud be nice if yer man mentioned it in fairness. You say 'pulling strongly'...I'm not sure what constitutes that exactly, like I wouldn't really notice it too much when driving around but all I know is when I loosen my grip on the wheel it deffo drags off to the left.

I'll get the tyres done and go from there I suppose

sundodger5

he could not miss thetyres being worn if he did the alignment unless he has an eyesight problem.
Most places in that instance will redo the tracking for free if you get the tyres replaced asap.
Also they should be checking for worn components before doing the tracking. It cant be tracked properly with play in the steering/suspension.

bazz26

Are the tyres worn evenly across the thread or just on the inside or outside only?

Both my tyres were unevenly worn on the inside, right on the shoulder of each tyre where the thread met the sidewall, the car was pulling slightly to the left until I had the worn tyres replaced. I had the suspension checked and it ends up that the left and right lower control arm bushings are worn. I'm getting both wishbones replaced next week.

Either way you need to eliminate the worn tyres from the equation, replace them and see if it makes any difference. Make sure to check the wear on the old tyres, if it is uneven wear or the car still pulls to one side then you need to have your suspension checked.

murraymarmalade

To do the tracking properly, a car should be taken down from a ramp driven around raised again on the ramp and then checked for alignment again......... a garage in the uk did this for me when i had my car tracked but the boys here seem to think its not necessary.....:rolleyes: