Would you believe it???

 

 

1. Got car back from Mr Turner Oct 2002

I got the tracking done

 

2. 4 Wheel nuts shear off, Latz puts on new wheels and brand new bridgestones. Dec 2002

 

3. March 2003 finally see Mr Turner, bridgestones tyres are worthless, down to steel rims. no advice on why?

 

4. March 2003 get brand new super duper michelin tyres, go to Bristol Zed meet:D

 

5. May 2003 Go to see Mr Duff for new cambelt and service, spots severe toe in immeadiately

Andy gives me a set of tyres as my michelin's are now as smooth as a baby's bottom and illegal

 

6. May 2003

go and get my car laser wheel aligned, ... more dosh

It was 11mm out btw

7.

1st July

Get yet another set of tyres put back on my wheels, andy's wheels/tyres now in my hallway:D

sounds like my BMW, I had an accident and the back wheel hangs out like a loose limb now. Can't be arsed to fix it.

 

Thought you had your car jigged and aligned? :confused:

I hope they got the alignment right this time ! Just had mine done last week, had toe out rather than toe in on one of the fronts, and too much camber on one of the rears. Time for new tyres for me too ...

Originally posted by Jezz_S13

Thought you had your car jigged and aligned? :confused:

 

Ask Jeff,

Originally posted by emero

Ask Jeff,

 

oh.

I've never had a problem with jeffs work.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never been there but...

You must do some serious mileage Emero?

PMSL...not in the slightest!!

 

She takes her children to school and then drives to work and that's about it and both locations are incredibly close to her home.

 

Every other week she drives to Bristol.

 

Hardly enough to scrub 5 sets of tyres in 9 months....

just another reason why crash damage needs sorting properly as this sort of thing will come back to haunt you. At least Duffer was able to spot the problem. Hope you get more mileage from the next set.

Paul

I did a lot of research into this because my front camber is not quite to spec and it is irritating to have to change tyres because of bad alignment.

 

I have discovered most people who claim to offer wheel alignment are not very good. Sling a Morris Minor at them and it's probably OK.

 

I have also discovered that there are loads of bodyshops who say they have a proper jig and can do the measuring but again most of them are "adequate" at best. Some of the kit I have seen (mechanical jigs, laser alignment etc) are cr*p and even more cr*ply maintained.

 

One place I was sent to by my local dealer talked complete nonsense about why the camber was out and when I went back to the dealer to complain, found they didn't use that one any more because they were cr*p.

 

Another one said "yes we've got a laser computer alignment machine and we've done 300zxs before" so I booked it in and on the way out, one of the mechanics sidled out of the work bay and told me that their machine hadn't been serviced or aligned by the manufacturer in over a year and consequently was useless. So I cancelled the booking.

 

I have found two places that seem to know what they are talking about. One is Protyres in Slough with a (maintained but always check) laser wheel align 01753 579011.

 

The other is a huge bodyshop in Hayes called D&G http://www.dandghayes.co.uk

 

They have a whizzo ultrasonic sensor jobby which compares many points on your car in 3D with manufacturer spec.

 

It's a machine called a blackhawk.

http://www.blackhawk.co.uk/uk/uk_homepage.html

 

They found that one of my reference points was 6mm out where they would normally jig to within 5mm for their own work. But, they said, 6mm should be good enough and didn't try to rip me off for an unecessary jig session. Fair play to them

 

And to get this level of advice took months on the phone and visting places.

 

My advice - such as it is - is to get a proper whole-body check done. Mine cost me £80. Without this, you won't have a proper base to start the problem solving.

 

Good luck - Gio

done my own wheel alignment after my accident, thankfully my tyres seem to be wearing normally so far :)

Originally posted by Gio

I did a lot of research into this because my front camber is not quite to spec and it is irritating to have to change tyres because of bad alignment.

 

I have discovered most people who claim to offer wheel alignment are not very good. Sling a Morris Minor at them and it's probably OK.

 

I have also discovered that there are loads of bodyshops who say they have a proper jig and can do the measuring but again most of them are "adequate" at best. Some of the kit I have seen (mechanical jigs, laser alignment etc) are cr*p and even more cr*ply maintained.

 

One place I was sent to by my local dealer talked complete nonsense about why the camber was out and when I went back to the dealer to complain, found they didn't use that one any more because they were cr*p.

 

Another one said "yes we've got a laser computer alignment machine and we've done 300zxs before" so I booked it in and on the way out, one of the mechanics sidled out of the work bay and told me that their machine hadn't been serviced or aligned by the manufacturer in over a year and consequently was useless. So I cancelled the booking.

 

I have found two places that seem to know what they are talking about. One is Protyres in Slough with a (maintained but always check) laser wheel align 01753 579011.

 

The other is a huge bodyshop in Hayes called D&G http://www.dandghayes.co.uk

 

They have a whizzo ultrasonic sensor jobby which compares many points on your car in 3D with manufacturer spec.

 

It's a machine called a blackhawk.

http://www.blackhawk.co.uk/uk/uk_homepage.html

 

They found that one of my reference points was 6mm out where they would normally jig to within 5mm for their own work. But, they said, 6mm should be good enough and didn't try to rip me off for an unecessary jig session. Fair play to them

 

And to get this level of advice took months on the phone and visting places.

 

My advice - such as it is - is to get a proper whole-body check done. Mine cost me £80. Without this, you won't have a proper base to start the problem solving.

 

Good luck - Gio

 

 

I take my hat off to you Gio - this is what this forum should be full of.

No offence but you really should get your tracking done every time you get new tyres.

 

Its all well and good getting a lazer allignment but 80% of the time its only the front ones which get done, so any problem with the rear will go un-noticed.

 

I goto a place in Bolton which do 4 wheel lazer allignment which checks, toe, cambre and caster of all 4 wheels. I drive 20 miles there now just to get the tracking done dispite driving past probably 50 tyre places on the way. Only once have they had to change the rear wheel settings, but its worth traveling for and paying the extra.

 

Stuart