Technical Wheel alignment - pulling left

[ruinin]

Today I hit the pavement kerb in a fast right turn in the city, as I was trying to keep to the right too much, the car jumped a bit from the kerb (i think it jumped like 10 or 20 cm or so) and then I felt, or thought I felt some very subtle pulling left. I am not sure if the geometry is really affected as most roads are not perfectly flat, so the pull is usually just accordint to the way the road is slanted right or left. But I think the hit was big enough to damage the wheel alignment a little bit. I know checking geometry is not so expensive, but have no idea how much is the fixing. If something was a little bit bent, will they just try to make it straight again? Sorry if my questions are stupid, maybe there are many different parts that may be cheap or expensive to replace or fix. The tire seems okay, just the rubber is a bit scratched on the side and the hub cab of course is scratched, but it didn't even come off, so I guess the hit was not so bad.

 

[ruinin]

I have just found a garage that claims that the checking and adjusting the alignment is the same cost" I can't believe it, then it would be very cheap and no problem. But only if I didn't damage something big, I hope it will be just that cheap adjusting. The garage website says that the price is about 10 pounds (after converting the Czech Koruna). They say if you hit a hole or something then you should come and have the alighment check just for 10 pounds, it is cheaper than buying new tires. So please, fingers crossed for me.

 

[jrkitching]

So please, fingers crossed for me.

My fingers are crossed for you. Good luck and best wishes - I hope you get it sorted very cheaply.

 

[ruinin]

the question is whether one should care how sophisticated their equipment shoudl be - digital, laser? plus the cheap 10 pounds cost is only cause it is a village one hour drive from prague, while most garages charge about 20 - 40 pounds in the city

i only need the front suspension check so it should be cheaper, too

thanks for the wishes

 

[jrkitching]

the question is whether one should care how sophisticated their equipment shoudl be - digital, laser?

I'd be more concerned about the competence of the person doing the work than the equipment they're using. In the hands of the inept, the latest whizz-bang digital laser equipment will only serve to give you a very precise wrong answer. Equally, a very competent mechanic will get perfectly acceptable results with the simplest of equipment.

My car was mistracked when delivered from the factory & initially started scrubbing the inside edges of the fronts. I made up a simple jig at home out of a few bits of meccano & set it up to track dead parallel - and the tyres are now wearing evenly 10000miles later.

 

[ruinin]

I'd be more concerned about the competence of the person doing the work than the equipment they're using. In the hands of the inept, the latest whizz-bang digital laser equipment will only serve to give you a very precise wrong answer. Equally, a very competent mechanic will get perfectly acceptable results with the simplest of equipment.

My car was mistracked when delivered from the factory & initially started scrubbing the inside edges of the fronts. I made up a simple jig at home out of a few bits of meccano & set it up to track dead parallel - and the tyres are now wearing evenly 10000miles later.

that's good information and impressive skills of yours

this morning i was driving to work and just couldn't find clear evidence the car is pulling left or right, so maybe i will postpone the alighnment checking until next week when i have more cash - i hope some 500 miles driving a car that doesn't clearly pull anywhere won't do harm to the tires - i will also make sure the tire pressure isthe same in both tires, but then i am sitting on the left in front of the steering wheel so that must affect the tendency to pull somewhere too, the left tire being a bit more loaded with my little body weight, don't you think?

 

[jrkitching]

that's good information and impressive skills of yours

this morning i was driving to work and just couldn't find clear evidence the car is pulling left or right, so maybe i will postpone the alighnment checking until next week when i have more cash - i hope some 500 miles driving a car that doesn't clearly pull anywhere won't do harm to the tires - i will also make sure the tire pressure isthe same in both tires, but then i am sitting on the left in front of the steering wheel so that must affect the tendency to pull somewhere too, the left tire being a bit more loaded with my little body weight, don't you think?

Thanks.

Misalignment will not necessarily cause it to pull to one side, so do keep a close look at your tyres for the next few hundred km. When you do, put the car on full lock so you can see the whole of the tread width easily & pay particular attention to the inside edges.

Fingers crossed that all is OK.

 

[varesecrazy]

hi ,
I was going to comment that most UK roads are cambered ( to aid
rain-water drainage), I see you are NOT UK based..,
if your UK car "appears" to pull to the left , try on a good long straight when you can see there is nothing coming moving over to the opposite side - you will normall then mildly "pull" to the right..,
I discovered this with my old Tipo , spent weeks checking the tracking at various places, then went to France for the day and it pulled RIGHT , then LEFT when back at Dover..,

lesson learned..!!

 

[varesecrazy]

My car was mistracked when delivered from the factory & initially started scrubbing the inside edges of the fronts. I made up a simple jig at home out of a few bits of meccano & set it up to track dead parallel - and the tyres are now wearing evenly 10000miles later.[/QUOTE]


I've seen this before..,
A friend got 8k miles ( to canvas) from 1st and 2nd sets of fronts in his UK built car ( Pox-all), dealer had several tries at it , as did usual high street tyre places.

eventually under the threat of " not-fit for purpose" claims,
the dealer organised a visit from " factory technician" they had the car for 3 days , .. ,
it was like a different car.. upon questioning the dealer " what did you find" answer = "NOTHING",
too afraid to admit any liability , but at least the car was now right.

general concensus was that something crucial like shims / spacers were omitted at original build, it can happen..!!,

needless to say they didn't buy another car from that manufacturer.

 

[Popshot]

I made my own tracking gauge from bits lying around for £0. Followed the principle of this system
http://www.trackace.co.uk/Trackace.html

Works flawlessly and is self calibrating.

 

[jrkitching]

I've seen this before..,
A friend got 8k miles ( to canvas) from 1st and 2nd sets of fronts in his UK built car ( Pox-all), dealer had several tries at it , as did usual high street tyre places.

eventually under the threat of " not-fit for purpose" claims,
the dealer organised a visit from " factory technician" they had the car for 3 days , .. ,
it was like a different car.. upon questioning the dealer " what did you find" answer = "NOTHING",
too afraid to admit any liability , but at least the car was now right.

general concensus was that something crucial like shims / spacers were omitted at original build, it can happen..!!,

needless to say they didn't buy another car from that manufacturer.

I've heard it said that it's possible on the Panda to fit the top suspension rubbers backwards, which throws out the camber...