The truth about aligning the Quattro?
03-11-2008, 06:16 AM
#11
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Re: Jose is a good guy but recommending a guy that charges $250?
My best recollection is that it was something like $250; Jose said that there's a lot more to it than there is aligning a Dodge Neon. I'm actually in Lake Arrowhead, so if you had any ideas east of LA, I'm all ears...
03-11-2008, 12:55 PM
#18
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Except
Putting on the rack requires you to hook up heads to the rear wheels anyways. In setting the machine up you're going to be checking runout at each corner and the machine is going to give you the poop on the rear alignment anyways.
If you make an adjustment to the front or rear which affect thrust angle, it;ll affect the opposite end too. So you really do want to be looking front and aft at the same time.
From a shop perspective also, if someone comes in that has a car with 4 wheel adjustment and asks me to just do the front "it's all I need", I won't do it. I guarantee my work 100% and I want to make sure it's right. I don't want it not to perfomr correctly and I don't want it back on my rack again to fix it.
and I wouldn;t assume that if the tires wear on the outside corner it's just driving style.I'd want to know one way or the other. JUst because it's wearing on the outside, it can wear diffent ways. I look at the tires myself to see how they're wearing. Camber wear and scrub wear look different. I also talk to my customers, I can learn a lot about how they drive that way.
If you make an adjustment to the front or rear which affect thrust angle, it;ll affect the opposite end too. So you really do want to be looking front and aft at the same time.
From a shop perspective also, if someone comes in that has a car with 4 wheel adjustment and asks me to just do the front "it's all I need", I won't do it. I guarantee my work 100% and I want to make sure it's right. I don't want it not to perfomr correctly and I don't want it back on my rack again to fix it.
and I wouldn;t assume that if the tires wear on the outside corner it's just driving style.I'd want to know one way or the other. JUst because it's wearing on the outside, it can wear diffent ways. I look at the tires myself to see how they're wearing. Camber wear and scrub wear look different. I also talk to my customers, I can learn a lot about how they drive that way.
03-12-2008, 01:46 AM
#19
AudiWorld Super User
'Outer edges' - can only really be caused by under-inflation or the tyres being scrubbed....
when parking etc...
I have to assume inflation is correct as it would be wasting all of our time to not be sure it something so basic.
I agree fully, if I was setting a car up on a full allignment jig it would only make sense to check and adjust the whole car.
My advice is based around the fact that GeoW97 may want the cheapest option for getting it better than it is now.
I have to assume inflation is correct as it would be wasting all of our time to not be sure it something so basic.
I agree fully, if I was setting a car up on a full allignment jig it would only make sense to check and adjust the whole car.
My advice is based around the fact that GeoW97 may want the cheapest option for getting it better than it is now.
03-12-2008, 04:39 AM
#20
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Edge wear
Can be from under inflation, if even on both inside and outside edge. If one edge either inner or outer is worn it can be from toe and/or camber or thrust angle. If you get a bad alignment they can actually mask bad thrust angle by compensatiing for it somewhere else.
Other things like having an increased included steering angle can also cuase inner edge wear. I see this a lot with rally cars where something's been hit hard. I think we might assume this isn't the case here. But I do see others with odd alignment issues. Oddly they want them aligned but are reluctant to tell you what they did. It's not like I'm going to judge them, I'm just trying to figure out why the geometry of their car is all out of whack.
I'm curious to hear what type of wear he's having here.
Other things like having an increased included steering angle can also cuase inner edge wear. I see this a lot with rally cars where something's been hit hard. I think we might assume this isn't the case here. But I do see others with odd alignment issues. Oddly they want them aligned but are reluctant to tell you what they did. It's not like I'm going to judge them, I'm just trying to figure out why the geometry of their car is all out of whack.
I'm curious to hear what type of wear he's having here.