Wheel Alignment

Lexus Jim · September 1, 2004

Found this whilst researching getting my 4 wheel alignment done properly. If you've got enough time on your hands looks like you can learn everything there is to know about wheel alignment - ever

Hope its of some use to some of you

Wheel Alignment Webpage

Ash 200 Sport · September 1, 2004

Getting mine done today by Lexus Stockport. Going to see what they come up with.

Anyway, he who said he knows nothing but now knows everything is a wise man!!!!!

Lexus Jim · September 1, 2004

Have just booked mine in with them for saturday. Let us know how you get on Ash. £108 they quoted me

Tony-Bones · September 5, 2004

Found this whilst researching getting my 4 wheel alignment done properly. If you've got enough time on your hands looks like you can learn everything there is to know about wheel alignment - ever
Hope its of some use to some of you

Wheel Alignment Webpage

many thanks Jim,the web site offers enlightenment to you who are seeking resolve as far as tyre wear is concerned, I'm new to the forum tecnique and I'm posted all over this site, trying to reply(old school) the facts are, any tyre wear tends to be descibed as a wheel alignment problem (wrong) wheel alignment is one of over 15 angles suporting the cars geometry, and the last to be corrected,

the geometry of the lexus is not conciderd as stable, so built in to the car is the opportunity to recover the cars original geometry settings, most of the problems in this forum tend to describe the wear problem as wheel alignment, but in fact most are camber, when the tyre wear is noticed most poeple have the wheel alignment tested, but becouse of the points of aplication when an angle moves it will influence another, so if your directive to a tyre center is wheel alignment, then that is what you get, but the camber issue will still exist, so will the tyre wear?

Lexus had the forsight that through natural progression the geometry will need to be customized, then the portrait of the owner can be applyed, suggesting a couple between the driver and the geometry, one more thing I've noticed in the forum, the geometry of the car is disinterested in the make of tyre you use, the only differance is the cost of the loss?

Hope I've helped

Tony Bones

Monster-Mat · September 5, 2004

Very good site, well laid out and cuts to the chase, ..........excellent

Scorpion · September 5, 2004

So does any body know what the camber settings are when it leaves the factory as there are markings on the camber bolts.

Monster-Mat · September 5, 2004

CAMBER FRONT

-0 21' +/- 30' (-0.35 +/- 0.5)

Right-Left Error

30' (0.5') or less

CAMBER REAR

-0 23' +/- 30' (-0.38 +/- 0.5')

Right-Left Error

30' (0.5') or less

Scorpion · September 5, 2004

Cheers Mat,now these are std settings so if you have 18's on a lower profile tyre who do you see to take these into account,as all places i've been to will use the base settings..

Monster-Mat · September 5, 2004

U USE THE BASE SETTINGS AS A GUIDE.

Scorpion · September 5, 2004

U USE THE BASE SETTINGS AS A GUIDE.

Alright dont shout...

SteveAudioX · September 5, 2004

There are a few myths about wheel alignment/geometry.

Mainly I find MOST companys don't know there left wheel to there right wheel.

I only take my alignment to 1 place ALL the time, I have NEVER since had any problems with excessive tyre wear since I did this, even having the car lowered and adding a different suspension setup. I did have problems initially by not getting it ligned up whatsoever and hoping for the best,. I also think LEXUS don't align properly as before my car had the suspension mods, I would have excessive tyre wear then, even having the car go back 3 to 4 times for re-check, perhaps the guy who checked it was blind or something.

Main thing to also remember is to check tyre wear every so ofter just to be sure.

To date my tyres are lasting me as they should as they are wearing evenly.

Extreemly happy with the company I use...

Scorpion · September 5, 2004

I will know where to come then.

Tony-Bones · September 6, 2004

Cheers Mat,now these are std settings so if you have 18's on a lower profile tyre who do you see to take these into account,as all places i've been to will use the base settings..

corporate ignorance i'm affraid? the move to 18" wheels does not present a problem to the geometry, but extra tyre width will, tyre contact on the road needs to be as complete as possible, and so does the weight distribution, the wider tyre becomes involved with an angle called the included angle, this generates the scrub radius, the kingpin inclination plus the sum of the camber - or +, since the wider tyre normally will be inset to the cars centre line, then the scrub radius will increase

the cars weight on the inside of the tyre, and wear it? problem now is that the camber angle will still be seen as correct, and it is, this is the point that you educate the tyre centre, the position of the scrub needs to be moved, this is done by adjusting the camber angle to the off or unloaded state, useing applied tolerance, toward positive, monitor tyre wear and fine tune, job done,,,,,,

aido · September 6, 2004

Do you have any companies or franchises that you would recommend Tony?

Tony-Bones · September 8, 2004

Do you have any companies or franchises that you would recommend Tony?

Sadly, no and no, let me explain, 25 years ago I began on the path of wheel alignment and geometry, seemingly with more understanding then most? As I grew in qualifications, I out grew my industry, but stayed with it, becoming known I then acted as an adviser to some main dealers, and even qualified as an instructor, great reading so what's the point? The point is, the tyres on the lexus cost about, two days in france each, and the lexus has a unstable geometry, so at some time tyre wear will be encounterd ( fact, ) most owners will use the fast fit industry for tyre replacement (price being the attraction) and wheel alignment offerd as resolve for the tyre wear issue (wrong advise,) soon the cost of eight days in france is necessary due to the same tyre wear, so with an exellent sun tan the main dealer seems the best way to have the problem addressed, knowing this is not the case really p***** me off, so i built wheels-inmotion.co.uk so that the consumer had some chance of understanding the problems they have, and a guiding light offering forsight, advise should be free, to be fair in my dealings with main dealers, lexus has never been one, so seemingly they can walk the walk, I love the cars because they are multiple adjust, and a sick geometry can be made better and all are happy, but remember this, wheel alignment is the last angle of over 15 to be read and corrected on a geometry, meaning it is the last point of correction and inportance, if tyre wear exists go to lexus have the geometry re-set and all should be well?

Hope I've helped

Tony Bones

wheels-inmotion.co.uk

If not tell ask me >advise can be for free.

Scorpion · September 8, 2004

Well if i went to my local tyre place and hit them with this much info,they would ask me to go forth and multiply along with "if you know better then do it yourself".

So come on you must know good places to go to in all areas,we're all fed up paying Lexus extortionate amounts.

:D :D

Tony-Bones · September 9, 2004

Well if i went to my local tyre place and hit them with this much info,they would ask me to go forth and multiply along with "if you know better then do it yourself".
So come on you must know good places to go to in all areas,we're all fed up paying Lexus extortionate amounts.

:D :D

this is the point of it all NO, geometry machines exist every were, but understanding this info is limited, so the best i can do is arm you with a bullet of knowledge, hence the wheels-inmotion.co.uk web site, if you are having problems, then post them here, or email the site?, when i train students, time and time again, i can see there only reading the headlines, and not the small print, this is the part that tends to be the real problem, very few make the grade and the main dealer normaly ends up the owner, denying resolve for the common man, since the fast fit industry replaces most tyres, and are ignorant to any thing other than wheel alignment for all tyre wear problems, the multi-million pound loss will be payed for by you?, dont try to educate the tyre centre, but understand what you need, and expect it, my replys in this forum is in responce to the link wheels-inmotion.co.uk but, the time i have must not be in conflict with the mission i'm on,

what i will try and do is start a new topic, regarding wheel alignment and what went wrong, this study will help me and keep things alive.

Scorpion · September 9, 2004

But i dont see this advise as "helping me"....how can i go into somewhere where they do camber adjustment and they dont know or read the small print...only the headlines.!!

I went into a well known tyre centre today and asked about camber adjustment,yes we do it was the reply......what car is it for,i told them and his response was well we do do it but we dont like doing it on the IS as its a bit of a pain,but bring it in and we'll have a look at it for you.

So how many visits do i have to make,and how much do i have to spend before i find someone who can do a competent job.

Regards

Ever thought of opening a few centres.

Edited September 9, 2004 by Scorpion

SteveAudioX · September 9, 2004

Pay once, come down to the place I goto, get it right first time round...

Tony-Bones · September 9, 2004

But i dont see this advise as "helping me"....how can i go into somewhere where they do camber adjustment and they dont know or read the small print...only the headlines.!!
I went into a well known tyre centre today and asked about camber adjustment,yes we do it was the reply......what car is it for,i told them and his response was well we do do it but we dont like doing it on the IS as its a bit of a pain,but bring it in and we'll have a look at it for you.

So how many visits do i have to make,and how much do i have to spend before i find someone who can do a competent job.

Regards

Ever thought of opening a few centres.

what problen do you have with the camber? I can tell you the method, and no any centre will be static, internet is globle

Scorpion · September 9, 2004

But i dont see this advise as "helping me"....how can i go into somewhere where they do camber adjustment and they dont know or read the small print...only the headlines.!!
I went into a well known tyre centre today and asked about camber adjustment,yes we do it was the reply......what car is it for,i told them and his response was well we do do it but we dont like doing it on the IS as its a bit of a pain,but bring it in and we'll have a look at it for you.

So how many visits do i have to make,and how much do i have to spend before i find someone who can do a competent job.

Regards

Ever thought of opening a few centres.

what problen do you have with the camber? I can tell you the method, and no any centre will be static, internet is globle

PM'd ya. :winky:

Tony-Bones · September 9, 2004

But i dont see this advise as "helping me"....how can i go into somewhere where they do camber adjustment and they dont know or read the small print...only the headlines.!!
I went into a well known tyre centre today and asked about camber adjustment,yes we do it was the reply......what car is it for,i told them and his response was well we do do it but we dont like doing it on the IS as its a bit of a pain,but bring it in and we'll have a look at it for you.

So how many visits do i have to make,and how much do i have to spend before i find someone who can do a competent job.

Regards

Ever thought of opening a few centres.

what problen do you have with the camber? I can tell you the method, and no any centre will be static, internet is globle

PM'd ya. :winky:

still new to all this? where did the mail go? 18's no prob, the wheel inset is, the camber issue must be set to the positive maximun, then the kpi and scrub radius will be satisfied, send me the cars details now and i will show what settings you need now?

Scorpion · September 9, 2004

If you go to the top of the page(under Nemisis) it will show you if you have any new messages...click on this.

What details do you need.????

Scorpion · September 9, 2004

Its on STD 17's at the mo but i will be putting my 18's on......does this alter the settings for each wheel size,plus i haven't found a suitable ride height......yet.

(still experimenting)