Off To Wim Tomorrow...

[matt-c]

See if/how far the IS' geometry is out. More precautionary than anything else, as it drives and handles fine (to me), but I'd rather spend a little now to ensure it's fine, than fork out easily double that in a little while on a pair of new tyres, especially considering the ones on mine are so new...

[north]

Nothing wrong with that.. a friend of mine would have his IS's geometry check done every 3 months

[BenIS]

Nothing wrong with that.. a friend of mine would have his IS's geometry check done every 3 months

Is it just me or is that a little on the obsessice side anyhow when I had my geometry done the chap said that it was pretty good already but I still noticed a massive difference in the handling.

[matt-c]

Well, back from WIM and impressed with their service. Nice bunch of guys, nice clean workshop. Took the car in straight away and got it in the air with the gear on, measured it and called me through to explain what the findings were, and then explained what they were going to change and why. Then they cracked on with it, and just over a half hour later it was on the floor again.

Gave me a printout, showing before and after measurements, and again explained what they were, what the ideal is, and what they got them too. By the looks of it, only one measurement was left in red on the after measurements, and was told this was still fine as it's in tolerance of the specs they use.

Can't say I noticed a difference in feel or handling on the way home, possibly a little extra smoothness, as it wasn't far out to start with. I did notice the steering wheel is, as far as I can tell, bang on centre now (it was a teeny bit off to the left prior) and the faint left pull it had when you let go of the wheel seems to have gone too (this was explained by incorrect camber on the right wheel, which makes it want to pitch left a touch, prior to having it adjusted)

One thing though - went to the super market on the way home, and for some reason thought I was excessively having to rotate the steering wheel when making turns inside the car park (which are mainly 90deg right angle turns as you'd expect). I just caught myself thinking "I don't remember having to turn the wheel this much before" - but I can't remember if it was like that before or not. I'm a windscreen fitter by trade, so I fully understand that prior to having work done, the average motorist doesn't really pay that much attention to the specifics, but either consciously, or subconsciously, "looks" for them after having work done (in my line of work for example, it's so often a customer calls back to say there's a wind noise issue, or a rattle/creak, that wasn't there before - even though it was, and they never noticed it. But having had a screen change, they are now looking for something related because it's at the front of their mind. Or another example is looking at the trim around the glass - something they'd not looked at or paid any attention to before, then suddenly finding it's sitting up at both sides. Then I go back and explain that is how the trim does sit, it's moulded that way, and the reason the top is smooth and the sides are raised is to catch water being push off the screen by airflow. They disagree, adamant it wasn't like it before, then I point them at another identical car which they look at and then sheepishly concede ;) )

Point is, it might fully be my imagination, but I don't remember having to turn the wheel more or less an entire revolution to make a small 90deg turn inside a supermarket? Is it right, or has something changed?

[sjrainsford]

You'd have to change the gearing in the steering rack to make a change like that really. The tracking can however effect how the car tuns a little due to the way the tyres 'bite' or don't.