Longest time between wheel alignments

[PhilMart]

Hi guys

I tried to look up this post as I thought I had posted something here a while ago and could not find it.

Basically in the thread I was commenting about the need to have a wheel alignment UNLESS you had made a mess of the front end by bashing into kerbs.

At the time my old Corolla had done 40,000 kms without a wheel alignment. It had seemed on other cars I had as soon as I gave it a wheel aligment I was commited to doing it over and over again to keep the tyres in alignment.

This may disgust some out there but my GTI has now reached 90,000km without a wheel alignment! I have driven over kerbs but never smacked into one sideways. Looking at the wear it is even across the tyre and there does not appear to be any tracking problems or issues with the tyres. I have gone through three sets but I find that is more due to my driving style on the front tyres as opposed to edge wear and the like I used to experience in those cars where I had to constantly get them aligned.

Basically my view is now that unless I see evidence of alignment problems I will never have an alignment again.

So anyone have a similar story or even a tale of woe regarding wheel alignments?

Happy driving!

[TomC]

I just had mine done for the first time when I changed to my Neptune rims. The car had done 56000km at that point. I must admit, although I thought before hand that the wheel alignment was fine, the improvement in steering feel and accuracy (esp. at high speed) has improved noticably since having it done.

You might be surprised by the change should you decide to get it done...

[ckouso]

the problem is finding a good place to do it...most times you end up going back more than once just to get it right..

[rory]

My 2009 Jetta 77kw TDI (little one) is just about touching 70,000ks on the original Contis. Yes they are still legal
as the cross indicators are still just below the thread. I have bounced out of potholes sitting at 100ks
that I wouldn't believe wouldn't upset any wheel alignment. Still tracking dead straight and no sign of any abnormal wear
and no increase of fuel consumption indicating "pigeon toe".
I do rotate the tyres, inspect and balance every 15,000 k.
I won't be doing a wheel alignment when I put the new tyres on or until I see for myself a need for it.
3 sets of tyres in 90.000ks? Whew! Maybe my VW is just underpowered?
I can perhaps look forward to a possible wheel alignment AFTER I go through another 2 sets of tyres then ???

[PhilMart]

Just an update on this

Just hit 110,000 kms without a wheel alignment!

Looking at all tyres they appear to be wearing evenly. The only thing I do is when the fronts wear down faster than the rears I put them to the back and get new ones at the front.

[Umai Naa!!]

95,000kms on our Asiabox so far. Only just put a pair of front tyres on it. Still wearing and tracking perfectly.

[brad]

I did 105,000km & only got it done because I put Eibach springs in it.

Tyre wear was even, steering wheel straight, tracking was straight.

Tyres get X-rotated about every 7500-15,000km depending on how enthusiastic I feel about the car.

I used to work as a wheel alignment specialist & I can't believe how many people used to come back every 10,000km & the alignment settings were trashed with no apparent damage or wear to suspension components.

[Umai Naa!!]

Yeah, things like that will never make sense.

Had one car the same as mine needing a full set of tyres at 15,000kms. It was an old granny that owned it, too. Everything appeared normal with regards to wheel alignment and tyre pressures. Not sure what went wrong.

Although I wouldn't rule out a bit of funny business with tyres being unkowingly swapped from another car.

[gerhard]

Mine's done about 47,000 and on the second set of tyres, no wheel alignment. It's had the most miniscule tendency to drift to the left since day 1, but wear is perfectly even.

I hear so many horror stories of tiny alignment problems being turned into major stuffups that I cannot muster the courage to let someone touch it.

I had a Jackaroo previously that didn't ever have an alignment in 160,000ks and it went to Cape York (eleventy billion corrugations at least 6 inches high) and all over the high country trails. Was still wearing tyres perfectly, even with the 2" lift.

Wife's Sirion did 80,000 without an alignment, she used to scrub the left front out because of all the short running and U-turns, but it tracked perfectly true.

[brad]

Wife's Sirion did 80,000 without an alignment, she used to scrub the left front out because of all the short running and U-turns, but it tracked perfectly true.

Could have fixed that - it was toeing in a fraction too much

[Transporter]

Hi guys

I tried to look up this post as I thought I had posted something here a while ago and could not find it.

Basically in the thread I was commenting about the need to have a wheel alignment UNLESS you had made a mess of the front end by bashing into kerbs.

At the time my old Corolla had done 40,000 kms without a wheel alignment. It had seemed on other cars I had as soon as I gave it a wheel aligment I was commited to doing it over and over again to keep the tyres in alignment.

This may disgust some out there but my GTI has now reached 90,000km without a wheel alignment! I have driven over kerbs but never smacked into one sideways. Looking at the wear it is even across the tyre and there does not appear to be any tracking problems or issues with the tyres. I have gone through three sets but I find that is more due to my driving style on the front tyres as opposed to edge wear and the like I used to experience in those cars where I had to constantly get them aligned.

Basically my view is now that unless I see evidence of alignment problems I will never have an alignment again.

So anyone have a similar story or even a tale of woe regarding wheel alignments?

Happy driving!

The 1999 Subaru Forester well over 160,000km 3 sets of tyres and never had the wheel alignment done. When the tyres are wearing out well and there aren't worn out suspension components, there is no need for the wheel alignment.

[greg32]

RE: Longest time between wheel alignments

I am about to fit superpro front lower control arms. I also have KW V3s with camber adjustment kit fitted. Does anyone have experience with the best settings for camber and toe-in after fitted.

[Umai Naa!!]

It's had the most miniscule tendency to drift to the left since day 1.

That's normal. It's to help prevent you from wandering into oncoming traffic should you fall asleep at the wheel.

[greg32]

RE: Longest time between wheel alignments

I had mine done today. After fitting tyrolsport locators and superpro LCAs, I knew it wouldn't be great. I had it set to 0 toe-in and 1.25 degrees camber. It was a bit out to start with according to the report sheet. All green on the sheet except camber as the standard should be less but I wanted extra.

[Umai Naa!!]

You'll find it'll need a small amount of toe-in, otherwise it'll trash the inner edges of the tyres.