Passat B7 Wheel Alignment Correction Required

[drjekl]

So I had a set of new rims and tyres fitted today by my local bob jane dealer. I got a great deal as I asked the if they would price match Tempe tyres price of $139 fitted for the Michelin PS3's.

The sales manager became all narky, asking why i phoned tempe for tyre prices instead of a local business (I reside in newcastle nsw) and bad mouthed their black import product with no warranty etc etc

He matched their price and asked if I wanted an alignment.. I hesitated as I know most tyre fitters have no idea how to align a car correctly, but since I had saved quite a bit of cash on the tyres and the drive to sydney to get them from tempe I had decided to get them to include an alignment to give them some form of profit margin and I was curious as to what the alignment specs were.

I had noticed when the rear passenger side hit an undulation in the road that side of the car was skipping under damper compression..

The alignment specs proves that what I was feeling is the cause of the rear losing grip momentarily during damper compression:



I was in a rush to collect the car and didnt check the alignment specs and have only noticed when reading it tonight after dinner.

The rear passenger side rim had been badly kerbed with tyre sidewall damage also which may have been the cause of this misalignment:



OF course BJ didn't mention it, and obviously didn't correct it...

So my question is does the oem B7 passat wagon have the capability for a major camber adjustment from - 1.5 to <0.5 or will I have to replace damaged suspension components or install a camber kit?

When inspecting the tyres most had 5-6mm of tread, whereas the rear passenger was almost down to the wear markers (~2mm) on the inside tread block..

Funnily enough both the rear rims were manufactured in 2012-13 indicating they have been replaced at some stage... (I have a 2011 passat...)

[Cossor]

An interesting observation.
From my last service, the rear tires had worn more than the front.
Being a a front wheel drive car I found this rather strange.
Also. The rear suspension seems to bounce a lot going over multiple bumps.
(Have taken it back to dealer several times, but unable to diagnose any problem)

[drjekl]

An interesting observation.
From my last service, the rear tires had worn more than the front.
Being a a front wheel drive car I found this rather strange.
Also. The rear suspension seems to bounce a lot going over multiple bumps.
(Have taken it back to dealer several times, but unable to diagnose any problem)

That is indeed strange, all FWD cars I've had always wear the tyres out at the front before the rears!

Have you had an alignment?

Are you talking about the suspension bouncing or the car 'tracking' and becoming unsettled when hitting bumps?

I noticed under compression the car wouldgrip momentarily and skip on the road. My limited knowledge of alignment is that as the suspension compresses under load its difficult to maintain ideal suspension geometry so any misalignment is magnified (i.e in my scnerio its at -1.5 Deg static under load/compression it may go out to -2/3 Deg)

[Cossor]

That is indeed strange, all FWD cars I've had always wear the tyres out at the front before the rears!

Have you had an alignment?

Are you talking about the suspension bouncing or the car 'tracking' and becoming unsettled when hitting bumps?

I noticed under compression the car wouldgrip momentarily and skip on the road. My limited knowledge of alignment is that as the suspension compresses under load its difficult to maintain ideal suspension geometry so any misalignment is magnified (i.e in my scnerio its at -1.5 Deg static under load/compression it may go out to -2/3 Deg)

No, have not had an alignment. Regarding rear suspension, noise as if spare tyre is bouncing around. It only occurs following a couple of close together undulations. So as car is booked in for replacement of rear door (neighbor backed into me) I will ask repair guys to please check all alignments. My main suspect is the shock absorbers, but dealer does not agree.
Have tried with spare removed, also seats in different positions etc. Now just resigned, looking forward to new Passat in a couple of years time when extended warranty expires.

[drjekl]

No, have not had an alignment. Regarding rear suspension, noise as if spare tyre is bouncing around. It only occurs following a couple of close together undulations. So as car is booked in for replacement of rear door (neighbor backed into me) I will ask repair guys to please check all alignments. My main suspect is the shock absorbers, but dealer does not agree.
Have tried with spare removed, also seats in different positions etc. Now just resigned, looking forward to new Passat in a couple of years time when extended warranty expires.

Yup a worn strut would be my guess also. I had an old magna i used as a daily hack/pub car when i put new shocks in that a lot of rattles and knocking noises dissapeared...

[2VWs]

I'm about to have an alignment on our B7 sedan. We hit a pothole in the wet and since then there has been a slight tow left - the left front wheel suffered. There is no sign of out of round in the wheel. What should be the specs (like shown above)?

[Cossor]

Or a faulty / out of specification strut. Actually, when driving my son's worn out Camry, this made similar noises over bumps

[Olie]

What pressures are you running?

I had issues with skipping and uneven wear at the recommended rear pressure setting.

From factory the camber and toe was off front and rear.

Since having all of these changed it is a weapon around corners.

This is on a MY12 B7 wagon.

I'll get the alignment data when I get back to my car.

[brad]

To the OP:
rear camber and toe are both adjustable via eccentric bolts on the rear arms where they meet the rear subframe. The specs differ depending on the wheels / springs / ride height.

Off the top of my head sports suspension is -1deg15min +-30min. Basic suspension is -1d +-30' Unless you hook into corners a lot, I'm inclined to run -45' to -1deg. Maximum difference between sides is 30' (0.5 degrees). Too much camber & you'll get saw-toothing on the inner shoulders.

Toe-in is 10' +- 12.5' - I think that's supposed to be like 0.2mm out, through to 2mm in. Personally, I'd aim for 0.5mm-1mm total toe-in.

On a bright note, the front is perfect.

[Olie]

Yep.

Checked mine. Basically what was written above, although more towards the aggressive end of the scale.

I'm also running RE003's all round for some spastic levels of grip on a TDI wagon.

28psi in the rear tyres when the wagon is unloaded certainly helped a lot.

[2VWs]

Alignment of our car was done yesterday. Camber of the front left was way out. What a difference driving home with no left pull! The technician also commented about aluminium replacing steel to make the car lighter but the aluminium flexes or distorts more. The result is hitting a large pothole is more likely to affect the alignment.

[brad]

So how did they correct the camber on the front? Did they move the subframe.

"Technician" is talking bollocks about relative flex of Al v steel if they've been designed properly