Why you Cannot do a "Wheel Alignment" on the 6R polo

[brad]

Back when i used to do wheel alignments, people used to have a spew if I couldn't pre-quote them the price of an alignment & didn't understand that a "good" wheel alignment might take anything up to an hour.

After a lot of time wasted arguing over the end price (eg: a W124 Mercedes that I'd never worked on might take 1.5 hours to get right but a similar W124 that I'd done properly 12 months earlier would be a 20 minute job).

Eventually, i simply started charging an hours labour to put a car on my alignment machine & any adjustments using factory adjustment points (such as raising or lowering torsion bars, threaded, shimmed or eccentric camber/castor or toe adjustments) were free. If I needed to move the frame, utilise the slop in a suspension mounting point or bend a strut (we could do that back then), it was extra. Sometimes I lost money, mostly i won & people were happy to pay if they knew before i started work what it would cost.

A Polo is adjustable but the factory provides minimum adjustment (toe). This isn't unique and it isn't new. IIRC, Peugeot 404s could only be adjusted in 10mm increments.

[RoknRob]

Sorry for a question that is probably obvious to most... but what should I check/ what can be done if my car is pulling to one side, if only minimal adjustments can be made?

Tyre pressures are even.... what next?

[brad]

X-wheel rotation or just swap the fronts side-side (providing they aren't directional). If nothing else it will tell you if one of the tyres has "drift" in it

[RoknRob]

Thanks, brad. What if the drift remains the same?

[brad]

Then it's an alignment & not a tyre issue.

Have you had any measurements taken? If so, care to share what the readings were?

I know a fair few petrol heads up that way (GC/BNE/SC). I can ask who the alignment gurus (there are a few good ones up there).

[gavs]

Subframe could be out a bit too maybe. Get a proper shop to look at it as brad said.

[RoknRob]

Then it's an alignment & not a tyre issue.

Have you had any measurements taken? If so, care to share what the readings were?

I know a fair few petrol heads up that way (GC/BNE/SC). I can ask who the alignment gurus (there are a few good ones up there).

I would love a referral. Sorry to be such a noob, but what measurements should I be taking?

[Trepid4tion]

Subframe could be out a bit too maybe. Get a proper shop to look at it as brad said.

This was how mine was fixed at Fulcrum.

[MarcoPolo]

I hit a large pothole at ~55km/h mid turn in my 2 week old 6R Polo this weekend. It's now pulling slightly to the left.

This is the same car that got hit up the back of when it was only a week old. It's going in for minor fixes to the rear bumper; I wonder if I can get them to check the wheel alignment too.

$110 seems like quite a lot for a single wheel. I should send the bill to the local council.

[gavs]

That could be a bent steering arm in those conditions or the whole subframe might have been jolted out of alignment...

[brad]

I would love a referral. Sorry to be such a noob, but what measurements should I be taking?

Cambe & toe at both ends. I'd assumed you'd already attended an alignment place.

My contact up there in BNE says Fulcrum or Accurate Suspensions are both good. I'm still waiting for something on the Sunny Coast.

---------- Post added at 04:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:35 PM ----------

$110 seems like quite a lot for a single wheel. I should send the bill to the local council.

They aren't liable for potholes unless the road damage has been have been reported & it hasn't been fixed in a reasonable timeframe. With the weather we've had in Sydney lately there are a fair few damaged roads.

Why do people always have to try & blame somebody when it's probably bad luck rather than an at-fault party?

[RolfGolf]

Why do people always have to try & blame somebody when it's probably bad luck rather than an at-fault party?

Human nature? Too much daytime TV? A lack of personal responsibility? Taking our lead from America? Wanting something for nothing?

- oh, that was a rhetorical question right?

[brad]

not actually having a go at the Marco Polo - just a general statement.

[RoknRob]

Cambe & toe at both ends. I'd assumed you'd already attended an alignment place.

My contact up there in BNE says Fulcrum or Accurate Suspensions are both good. I'm still waiting for something on the Sunny Coast.

No, I didn't want to go until I was a bit better informed. And I appreciate the recommendations. Obviously, a place on the Sunshine Coast would be more convenient, if you ever hear something. Otherwise, I'll be booking into one of those 2.

Cheers.



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[RoknRob]

So what would be involved in a sub-frame adjustment? Sounds complicated and expensive. What should I expect?