wheels-inmotion
Active Member
The most common complaint after front wheel alignment is the end position of the steering wheel this is a visual indication that
1: The workmanship was poor
2: The equipment is inadequate
3: Alignment was never the real problem
4: The manufactured cars axle is miss-aligned
Nearly every alignment test in the World is sold to the customer by the shop based on visual wear on the tyres at the end of there life, inevitable history of past alignment problems would still exist on the face of the tyre, born from this visible wear and potential loss of the new replacements a customer could assume a problem still exists and is easily sold.
Taking 1 to 4 here are my thoughts)-
1: No legal responsibility is required to ascertain the understanding of the technician who sets the direction of your £50.000 (theoretical) car with the new £500 front tyres, most common is a 'drive by' smattering of knowledge that involves undoing of nuts and about ten minutes additional time whilst you pay the bill, (so knowledge maybe why)
2: There are many machines on the market that promise different levels of alignment, most common is 'front wheel alignment' this form is the most damaging and by today's standard only suitable for the horse and cart, can i remind you that the car has 'Four Wheels', (so the equipment maybe why)
3: With the magnitude of problems expressed though the tyres during their life span it would be easy to assume alignment is to blame. Current issues with the Geometry or the cars health in general will cause untold affects toward the tyres and handling, this does not dismiss the fact that 'at the time' the alignment may be incorrect, (so maybe the car is why)
4: There are occasional manufacturing reasons that deceives the operator, this is unusual and depends on equipment, this is most times geometrically undetectable (so maybe the construction is why)
Taking all possibilities into consideration the common denominator is the Thrust Angle the cars true centre that most angles depend on as reference......simple as that!
(click to re-size)
Any method that attempts to imagine the front wheels forward position relative the the fixed rear thrust angle will result in the need for the driver to compensate and manufacture a new centre line at the steering wheel, if any adjustments made do not respect the true 'Thrust Angle' then the resulting drive will mean the steering wheel is off-line.
1: The workmanship was poor
2: The equipment is inadequate
3: Alignment was never the real problem
4: The manufactured cars axle is miss-aligned
Nearly every alignment test in the World is sold to the customer by the shop based on visual wear on the tyres at the end of there life, inevitable history of past alignment problems would still exist on the face of the tyre, born from this visible wear and potential loss of the new replacements a customer could assume a problem still exists and is easily sold.
Taking 1 to 4 here are my thoughts)-
1: No legal responsibility is required to ascertain the understanding of the technician who sets the direction of your £50.000 (theoretical) car with the new £500 front tyres, most common is a 'drive by' smattering of knowledge that involves undoing of nuts and about ten minutes additional time whilst you pay the bill, (so knowledge maybe why)
2: There are many machines on the market that promise different levels of alignment, most common is 'front wheel alignment' this form is the most damaging and by today's standard only suitable for the horse and cart, can i remind you that the car has 'Four Wheels', (so the equipment maybe why)
3: With the magnitude of problems expressed though the tyres during their life span it would be easy to assume alignment is to blame. Current issues with the Geometry or the cars health in general will cause untold affects toward the tyres and handling, this does not dismiss the fact that 'at the time' the alignment may be incorrect, (so maybe the car is why)
4: There are occasional manufacturing reasons that deceives the operator, this is unusual and depends on equipment, this is most times geometrically undetectable (so maybe the construction is why)
Taking all possibilities into consideration the common denominator is the Thrust Angle the cars true centre that most angles depend on as reference......simple as that!
(click to re-size)Any method that attempts to imagine the front wheels forward position relative the the fixed rear thrust angle will result in the need for the driver to compensate and manufacture a new centre line at the steering wheel, if any adjustments made do not respect the true 'Thrust Angle' then the resulting drive will mean the steering wheel is off-line.
