Wheel alignment

[Fabiaman]

Any idea how much is it to do wheel alignments?

 

Those that use those laser type are damn cool... checked with a shop in JB and they told me RM15 ! With that laser alignment tools which probably cost quite a bit - they just ask RM15 from me... I thought that is freakingly cheap... didnt do it though as I was in a hurry to go back Spore that day.

[Yongwd]

Wa, cheap leh, which part of JB? Perhaps I should bring my starlet to do realignment after changing the shocks and CV and steering dust cover after CNY

[Fabiaman]

Yes, I thought it sounded cheap too, but not really knowing what the Singapore tyre shops charge, I decided to give it a miss first.. go back another day.

 

Its deap in the Sentosa area and its just a stone throw away from the Ah Kun fish ball/cake noodle shop (at a corner shophouse) which is damn popular amongst Singaporeans. I think I have the namecard somewhere .. lemme dig it out when I have the time.

[Turbobrick]

I recently done my wheel alignment in SinMing workshop for $20, quite a good price considering some wants $60 just to get the wheels pointing straight!

 

RM15 is really a good deal, let us know whether issit true when U get it done!

[Turbobrick]

Usually 10k for wheel alignment, balancing and rotation is recommended. Alignment should also be done if the steering is swaying off to one side to minimise wear on tires and suspension components.

[Sky8807]

Yes, it's cheap in JB. I have done wheel alignment there b4. When I double check the alignment back in singapore found that it was out of the specs on 2 occassion. After that, don't trust even though you may pass the side slip test.

 

The problem lies in the test drive after the alignment adjustment, the tester bring with him a set of spanners and do final adjustment after the computer adjustment and that is the problem. From accurate to inaccurate.

 

MY suggestion for a simple check is do a brake check after the alignment. The car should stop straight with the hand off the steering. If it does not and vehicle pull to one side, alignment is incorrect. The shop will say that is normal and they follow the proper adjustment procedure.

 

I had experience that b4 to tell the story. What happen is I bring my car back to sin ming and pay $60 to get the re-adjustment done. Specs were out and re-adjusted back to normal.

 

If u do not experience the above then, it is cheap and good and peace of mind also.

Edited February 13, 2002 by Sky8807

[Turbocharged]

Jus brought a frn to Stamford Lok Yang, special price given, as cheap as what Turbobrick got.

 

Trust their workmanship compare to those run down shops whose computer keyboard look as dirty like 286 era!

[Turbobrick]

Eh eh How to get "special discount" at Stamford????

[Turbocharged]

kekeke.. must have my look!!

 

kekeke business dealing lar.. I walk into their office first before talking to their technicians

Edited February 13, 2002 by Turbocharged

[Turbobrick]

Basket! Ur look can get $20? Then my look can get free liao

[Yongwd]

Dunno wat car are you driving. My experience with Jap cars is that alighnment is required every 50,000km if drive normally. If u kiasu then follow the car's manual.

 

Some special cirumstances where u require alignment to be done.

 

1. U observed uneven wear on your tyres

2. U change drive shafts (regardless front /rear)

3. u replaced your steering rack

4. any front or front side imact accident

5. U lowered car your by changing the springs

6. Any removal / replacement of suspension parts require wheel alighnment.

7. U mount kerb frequently, example parking with head in.

8. Maybe others, cant recall

 

The vehicle will tend to pull to the left on singapore expressways due to the design of the road as it got to slant slightly for water drainage. I notice that for all my cars. And the car will pull slightly to the right in north south highway..

 

RM15 is dirt cheap!

 

Front alignment is totally different from 4-wheel alignment.

 

 

Any guide how often we need to do wheel alignment? Or is it done when the car start swaying when riding on the highway?

 

RM15 sounded cheap man.

[Turbobrick]

Got point about SG roads being slanted to the left, I noticed that my car is biasing to the left on highways thinking my alignment is out but once I did the straightline braking test, the alignment is true. Lucky never go back to re-align, waste $$$.

 

Certain cars like my brick has fixed rear suspension setup so no alignment is necessary at all unless aftermarket stuff like coil-overs are installed.

[Fabiaman]

Hearing the various response abt how dirt cheap the price of RM15 I was quoted in JB for alignment, I have got a feeling its RM15 us for a wheel instead of 4! Hee. sorry if I have given the wrong impression. The next time i go in, I promise to confirm the price for you folks - for 4 wheels.

[Fabiaman]

Hullo brudders... confirmed wheel alignment in the JB shop I went to cost RM25. Full laser equipment one... quite high tech equipments man. I went in on my firend's COROLLA and the service was good man!

 

In the end they found there was a camber fault on the front left tyre as it was slanting outwards slightly. The solution was to change the camber nut to one that is adjustable (instead of the original which is fixed). The nut cost RM 65. Is that expensive?

[Prozac]

where is the place?

[Turbobrick]

RM25 for the front only?

[Nilkz]

Hi all,

 

I am the one that went in with Fabiaman, here goes the breakdown,

they did tyre rotation, per wheel is Rm5, they remove the wheels, did balancing for all 4 wheels (dun usually get this in spore cos the shop i go to usually just balances the wheels that are going to be in front n not the back wheels), then install the wheels back, they will check your tyres to see if any nails, etc, remove the nails, then check see whther any air leaking from these small "punctures" (something i dun get here in the shops i go to oso)

then they do the alignment on the computer, dunno if its the norm here but the machine that they use for the alignment is, the sensors i mean are infra-red instead of wired ones (quite cool, IMHO),

before they did the camber nut thing they actually asked for my opinion n werent pushy about it tho' i was reluctan cos dun wan to mess with stock settings, etc, n no way to verify if thats the proper thing to do when alignment out (can anyone here advise or has anyone here done the same thing. ie change camber nut to adjustable ones, thanks), but i suspect that they only did the front alignment cos when i try to ask about the rear alignment readings they did not give satisfactory explanation for it (maybe the next person who goes in and try them can verify this)

but the shocking thing is that after they do everything they will just take your car for a 2min spin, without me!! that was a small shock, so if anyone who is particular about such things better be prepared

but judging by the set-up of the shop, ie 3 hydraulic jacks, rather new, high tech equipment, they seem to be rather professional (i could be wrong tho')

 

urge anybody who knows about the camber nut thingy to advise, thanks

[Seven11]

Tks for the update...

 

Honestly never heard of the word/term CAMBER until today. So Nilkz, cannot help you. Anyway, found a bit on the internet about CAMBER.

 

The angle between the plane of a wheel and the vertical is known as the camber. It is described as positive when the top of the wheel leans out and negative when the top leans in. Camber angles usually change slightly with wheel travel.

 

The more positive the camber angle, the greater the slip angle for a given cornering force and the slower the onset of complete breakaway. The more negative the camber angle, the higher the ultimate cornering force but the more sudden and rapid the total breakaway becomes.

 

For maximum traction as well as cornering power, high performance cars with wide tyres need to run with low camber angles on their driving wheels to keep the footprint flat on the ground with as little camber angle change as the installation allows.