My 100pd estate was mot'd last month, before the test I got the drop links, the console bushes, front wb bushes and arb bushes all replaced. Car passed test but within 20 miles after test there was a severe metal on metal knocking from the front end. Got it checked and found that one of the brackets holding the arb bushes had sheared as well as one of the three bolts securing the bottom ball joint. Mechanic believed this was as a direct result of the shaker plate being used to test suspension during the mot. Having replaced the bolts the car felt fine with just a slight drift when ever I took my hands off the wheel at speed.

So last week I brought the car in for a new front tyre and thought I would get full allignment because of new drop links etc. Tyre was replaced and alignment done but when I took it out on the road the car immediately pulled to left and I have to drive with my hand contantly pulling down on the steering wheel to stop it finding the ditch. Immediately brought it back they swapped the tyres front to back and still the same problem, fitter tells me he dials in the right setting takes it for a drive of about half a mile and immediately its pulling. They have redone it three times and it still is the same. They are at a loss and "think" it might be one of the tyres is twisted. Me thinks they have not a baldy and their machine is not calibrated - however they say it is calibrated weekly and they do an average of 4 cars a day and no one is having these issues recently. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated thanks.

My 100pd estate was mot'd last month, before the test I got the drop links, the console bushes, front wb bushes and arb bushes all replaced. Car passed test but within 20 miles after test there was a severe metal on metal knocking from the front end. Got it checked and found that one of the brackets holding the arb bushes had sheared as well as one of the three bolts securing the bottom ball joint. Mechanic believed this was as a direct result of the shaker plate being used to test suspension during the mot. Having replaced the bolts the car felt fine with just a slight drift when ever I took my hands off the wheel at speed.

So last week I brought the car in for a new front tyre and thought I would get full allignment because of new drop links etc. Tyre was replaced and alignment done but when I took it out on the road the car immediately pulled to left and I have to drive with my hand contantly pulling down on the steering wheel to stop it finding the ditch. Immediately brought it back they swapped the tyres front to back and still the same problem, fitter tells me he dials in the right setting takes it for a drive of about half a mile and immediately its pulling. They have redone it three times and it still is the same. They are at a loss and "think" it might be one of the tyres is twisted. Me thinks they have not a baldy and their machine is not calibrated - however they say it is calibrated weekly and they do an average of 4 cars a day and no one is having these issues recently. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated thanks.

Shirley someone has a thought on this

Take it to another garage and let them have a go it. This will at least prove whether it's the original garages machine or a problem with your car.

This is the old pulls to the left problem affecting many VAG cars. The rear axle alignment is usually a bit out but no adjustment is possible on our cars. So the front can be compnsated. The alignment geezer has most probably set it to recommended toe of 0deg. which is right but 0deg. toe is not much good on UK roads. due to our high cambers on roads. You could ask him to put a bit of toe in to compensate. It also strange that he is not aware of these VAG idiosynchrisis.

This is the old pulls to the left problem affecting many VAG cars. The rear axle alignment is usually a bit out but no adjustment is possible on our cars. So the front can be compnsated. The alignment geezer has most probably set it to recommended toe of 0deg. which is right but 0deg. toe is not much good on UK roads. due to our high cambers on roads. You could ask him to put a bit of toe in to compensate. It also strange that he is not aware of these VAG idiosynchrisis.

I'd think that you are right there, but that car, in my mind, needs a proper four wheel re-alignment carried out as the crossmember will have been off to replace the TCA rear bushes, so no ammount of "toeing" correction will sort out its tendancy to crab. Yes the rear suspension is fixed, but the front needs to be re-centered on the rear "line" and maybe even the camber needs equalised and the castor checked.