I suffer from a lot of road noise (expected from having bridgestones), after reading a lot on here I went to the local tyre center and had the geometry checked. They said everything is ok and didnt adjust anything. The printout they gave me shows that the front right is a bit out (and in the red) however they say its close enough.

Looking through other threads here, most are for sports suspension (mines just a little 1.6fsi with standard suspension) so didnt find a lot of info for non-sports suspension. Does this printout look ok, ie will it being out this much affect road noise?

Thanks

Robin

I must admit I'm interested to see what the recommended figures are - I've been having endless hassle with the 136 Tdi I got a few weeks ago. So far I've had to have it done three times and it's still not right. NEVER, EVER get French mechanics to work on your car. After 15 years here there's only one I trust and he doesn't do geometry.

That front right camber angle would concern me - it is a fair way out.

Road noise will be increased if the camber was out before , imagine you were running on one edge of the tyre and now you are running on the full width of the tyre , hence more noise but its a good thing

I don't think i'd be happy with that at all!

Unfortunately very few "tyre centres" will do Camber adjustment. Despite all the measuring, most will simply offer basic tracking adjustment, and as you have noted that doesn't seem to be too far adrift.

You will need a specialist company that do full 4 wheel geometry and alignment to correct it. A search on hear will bring up one or two

The garage gave you that print out as you've loaded, and left the car setup like that?!

They're supposed to aiming to have the values in the middle of the 'sweet spot' as shown by the arrows. The camber for the left and right wheels should also be broadly similar. Yours certainly isn't.....

thats strange as front camber is fixed on the Mk5 chassis, unless your model is different to the vRS. So the front should be on 1⁰(thats the vRS value) negative camber and identical on both sides.

sometimes uneven lowering can cause this difference

....or something is bent!

Funnily enough sat in drury lane geometry centre in oldham having mine done now. Front camber on mine is minus 0o50 on both sides.

Rear camber and toe is a different story though! I will post the before and after when I get back.

Front camber is adjustable to some extent - a case of slackening bits off and moving bits about then tightening back up again. Could be a subframe alignment issue as you have too much negative camber on one side, and not enough on the other. Has the subframe been out to your knowledge for a clutch or turbo replacement? Main dealers have a habit of dropping the whole front subframe for doing some jobs as it is quicker as long as you have all the right jigs etc.

How come your caster angle wasn't measured?????

You need to get this car back to somewhere who will set it up properly - my front camber on my 'After' is at -0 deg 47' on one side and -0 deg 46' on the other which is within tolerance, but not dead in the centre of the tolerance. The front toe is at 0 deg 05' on both sides.

The car now drives like a dream and is very responsive with lighter but more precise steering.

I need to get my before and after screenshots up here too! Maybe some of you could help

At six months old I got the car and steering was always heavy. After th Sawtoothing issue I had the car aligned - miles out and was adjusted according to the published settings.

After a couple of weeks I felt the car wasnt right - heavy steering and an odd feel on turn in. I went back to the original place to see if something was wrong. Their equipment said that the rear was spot on still but the front was way out again.

They adjusted it, I drove 60 miles down the motorway, drove through bristol for a couple of minutes and felt it wasn't right again!!

I had my independent check that the bolts were torq'd enough and they were happy they were. I guess my next step is to get it into skoda under warranty but can anyone suggest what could be up?? This really ruining the car for me! I think that the new rear tyres may be going the same way as the first too!!!!?!

Did they have a fully floating platform for the car when they did the adjustments? The wheels need to be on an air supported platform so that there is no resistance to the adjustments.

If they were just on a standard ramp and start dragging parts back in line with the full weight of the vehicle on the tyres which are gripping the ramp the second the car moves it will be out of line again as the suspension was under tension when the adjustments were made.

There is an art to adjusting geometry, some places can do it and others just can't as they don't have ALL the right kit.

If the car was floating then you have an issue - either excessive play in bushes/balljoints/tie rod ends or as you say, something is loose.

Andy, thanks for the reply.

The car was sat on a ramp when the adjustments were made. They drove it onto four steel 'cups' for want of a better word.

The rear settings at the second visit were absolutely spot on, just the fri ta that had moved - and by quite a margin. The screenshots are on my work pc so I can't post them up until monday.

If anyone can recommend somewhere in Birminghamor nearby to have the alignment adjusted again I would appreciate it.

The kind of setup a lot of places have then, but not fully floating, there will be some slight tension.

This doesn't explain why the front was a long way out as it shouldn't make that much difference - was it just toe or camber as well that was out?

Zimmerman, if you are prepared to travel for 90 mins or so, I can highly recommend 'Wheels in Motion' in Chesham. Fully floating platform, very professional set up and, judging by the expensive machinery turning up, a very good reputation. They straightened out my new vRS for £60 + VAT. Best money I've spent on the car. Steering & drive perfectly straight now!! Handles better and feels much better overall.

Thanks for replys,

I think they skipped the caster test, I noticed they skipped though about four or five instructions on the machine when they tested it.

I have only owned the car two months (brought it second hand), so I dont know if its been bumped. The whole car is perfect condition though and no sign of any repairs to it, all gaps are symmetrical etc.

I will have a look round for another garage that can do the work and post back with results.

Thanks

Robin

I went to Drury Lane Services in Oldham, see my other post, depending where in Derbyshire you are only about an hour and a half away.

Reasonable prices - £48 for a check, £96 if front and back need adjusting.

Tell them Andy with the Octavia sent you!

Cheers for that Andy, I've been looking for somewhere near me to get the geometry checked. I'm just in Hudersfield so not far. Just need to get my buckled alloys replaced first!

It is a top service there, family run business etc.

They know what they are doing and take the time to involve you and explain what needs doing etc.

Someone recommended JBS in chesterfield, in an octavia I post, they`re about 5 mins from where I work so will give them a try. Oldhams a lot further for me.

Thanks

Robin

Someone recommended JBS in chesterfield, in an octavia I post, they`re about 5 mins from where I work so will give them a try. Oldhams a lot further for me.

Thanks

Robin

That is only a 4 wheel alignment by the looks of it, not a full geometry check. Seeing as you are a fair way out to start with get it done properly.

I have relatives in the motor trade in Chesterfield - let me see if they know anyone local who is good.

Thanks, i will hold fire till you post back

Awaiting a reply - hopefully get one tomorrow.