There's a thread going in the Octavia sub-forum about alignment checking.

By coincidence, I took my Fabia SE+ to Burns Garage, Congleton this very morning for a 4-wheel alignment check. They have one of the best jigs for miles around, and know how to use it, it seems. And they're a Ford agent!

This is what they found:

Afterwards, the car feels completely different in my hands. A very slight left-twist on the steering wheel at the straight-ahead has gone, and a tiny pull to the left has been eliminated. On the road, the Fabia feels fantastic - informative (never a strong point with electric PAS!), grippy and trustworthy.

If your car doesn't feel just right in your hands, even if it's brand new, get it checked by a good technician. 'Tracking' isn't enough; the whole geometry needs looking at. I've three times been to "alignment specialists" who've left cars in a worse state than they were before.

I only use paces that have Hunter rigs or equivalent and specialise in setting up modified cars. The two best companies i have used are Wheels in Motion and Centergravity.

Its not cheap and costs you way over a hundred sheets, but its worth it.

I only use paces that have Hunter rigs or equivalent and specialise in setting up modified cars. The two best companies i have used are Wheels in Motion and Centergravity.

Its not cheap and costs you way over a hundred sheets, but its worth it.

One of the places that made one of my cars worse was using a Hunter setup. Twice! (I wasn't paying the bills for that one!)

I guess the over 100 would be for setting up a modded car? I paid just £35 to have my standard car made pretty much spot on.

Quite agree that it's well worth investing in having it properly, properly sorted!

it depends the level of work and adjustment they carried out on the car. The more you want or can have changed the longer it takes and the more it costs.

it depends the level of work and adjustment they carried out on the car. The more you want or can have changed the longer it takes and the more it costs.

That figures :-)

I'm mightily pleased by what has been achieved on my standard car, just returning it to within the manufacturer's tolerances!