I made the mistake of getting tyres fitted while I was visiting friends in Taunton last week.

They adjusted the tracking and the steering wheel is still 3 or 4 "minutes" to the right when going straight. I took it straight back and they had another go, but it was still out. I couldn't be bothered to go back a third time, mainly because of roadworks the place was very difficult to get to.

I'll check all of the tyre pressures, but I might take it to a local place I trust now that I'm back home. It just gets on my fecking nerves that these places can't do the job properly first time or even second time.

Is there a local branch of the same chain that you could take it to? at least then you dont have to pay again,but yes i agree its blooming annoying when they cant do a job right the first time.

If you want Tracking & Alignment checked and then adjusted properly, its best to use a Trained Motor Vehicle engineer.

or an Alignment and tracking professional.

That is hardly likely to be found at a place employing a Tyre & Exhaust Fitter that had work place training or not from another Tyre & Exhaust fitter.

(If you pay peanuts you might be hiring monkeys, and the peanuts are not actually cheap ones)

The Tracking might be spot on now, perfectly adjusted, now the steering wheel needs aligned.

You say the Steering wheel is 'Still at 3-4 minutes out'.

Was it out before you got them to fit new tyres and check and adjust the Tracking?

Best then to just get the Tracking checked and adjusted correctly and the steering wheel on to match

so that it is straight when going straight.

Not just hope they will get it back to where it once was.

george

If camber is out on one wheel, e..g. due to kerbing it at speed, you will get same effect as described, even though tracking is perfect. For this reason (and having experienced what OP wrote several years back on the Mk1 Octy), I stopped bothering with tracking adjustment at workshops many years ago. I double check toe myself using tape measure and looking at distance difference on either side of the front wheels, and for any trouble fixing I would go for a full geometry adjustment.

and then get the steering wheel put on straight if out after everthing is set correctly.

Easier than adjusting the vehicles steering, alignment suspension geometry to achieve just that.

george

and then get the steering wheel put on straight if out after everthing is set correctly.

Easier than adjusting the vehicles steering, alignment suspension geometry to achieve just that.

george

Sorry, I disagree. Get the alignment done correctly in the first place so that the steering wheel and rack are central when the toe and camber are adjusted.

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Don't talk to me about local tyre fitter's I had to use a local garage who I would never even dream of using normally but due to needing new tyres fitted ASAP I had no choice, he buggered around trying to get the tyre to fit on the bead, and the first drive I went out on it the tyre lost all pressure, took it back and he 'fixed the problem' only for it to go down around 2-3months later, had my local place I normally use to remove the tyre to check it out and the orignal guy who fitted the tyre's had managed to tear around 3 inch's out of the bead of the tyre and sealed it on the rim with what appeared to be silicone

andyvee,

I agree with that.

I often do set up Steering and suspension totally correctly.

But i need to know if the steering wheel was on straight from the last person that did work.

Changed a Rack, changed a steering arm or track rod end, kerbed it etc.

If the steering wheel is on squint,

i am not adjusting the mechanicals to correct some previous bad work.

If all is correct i will move the steering wheel, even if there is a air bag,

or just because the last person could not be bothered.

(Saturday past i had someone asked me to check their tracking,

it turned out the Indicator was staying on sometimes when locking the car,

because the battery had gone flat, and they thought it was because the

tracking was previously done and a squint steering wheel was stopping the indicators cancelling.)

why i ask the OP about.

"steering wheel is stiil at 3 - 4 minutes to the right" ,

did it go into get tyres fitted with the steering wheel off centre?

george

The steering was a little bit off, but it was worse when I first drove it after the tyres were fitted. It's now the same, or maybe a little worse than it was before.

The car has definitely never been kerbed at any speed. I have hit a couple of potholes on the M18 but nothing major and no damage, and with 225/40 tyres I'd assume that the wheels would show some damage if it was that bad.

Often best to not assume.

Get it checked by someone that knows what the are doing. JMHO

george

This is a Saxo steel wheel from a Pot Hole on the A9.

Actually no damage to the Vehicle because the Wheel absorbed the impact.

Still got the steering and suspension checked then the alignment done properly,

not just the tracking.

andyvee,

I agree with that.

I often do set up Steering and suspension totally correctly.

But i need to know if the steering wheel was on straight from the last person that did work.

Changed a Rack, changed a steering arm or track rod end, kerbed it etc.

If the steering wheel is on squint,

i am not adjusting the mechanicals to correct some previous bad work.

If all is correct i will move the steering wheel, even if there is a air bag,

or just because the last person could not be bothered.

(Saturday past i had someone asked me to check their tracking,

it turned out the Indicator was staying on sometimes when locking the car,

because the battery had gone flat, and they thought it was because the

tracking was previously done and a squint steering wheel was stopping the indicators cancelling.)

why i ask the OP about.

"steering wheel is stiil at 3 - 4 minutes to the right" ,

did it go into get tyres fitted with the steering wheel off centre?

george

Also, it's a new car. I picked it up with 16 miles on it. Its been serviced once but other than that its never been worked on. this is its first set of tyres.

The only other thing that's just occurred to me is that the dealers took parts of the trim apart to fix a rattle. For all I know the useless clowns took the wheel off and out it back on wonky. They broke various bits when they did it and didn't fix it or tell me about it. That's the only reason I can think of for the wheel to have come off.

You hit a couple Pot hole on the M18.

Best get the car checked properly.

It was maybe not just the tyre that was damaged.

good luck.

george

PS

I will not get into Tyre Markings and Run Off marking/stripes and Tyre fitters not understanding that.

That is about Running Straight or pulling one way or another.

http://www.wheels-in...p?showtopic=165

You have a steering wheel on squint or wrongly set steering,

no idea what.

But it was wrong and now it is worse.

Possibly the steering wheel was off at the dealers when trying to find the rattle and put on a few degrees out by that Trained Technician.

Normally you notice as soon as you drive away from the Dealers.

Can usually tell if steering wheels been off by postion of steering lock as usually from factory it is nearly straight or very slightly off to either side,

If wheels been off its usally further round,

Whenever i do anything steering related i usually blast car round block before adjusting anything as if wheels out you can adjust tracking to fetch it back into line, ie adjust one side more than other then you set tracking right and also straighten steering wheel up at same time.

That is unless your doing a 4 wheel alignment then you shouldn't need to as wheel is braced in straight position before you start adjusting anything