Manage to hit what i think was a reasonable size stone with the front (and I think rear) offside wheels of my vRS. I didn't notice anything on the way home from work in the dark on Thursday but it made one hell of a bang and i thought it must be a pothole, but looking in daylight there's no potholes where i thought it was, but there was some missing stone washed out from a nearby wall. I was probably only going 25mph or coming out of narrow part of our country roads but it ripped the side wall of the front tyre but not the back.

 

The tyres are Nokian's so i've temporarily put a summer tyre on the rim, until a new Nokian arrives hopefully tomorrow. Both gemini rims seem to have survived ok (balanced up ok and seem to still be round) albeit a couple of extra 'kerb' type marks on the outer edge. There doesn't appear to be any bodywork damage even to the front splitter.

 

However i'm mostly concerned about the geometry / alignment or any suspension/chassis damage. I dropped the car into our local Hunter aligner, unfortunately due to the lane assist their policy is they won't make anything other than slight toe adjustments if required and i have to take it to VW (fair play though that they didn't charge at all for the check). We'll the read out it as follows...  :peek:

 

 

 

So the questions i have are;

 

1. Is it likely some one who will adjust the settings, could dial this out? or

2. Is it likely from the readings that either some of the suspension parts maybe bent or worse still chassis damage requiring bodywork?

 

3. Where to start - take it to VW to look at, or get a bodywork company to look at it. 

 

Its a company car so will be done properly and after some explaining/embarrassment - but i'm pretty pee'd off with myself.

 

Any thoughts / help would be appreciated. 

 

So your front left toe and rear right toe were out?

 

I wouldn't worry about the caster angle, it is very difficult to get that spot on and without knowing where you were starting from .......

 

Camber is OK all round.

 

Just get the toe adjusted - if there was anything damaged they would have noticed whilst underneath your car.

So your front left toe and rear right toe were out?

 

I wouldn't worry about the caster angle, it is very difficult to get that spot on and without knowing where you were starting from .......

 

Camber is OK all round.

 

Just get the toe adjusted - if there was anything damaged they would have noticed whilst underneath your car.

 

 

Thanks Andy, it really was a big bang so imagining some possible damage/bent parts.

 

I didn't understand why the all final front toes are now in the read - or did he just balance it out for steering.

 

Guessing if the cambers are ok, couldn't be too much wrong/bent?

 

Presumably the toe adjustment might push the caster also, and on the rear correct the thrust angle?

Yep - rear thrust angle will be corrected, and caster will move as you adjust toe.

 

Unless they bounced the car a few times and did a few lock to lock turns after adjusting the toe don't read too much into the static caster readings.

Interesting point, that Skoda needed for adjustments, do they have the same kind of hunter equipment and best to do this ? Is it really necessary to use them as they have a set procedure and wonder the cost ??

Although not the same issue - I do have a suspension issue that is being looked at later today.

My car is 6 months old with ~ 3k on the clock.

When cornering (on roundabouts or sharp deviations) I get an audible "clunk" from either right front or left rear corners.

Turning Left for R F and right for L R.

Its almost as if something is moving on a bolt or shaft and coming up against the end of its movement.

i have checked all wheel nuts and all are tight.

 

I do not feel anything when driving in a straight line and it doesn't pull left or right.

I'll check for saw toothing on the tyres when I get up.

 

Any thoughts folks?