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SoCal - Need rear alignment
I'm in the San Fernando Valley. I'm willing to travel to find a good alignment shop that can do a "permanent" fix for my rear alignment. I know nothing lasts forever, but since there is no adjustment, I figure that there must be something that can be done. Last weekend I rotated the tires on my '01 Roadster. I was amazed at the amount of wear on the inside of my rear tires. I have 15K miles on these tires that I know of. I bought the car 1 year ago, and the tires looked new when I bought it, so I am assuming (I know, ass-u-me  ) they were new. The tires are off-brand, so I don't have much love invested in them, and am not afraid to replace them, but when I do replace them, I want the new tires to wear much better than the off-brands did. When I rotated the tires, I saw that the insides of the rears were worn out. No wear bars visible, and the cords are almost ready to show. I NEED NEW TIRES. Before I invest in new tires, I want the alignment to be right (or much better than what it is now). I am amazed at the difference in wear from the inside (totally worn out) to the outside (LOTS of tread before the wear bars). Does anyone know of a good alignment shop in the SFV, or Los Angeles area where I can take my car, worn out tires and all, that will do a good alignment, so that the new tires don't wear unevenly? Of course, I'll get the fronts aligned at the same time. And what should I expect to pay for this? Thanks for looking, Dave | | Reply » SoCal - Need rear alignment |
That indeed doesn't sound right... I do think it is normal to get more inside wear though but not to such an extent. I do have more wear on the inside too... My tires are still in good shape and I have about 10k miles on it. I have the ZF performance tires (or something like that?!); I think they also put them on the vettes...
Can't help you with the alignment place though... Good luck!!
| | Reply » SoCal - Need rear alignment |
Dude.....according to what you were describing, an alignment is not going to help your tires.
First of all, is your car lowered with aftermarket suspensions? If the answer is yes, what you need to do first before you get an alignment is adjust your camber. Your camber is probably off by a huge margin....camber kits are expensive but it's worth the $$$$.
After adjusting the camber, then get an alignment.
*I had the same problem with my Eclipse.....after I lowered the car....new tires(rear tires) were gone in about 6-8 months...worn out on the inside..........after I adjusted the camber + alignment....tires last over 2 years........worth the investment.
| | Reply » SoCal - Need rear alignment |
Luciano, thanks for the reply. I know that it is unrealistic to expect 100% even tread wear, but maybe tomorrow I can take pics and show you how severe the difference is. Would you tell me exactly which brand and model your tires are? Since you are happy with them, perhaps I'll look for the same type.
Natureboy: I don't think my car has been lowered. I certainly haven't done any changes to the suspension since I've had it. A little history here is in order. I bought the car exactly one year ago on September 2nd. I ran a CarFax report and found that I am the third owner of the car. The first two were leases, and everything about the car really looks stock [end of history]. I first suspected that my rear springs were worn out. But I looked at the car from the rear, and it doesn't seem that the wheels are closer at the top than at the bottom (ala old VW bugs that we all know and love), then I measured each side from the pavement to the top of the fender, and both sides were the same (wear was very simalar on each rear tire too), so while I can't say for certain that the springs are not worn out, it doesn't appear that way. That's why I'm leaning towards the alignment issue. Also, it seems to be more popular on this forum to have alignment problems than the rear springs being worn out.
Do you have any pointers towards a camber kit for the 2001 Z3 3.0 Roadster?
If I'm wrong, please, please, let me know! I realize that I'm guessing about a lot of things here, and that's why I'm asking for your opinions.
| | Reply » SoCal - Need rear alignment |
Quote: Luciano, thanks for the reply. I know that it is unrealistic to expect 100% even tread wear, but maybe tomorrow I can take pics and show you how severe the difference is. Would you tell me exactly which brand and model your tires are? Since you are happy with them, perhaps I'll look for the same type.
Natureboy: I don't think my car has been lowered. I certainly haven't done any changes to the suspension since I've had it. A little history here is in order. I bought the car exactly one year ago on September 2nd. I ran a CarFax report and found that I am the third owner of the car. The first two were leases, and everything about the car really looks stock [end of history]. I first suspected that my rear springs were worn out. But I looked at the car from the rear, and it doesn't seem that the wheels are closer at the top than at the bottom (ala old VW bugs that we all know and love), then I measured each side from the pavement to the top of the fender, and both sides were the same (wear was very simalar on each rear tire too), so while I can't say for certain that the springs are not worn out, it doesn't appear that way. That's why I'm leaning towards the alignment issue. Also, it seems to be more popular on this forum to have alignment problems than the rear springs being worn out.
Do you have any pointers towards a camber kit for the 2001 Z3 3.0 Roadster?
If I'm wrong, please, please, let me know! I realize that I'm guessing about a lot of things here, and that's why I'm asking for your opinions. | Well, if your car is not lowered....then you don't need a camber kit......
I don't think it's your springs that are worn out.....I think it might be your
shocks........get new ones......not too much(I don't know about OEM shocks)......
but get them at Autozone, Kragen, etc....cheaper.......do you know how to change
your own shocks? If not....dealers or autoshops can do it....but it's gonna cost $$$$.....
after changing the shocks.....go and get an alignment.......$40 most places.....
maybe take it to the dealer to do the alignment....
probably twice as much or more for the same job. 
| | Reply » SoCal - Need rear alignment |
If you really think the shocks are the culprit, I'll happily change them. I just don't understand how worn shocks could cause such a problem with the tire wear. Wouldn't the tires wear in patches, or waves around the tire?
I was worried that I might need new subframe busings, or worse an adjustable subframe (Major $$$). While I'm doing the rear shocks, I'll do the Upper Shock Mounts, because I just know they're stock. They don't rattle yet, but they should start soon.
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SoCal - Need rear alignment