4 wheel alignment

[nicecupoftea]

Went up to Wheels In Motion in Watford today to get my alignment looked at - it's been pulling all over the place and felt very nervous (plus the steering wheel didn't point straight!).

Best 100 quid I've spent on a car - it was way out of tolerance. The car now tracks straight, doesn't pull to one side, and really inspires confidence. Tony really knows his stuff and seems a real enthusiast - let me watch and told me exactly what he was doing.

It feels like a different car now - seriously, if you are in any doubt get it done and drive the car as Mazda intended

[DennisTheMenace]

Got mine done and it feels no different , the steerings the worst part of it , weighs up loads when playing on a roundabout goes from light to heavy all the time , could be a knackered rack i spose.

[munter]

DennisTheMenace said:

Got mine done and it feels no different , the steerings the worst part of it , weighs up loads when playing on a roundabout goes from light to heavy all the time , could be a knackered rack i spose.

You got power steering? If your holding the wheel at a constant position and doing a constant speed i doubt tracking/alignment would have that effect. But a knackered power steering pump might...

p.s. i've absolutely no experiance of this just thinking out loud so this could be ballax...

[DennisTheMenace]

Power steering wossat ?

[chockymonster]

In that case, look at the bushes and steering rack

[mx-5 lazza]

DennisTheMenace said:

Got mine done and it feels no different , the steerings the worst part of it , weighs up loads when playing on a roundabout goes from light to heavy all the time , could be a knackered rack i spose.

So where did you go and what settings did you go for? Have you got a print-out?

I was happy with the way my car handled but I took it to WIM anyway as it hadn't had an alignment done for around 2 years (I usually get it done annually). After Tony had cast his magic over the car and given it his "Nurburgring" settings it was transformed! So much so in fact that at a trackday at Bedford in April with Lotus on Track I was easily able to keep up with the S1 Elises, even through the tighter sections where their low weight and rear-engine should give them a big advantage.
So basically what I'm saying is; get the right alignment done by someone who really knows what they're doing and it really can make an enormous difference.

[DennisTheMenace]

just went to the local tyre centre with a laser alignment machine . yep got a print out scanners fecked so took piccys with me phone ...
before


after


a lot of things went from red to green just dosent feel any different .

[pikeyboy]

if i remeber correctly i had mine set to 1.5 neg camber,as much caster as you can get and 1/16th toe in on the front and 2.0 deg neg with a tad of toe in on the rear, handles very nicely.

[juzzyp]

Those settings look miles out on your car dennis, pop over to WIM forum and post your figures up there and I'm sure Tony can diagnose the problem, those figures look very bizarre.

[skinny]

fronts not too bad mate (except i'd have more neg camber) but rears are poor in balance side to side.