New tires...alignment?

[nixter]

Hey all, i just had Yoko es100's put on. The old ones were hard as rock and caused the steering wheel to shake violently. It's probabaly a good idea to get an alignment now yes?

Could someone explain what's involved in the alignment procedure? I just like to know exactly what I'm paying for!


Thanks!

Nix

[nixter]

bueller? bueller?

[cbeers]

OK, I admit, I looked and didn't post

I can't see any reason to get an alignment unless you think yours is out?

If money is no problem, then sure, why not?

as for what you get for your $$. Depends on where you take it and what you ask for. Simple tire shop alignment, things like toe, camber, caster. Better shops can also corner balance/adj ride height etc.

So, basic front end alignment under $100. The whole enchilada is more like $200-500 depending on how bad yours is.

Hope that helps

-Chris

[Paulporsche]

It's a good idea since a bad alignment will prematurely wear out your nice new tires, among other issues.

Having said that, when was your last alignment done, and what was the condition of the tires you took off? By that I mean, aside from being worn out, what was the wear pattern? Was it even? Were there other unusual patterns to the treads? You may find your alignment is fine.

If you get an alignment done, they will check the condition of the suspension/steering components and set the Camber, Caster, and Toe to spec for all 4 wheels. They can set them to the factory spec, or any other spec you may want to suit you driving habits.

If you do a search, you will find lots of info on settings.

[Emission]

Ride with the new tires for a day. If the car tracks straight, and you didn't have abnormal wear on the old tires, you don't need an alignment. Most wheel/tire shops see "new tire" customers as easy targets for an unnecessary alignment.

[nixter]

Cool, thanks guys. I'll drive it a bit more to see how it goes. Unfortunately I had my buddy (who is co-owner) get the tires put on and I didn't ask him to check the tread wear at the shop so that's out. Oh well. I doubt it's had an alignment in a good decade though so it couldn't hurt.

n

[Emission]

Originally posted by nixter
I doubt it's had an alignment in a good decade though so it couldn't hurt.

n

It never hurts to get it on an alignment rack and have everything checked-out... cost should be minimal if the vehicle is OK.

I just had my "toe" setting checked and it cost me a total of $35. Cheap!

[Wil Ferch]

Just because a lot of time has passed doesn't mean you're "due" for an alignment...you really missed the boat by not "looking" at the old worn tires that just came off. That would have been a reasonable and logical thing to do..as it would give you strong messages and clear indications on what the (current) alignment was doing to your tires.

Wil

[nixter]

Originally posted by Wil Ferch
Just because a lot of time has passed doesn't mean you're "due" for an alignment...you really missed the boat by not "looking" at the old worn tires that just came off. That would have been a reasonable and logical thing to do..as it would give you strong messages and clear indications on what the (current) alignment was doing to your tires.

Wil

Hey thanks! I didn't catch that the first time it was mentioned.

No actually I did have a look at them not too long ago and although they were in terrible condition there wasn't any odd wear.

cheers,

n

[Wil Ferch]

Instead of smart alecky responses.....let's review your question.

You had old tires....you apparently did not observe ( during the time they were still mounted) how they were wearing ( inside edge?....feathering?...cupping?...outside edge?). Plus, someone else took the tires off and put new ones on...plus that person never looked at the condition of the tires that were taken off..

So...you then ask if it needs an alignment......

?????

Answer-->how the heck should we know???

Just because 10 years have passed means NOTHING. How many miles in that 10 years? Was it a garage queen? How have the tires worn in the meantime? Wouldn't this be a logical first step..in determining "need" of an alignment ? I've seen more "damage" done ( alignment-wise) simply "doing something"... when in reality....nothing was required.

On the face of all this.... I submit that your question was only a "bit" more absurd than my answer...given the circumstances.

Wil

[SandyI]

Personally, I've never put a set of new tires on any of my cars (Porsches or not) without doing the alignment at the same time. Maybe I'm a sucker. Maybe I get a few thousand more miles from my tires than someone who doesn't do the alignment. Whatever.

While you're getting that alignment done, consider corner balancing also. By a seasoned pro you trust. Anyone who's had this done will testify that it was worth every penny.

[nixter]

Help a dummy out and explain corner balancing to me would ya?

[Wil Ferch]

Think of a kitchen chair with two long legs on one diagonal...and two short legs on the other diagonal....

Oh nevermind !!! ....

- wil

[tobluforu]

Since I bring my car to a shop to have my tires replaced, I get it aligned as well.