Lazy Wheel Aligner syndrome

[swamp]

hi
I am writting this to make people more aware of such poor workmanship its absolutely outstanding failure and more common than u think .

BT50 model un ==same as PjPk Ranger 4x4
Vehicle one owner prior from new
Fixed all the front end
This vehicle had never been wheel aligned in 200,000km

Business Tyre Power
W/align attempts twice
Prior to W/A ,, drift left from effects of worn out parts now resulting odd wear in tyre.

--------------------------------------------
ABSOLUTE LIES 1st attempt
"""cannot adjust shims because there is no thread left"""
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U can see the adjusters with xtra thread 6mm min sticking out !!!!!!!!
Vehicle drifts of the LHS of road
Reported to manager

2nd attempt adjusted caster and toe-in only

-************************************************** *******************-
RESULTS
caster is correct 2.5pos LHS //// 2.0 pos RHS ,,,,stable slightly heavy =GOOD

camber is a complete stuff up is an example of the LAZY W/Aligner tech
camber factory spec 45pos minutes [60 min to a degree ]
Both front wheels at 45pos MINUTES CAMBER ,,, this should never be done
THIS WILL CAUSE UNCONTROLLED DRIFT TO CURB SIDE

LHS CAMBER NEEDS
"o" deg camber up to 10min negative

Vehicle will then be stable on a cambered road surface and not have drift to LHS

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD AND BAD W/ALIGNED VEHICLE IS NIGHT AND DAY
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SOUND SIMIAR TO THE OTHER POST about Bridgestone

.............lazy wheel aligner strikes again

[matty88]

Did they road test? My local Bob Janes in Victoria don't due to insurance reasons. Have had multiple vehicles returned to them with crooked steering wheels

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by matty88

Did they road test? My local Bob Janes in Victoria don't due to insurance reasons. Have had multiple vehicles returned to them with crooked steering wheels

I had $125,000 worth of cover for customer vehicle on test drive when I had my own workshop, and I was 23, it was 'expensive' (what I considered expensive at the time - $7000 PA) but how can you have an automotive workshop and not be covered for insurance for driving customer vehicles

Thats the most ridiculous thing I've heard. I'm not doubting its true but JFC, how can you not test drive customer vehicle after carrying out work - its part of the verification process.

I reckon they've got young unqualified monkeys working in the workshop and no insurance company will touch them, probably don't even have drivers licences - ****ing clown show industry.

[BENT_8]

I refer to it as a toe adjustment as hardly any tyre retailers out there can do a proper wheel alignment.

I remember when I rebuilt my XE with all new front end parts, drag, idler, tie rods etc.
Couldnt have it professionally aligned until the straight gas install had been done, so I went old skool and string lined it.
Drove it from gas fitter to closest tyre shop and couldnt believe it when a bloke in his 50's came out with the keys instead of the work experience kid.
We got chatting as he set it up on the hoist and explained he remembered cutting his teeth on that era Falcon which are fully adjustable.
He commented that for a string job in my back yard it was pretty bloody close and he fine tuned it.
He then said he blamed Holdens crappy Mcpherson strut Commodore setup for the art dying as once the strut tops collapsed back and inwards, toe was all that was left and it made WA techs lazy.

Nothing has changed almost 20yrs later.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I refer to it as a toe adjustment as hardly any tyre retailers out there can do a proper wheel alignment.

I remember when I rebuilt my XE with all new front end parts, drag, idler, tie rods etc.
Couldnt have it professionally aligned until the straight gas install had been done, so I went old skool and string lined it.
Drove it from gas fitter to closest tyre shop and couldnt believe it when a bloke in his 50's came out with the keys instead of the work experience kid.
We got chatting as he set it up on the hoist and explained he remembered cutting his teeth on that era Falcon which are fully adjustable.
He commented that for a string job in my back yard it was pretty bloody close and he fine tuned it.
He then said he blamed Holdens crappy Mcpherson strut Commodore setup for the art dying as once the strut tops collapsed back and inwards, toe was all that was left and it made WA techs lazy.

Nothing has changed almost 20yrs later.

2010 I was a first year apprentice at a dealership and we had a guy in his 50s working with us who used to own a tyre shop, then lost everything in a divorce.

I was helping one of the other qualifieds on a service, this guy came in with a piece of chalk and by eye adjusted the wheel alignment with a couple spanners

Took it for a drive, it steered bang on straight and was within 0.5mm on spec when we hooked it up on the wheel alignment machine.

I couldn't believe it, I asked him how he did it and he just said experience, to this day it's still impressive to me.

That sort of passion, care and skill is long gone from the industry

[aussiblue]

What state. The two I referred to here https://fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11502300 were Tyrepowers:

Even my low expectations are sometimes not met. e,g one franchise dealer ran out of standard tyre valves so fitted an extra long truck duel wheel ones that got cut off by the curb while parking later the same day (and given the fitter was actually a friend of one of my sons I was hoping for better), another removed all the shims from my upper A arms that had been fitted to adjust the camber and castor on my Fairlane to spec claiming it was too hard to align the wheels with them in place (they wouldn't even return the shims when I asked getting very aggro and claiming they were unneeded had binned them).

I think the franchisee or staff at least at the Bibra Lake and Jandakot stores that I had issues at have since changed. Since then I have used their O'Connor store last two times I needed tyres which seem much better. I was using World of Tyres (Ex Ian Diffen) Myaree for a while before that but they suddenly went downhill too. Went back to Tyrepower but in O'Connor after surveying friend, neighbours, community facebook groups and probably most reliably https://www.productreview.com.au for recommendations and reviews.