After Alignment...-0- Help

[heepunk]

hi guys.

Today i had flat tire and i found out that i had bad alignment.

so i got 4 brand new Yokohama S.drive 225/45-17 tires at discount tire and went to alignment shop.

After the test, they told me that i have to change the front struts and tie rods.

the test result was

before

left /front / right

-1.0 camber -1.2

3.8 caster 4.6

0.93 toe -0.61

rear

-1.0 camber -1.2

0.23 toe 0.03

after

left /front/ right

-0.9 camber -1.2

4.0 caster 4.5

0.13 toe 0.08

rear

-1.0 camber -1.2

0.24 toe 0.04

However, i have never felt that the car was driving towards left or right before or after the test.

1.Do i really have to change the struts and tie rods?

2.Are they covered in extended warrenty?

3.If i have to spend money anyway, shall i just get tein coilovers?

need some advice....

Thank you!

[bartkat]

If you don't have problems with that or unusual tire wear or bouncy handling, then you probably don't need the new parts.

[smooth1]

How many miles do you have on the car?

[heepunk]

it is 56000 mile now.

I was searching about this yesterday i found out that the alignment resluts were not different at all except front toe.

and i found out that toe is adjustable by tie rod.

1.However, the mechanic told me that he could not move it at all because it was bent.

(then how could he change toe degrees at the front toe?!)

2.Also, left rear toe is out of spec, and i asked why it did not change after test. what he said was, he could not change it before changing the front parts.

Isn't each wheel measured seperately?

3.And I suggested changing it to new coilovers if i have to spend money anyway and he said it will be so complicated... bla... bla...

(If i need new struts.... what is wrong with to get new coilovers?!)

4.last, i found out the price of parts on e-bay.

struts are $85 each for front and tie rods are $25 each.

They estimated it would cost $450 for struts and $230 for tir rods......

If I bring parts, they estimates 3 labor hour. $80/hour = $240

so,

struts $450 + tie rods $230 = $680 total if i let them do it.

$680- labor hour $240 = $440 for parts they charge me.....?!

if i buy parts it will cost roughly $220 -$300...... $220-$300 : $440 ?

I do not really believe them...

are my theories correct or not?

[smooth1]

Yeah man, I think your being taken for a ride. Just don't even bother going back there. Most places won't even do alignments for Lexus, BMW, Merc, and others as the adjustment and control systems are a bit more complicated and very sensative. I was going to comment on your before and after specs and how they didn't change. It's funny, the one spec they can't change(castor) has the most change from before and after.

My advice is to go to a Toyota or Lexus dealership service center. Here in Florida, they charged me 140 bucks to do a four wheel alignment. I have 31000 miles on mine, and I installed Tein CS coilovers, dropped the car an inch and a quarter, and they recambered it back to spec. ( Which will still have inside tire wear, as spec camber for Lexus is still not square with the surface of the tire for some reason. But anyway, I can't see how you would need new tie rods and struts already. Unless the roads you drive on are goat path consistancy. LOL!!

And to be honest, your not really out of spec now. Your barely in on the toe which should be toe out by less than a degree, your cambers look fine. They could be adjusted a bit more consistantly all around, but there is nothing in those numbers to indicate a big problem.

[heepunk]

Thank you guys for advices.

I was worried that I have to spend some money for nothing....

Thanks again

[bartkat]

Agreed. Find another shop and start over from scratch.

[heyoceanfloor]

yup that sounds like BS to me, i'm no alignment guru but it sounds like they're short on cash