Wheel alignment

[Vicbitter]

Wondering if anybody knows a good place where they actually know how to do an alignment on a pajero in Melbourne's West or North?
Sick of the car constantly pulling left and scrubbing on the edge after a couple of alignments.

[Vicbitter]

OK, called a local 4wd shop and got quoted $240 all round.
I told them my story and the bloke said did you got to a tyre retailer, I said yeah. He's familiar with the paj, but does $240 sound excessive or not for a proper alignment.

[Plez]

I don’t know about the Melbourne market, but I was looking at ~100 for a full alignment here in Brisbane.

[shawty950]

Personally, unless the 4wd shop has their own machine and they know what they are doing it's very hit and miss.
My experience is that tyre shops only do toe and camber and dont do full 4 wheel alignment on the Pajero.

If you want it done properly, go to a truck alignment specialist...IIRC my gen 4 cost around the $200 mark at Straight Wheels truck align at Rocklea(Brizzy) and they do everything including the rear camber (which the tyre shops...all 4 of them on the same day said they would...but didn't do).

Shawty

[marcthelegend]

I've found that if the alignment values are at least close to within tolerance they simply won't touch the settings.

I have used Bob Jane for my alignments, they charge $85 and, according to the sales guy, they do a full alignment including camber, caster and toe on the front and rear.
I recall the time I installed new polyeurathane bushes in the lower control arms, the specs were WAY off according to the report, but they did indeed align everything and it drove extremely well, only a slight wander to the left but that was due to the slope of the road. Subsequent time's I've gone there you can see the toe has been fixed with camber and caster only just out of tolerance but haven't been touched, despite paying for the full service!

Next time I go back I'll pull up down the road first and will completely ruin the current specs, see if they pull it all back into line.

[Vicbitter]

Got a few quotes, ranging from $60 at Bridgestone Derrimut (they do trucks as well) $170 at a truck alignment specialist, to $240 at a 4wd shop.
Not sure about the 60 one, and I asked specifically a proper 4 wheel alignment.

[farcanal]

My NP Exceed had a "pulling to the left problem"
I had some tyres fitted at my local Tyrepower dealer and requested an alignment as well because the tyres were wearing unevenly.
The result of the wheel alignment was my Paj was now pulling to the left.
This they rectified very quickly.....so obviously something was set incorrectly.
Fast forward a couple of years and same thing at Beaurepaires, an alignment after 2 new tyres fitted and again pulling to the left. Took the car back but they didn't quite fix it so I took it back to the Tyrepower people and they fixed it 1st go (obviously I had to pay for this).
My point is, some tyre dealers know their stuff.

[pauld]

Bob Jane Epping - should be about $80. They will give you a print out of before & after.

Widetrad Ferntree Gully the only other one that knows what they are doing.

Computalign Nunawading did a terrible job. Others have done ok but seem to all get the toe wrong on lifted Pajeros.

[Vicbitter]

Oh I get to see the print outs, but I'm not going back again. Been too many times now and still not rectified.
Booked in for Bridgestone in Derrimut and had a detailed chat with them.
Will report back.

[MarkAW]

Tyre power in Hoppers Crossing do alignments for the local ARB. Have had 2 alignments done there, after a 2 inch lift and after new tyres. I haven’t had any problems with them and tyres wear evenly. I rotate myself every 10k

[Morville]

For those with steering problems, assuming the technician is competent, the equipment is properly calibrated and they know how to use it, some vehicles will not run true even if the alignment is set to specification ( my NW is one example) If an aligner just sets it to spec and and doesn't test drive this may occur.
This is the result of tolerances in the build of mass production of vehicles. It could be the result of worn components or even accident damage.
I take mine to Truline Steering and Suspension in Latrobe Street Ballarat. I have been going there for many years with various vehicles. Dale will test drive and make more small adjustments if necessary to make it run true. I recommend him if you are having problems with your steering.
Peter

[farcanal]

For those with steering problems, assuming the technician is competent, the equipment is properly calibrated and they know how to use it, some vehicles will not run true even if the alignment is set to specification ( my NW is one example) If an aligner just sets it to spec and and doesn't test drive this may occur.
This is the result of tolerances in the build of mass production of vehicles. It could be the result of worn components or even accident damage.
I take mine to Truline Steering and Suspension in Latrobe Street Ballarat. I have been going there for many years with various vehicles. Dale will test drive and make more small adjustments if necessary to make it run true. I recommend him if you are having problems with your steering.
Peter

Exactly....a good technician can make adjustments to suit a particular car's problem.
Which is what happened with Tyrepower and my old NP...they adjusted the settings to cure the pulling to the left after the alignment was set to factory specs.

[Vicbitter]

Well, had the alignment done, right in front of me whilst having an espresso, and now drives nice and straight now.
All for $60.

[grobinson]

Exactly....a good technician can make adjustments to suit a particular car's problem.
Which is what happened with Tyrepower and my old NP...they adjusted the settings to cure the pulling to the left after the alignment was set to factory specs.

The Pajero I recently traded was taken to Bob Jane's for new tyres after my rear tyres had completely worn on the inside after only 44,000 kms. They went to do an alignment but the rear couldn't be done because the adjusting arms/bolts/bushes had seized - which was why the tyres had worn so quickly. I had taken the car to the Mitsubishi dealer for an alignment 6 months earlier because I could see the tyres wearing abnormally and it was constantly pulling left - and I was distrusting of Bob Jane doing it back then. The dealer didn't say anything about arms/bolts/bushes needing attention.

Lucky for me the dealer fixed the problems under warranty (the car was just under 5 years old and just over 130,000 kms) which took several days. When the alignment on the new tyres was finally able to be done, the Bob Jane guys were pretty unimpressed with dealer alignments, obviously including mine.

So the upshot was that the dealer fixed the cause problem for free - but after it cost me a set of tyres only half way through their lives. Bob Jane seemed to do a decent job of the wheel alignment and gave me the impression that the people who do these things day in, day out will give you a better result. I reckon that, as pointed out above, you need someone who'll look past the factory specs which I don't reckon you'll get from the cheaper guys.

Cheers,
Grant

[Vicbitter]

Anyhow, 5k later, and now pulling to the left and scrubbing out on the edge.
Either swiping the kerbs have that effect or perhaps its the bushes?

Are the final values OK?