GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Ej1749 on 22 July 2022, 09:56
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Hi guys and gals.
I have a MK7 GTD that has been lowered by 25mm front and rear. Nowhere seems to able to do an alignment. I had my two front Michelin Super Sports replaced yesterday with about 2mm left. The wear was even across the tyre but to my surprise, the mechanic showed me the inner edge of the sidewall and it was down to the threads.
Am I correct in thinking this is the camber out of whack? If so, does anyone know where to go to get this sorted. I have been through about 4 sets of tyres since owning the car due to high mileage and been lucky so far! I have also been driving my daughter around quite a lot too. Fortunately, I only ever cruise at 60-65mph on the DCC and drive like a granny when she's in the car.
Any help would be great.
Halfords can't do it and neither can Kwikfit. I would assume I'd need a tuning specialist?
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Can't do it because?
https://alignmycar.co.uk/
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Can't do it because?
https://alignmycar.co.uk/
Cheers! Just had a look and I maybe being stupid, but it doesn't say they can modify it. I've understood it as, it can only be set back to the manufacturers specs? Is that correct or have I missed something?
"Manufacturers will determine the best Camber angle for your vehicle and a Hunter Wheel Alignment will ensure that your journey is safe and trouble free."
Am I correct in thinking that lowering a car will adjust the camber beyond the manufacturers specs?
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You don't know what's up with your setup at the moment other than you have lowered it and not had the alignment done.
Any good place will check the current situation, advise what 'normal' would be and also if you want the setup more 'agressive'.
No idea where you are based but I can highly recommend these guys www.tyre-smart.com
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Lowering normally increases the toe out angle as the tie rods are moving up in an arc, effectively shortening the steering arms and making your car toe out more.
There will be a small increase in negative camber which is a good thing as long as its still within spec or very near too, a small increase in neg camber is a good thing.
Both excessive toe out and neg camber will wear your tyre as you describe.
I would take it to somewhere who knows what there doing and that wouldnt include any fast fit centres.
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You don't know what's up with your setup at the moment other than you have lowered it and not had the alignment done.
Any good place will check the current situation, advise what 'normal' would be and also if you want the setup more 'agressive'.
No idea where you are based but I can highly recommend these guys www.tyre-smart.com
I'm near Lincoln - Thanks, I'll have a look :smiley:
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Lowering normally increases the toe out angle as the tie rods are moving up in an arc, effectively shortening the steering arms and making your car toe out more.
There will be a small increase in negative camber which is a good thing as long as its still within spec or very near too, a small increase in neg camber is a good thing.
Both excessive toe out and neg camber will wear your tyre as you describe.
I would take it to somewhere who knows what there doing and that wouldnt include any fast fit centres.
Yeah, I did think a little bit of negative camber was appropriate for leaning into the corners to keep as much contact with the road as possible. I am talking from being a racing driver many years ago. I am just not that technically minded, so I could be wrong ha.
I've had all four sets aligned by fast fit centres, so hopefully this time if I go somewhere that deals with this properly, I will get a bit more mileage out of the tyres (Fingers Crossed).
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You don't know what's up with your setup at the moment other than you have lowered it and not had the alignment done.
Any good place will check the current situation, advise what 'normal' would be and also if you want the setup more 'agressive'.
No idea where you are based but I can highly recommend these guys www.tyre-smart.com
Hey do you know if the camber is adjustable as standard for normal alignments? Or do I need adjustable top mounts?
Cheers
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Hey do you know if the camber is adjustable as standard for normal alignments? Or do I need adjustable top mounts?
Cheers
Camber is not adjustable from the factory on a MK 7.
A 25mm drop should dial in a small amount of negative camber.
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Hey do you know if the camber is adjustable as standard for normal alignments? Or do I need adjustable top mounts?
Cheers
Camber is not adjustable from the factory on a MK 7.
A 25mm drop should dial in a small amount of negative camber.
Thanks! Is this percentage going to destroy my tyres or should it be fine, providing I have a proper alignment done?
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Hey do you know if the camber is adjustable as standard for normal alignments? Or do I need adjustable top mounts?
Cheers
Camber is not adjustable from the factory on a MK 7.
A 25mm drop should dial in a small amount of negative camber.
Sorry, let me provide more information. I have attached a photo from the internet that looked exactly like my front tyres. However, the wear was on the side of the front two tyres. Is this likely to toe angle or the camber from dropping 25mm front and rear. The weird thing was that both tyres had evenly worn tread across them, apart from the inner side, like displayed in this pic. Would dropping my car 25mm cause that much of an issue to the tyres providing I have had them properly aligned. After my research I’m leaning towards toe angle rather than camber, as the camber would have to surely be ridiculously angled to cause that damage? Any thoughts from anyone would be welcome to have a guess at the cause, because I don’t really wanna spend £600 getting suspension with adjustable top mounts?
(https://i.postimg.cc/zfmq02PK/863-CD69-A-089-F-4141-84-BC-C1-B4598-DC755.png) (https://postimg.cc/hXrFGsnt)
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If what your saying is the wear on your tyres looks like the pic but on the inner edge then that could be caused by excessive toe out caused by lowering and not readjusting the toe angle.
A 25mm drop would indeed increase the neg camber, but not by much, and certainly not enough to do that.
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If what your saying is the wear on your tyres looks like the pic but on the inner edge then that could be caused by excessive toe out caused by lowering and not readjusting the toe angle.
A 25mm drop would indeed increase the neg camber, but not by much, and certainly not enough to do that.
Thanks for the help! I’ve spent about 4 hours watching countless YouTube videos non-stop and that is the conclusion I have come to. That meme of when a woman is wondering why her man in quiet thinking he’s cheated, but he’s actually trying to figure out wtf is going on with a minor issue with his car - is so accurate! Haha. Thanks for the help and advice! :smiley: :smiley:
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Glad to be of help, all part of being on a forum like this.
Anytime.
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Glad to be of help, all part of being on a forum like this.
Yeah, this forum is the best for advice and the nicest bunch of non judgemental people of any car brand forum I have been apart of. I’ve never seen anyone on any post be negative, only positive and willing to be very helpful. It must be a VW thing haha! Again, thank you and have a great weekend!
If you want to witness toxicity, just click on a Ford forum! Haha :grin:
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Hi, to anyone that is interested. I went to ETS, as they have a hunter alignment system and only cost £37.50 for the front axle. They said it was toe out issues. I am not clued up on the results, but apparently they are fine now. I have attached the results... Do they seem okay?
Thanks for all the help and advice.
(https://i.postimg.cc/wMv8S9Sh/Alignment-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hzH5mR4j)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7PsyST2X/Alignment-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/SjM5hRVz)
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You had a bit of toe out and now you've got a whiff of toe in.
-41 +-30 minutes is the tolerance for camber, so 1 degree 11 minutes is the maximum tolerance, hence the right front is highlighted in red. (60 minutes = 1 degree)
Perhaps could've tweaked the camber angles by nudging the sub-frame across to the left a touch, it just would've evened them up a little, about 1 degree 20 minutes either side.
However this would have been a bit (alot!!) of trial and error and £37-50 only buys you so much time, i guess for that money its purely a front wheel toe align and adjust although it looks as though they might have tweaked the left rear and brought that into spec.
Hope some of that makes sense??
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You had a bit of toe out and now you've got a whiff of toe in.
-41 +-30 minutes is the tolerance for camber, so 1 degree 11 minutes is the maximum tolerance, hence the right front is highlighted in red. (60 minutes = 1 degree)
Perhaps could've tweaked the camber angles by nudging the sub-frame across to the left a touch, it just would've evened them up a little, about 1 degree 20 minutes either side.
However this would have been a bit (alot!!) of trial and error and £37-50 only buys you so much time, i guess for that money its purely a front wheel toe align and adjust although it looks as though they might have tweaked the left rear and brought that into spec.
Hope some of that makes sense??
Thanks! When I drove home last night the wheel was pulling to the left ever so slightly, I'm guessing the readings could be the result of the wheel pulling to the left? Checked tyre pressures and they were only 1 psi different. So, I'm gunna take it back today to get it looked at.
I'll say I spoke to a mate who's a mechanic and say that he thinks this maybe the solution haha.
Appreciate the help as always!!! :grin:
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Those toe readings are bloody good, 0.04 minutes each side, with a total toe of 0.08 is spot on.
spec is .10 minutes toe in +-10 so your pretty much bang on.
Cars tend to pull slightly to the left due to the camber of the road.
The trouble is with a front wheel alignment only, you can get the front to be spot on but it will always be fighting the rear if thats out of spec.
The rear alignment looks good in your case but thats not to say the rear axle centre line is parallel to the front axle centre line.
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Those toe readings are bloody good, 0.04 minutes each side, with a total toe of 0.08 is spot on.
spec is .10 minutes toe in +-10 so your pretty much bang on.
Cars tend to pull slightly to the left due to the camber of the road.
The trouble is with a front wheel alignment only, you can get the front to be spot on but it will always be fighting the rear if thats out of spec.
The rear alignment looks good in your case but thats not to say the rear axle centre line is parallel to the front axle centre line.
Yeah, I don't think this pulling to the left is the road, as the steering wheel is off centre. I know that the road does play an affect, but when driving in a straight line the wheel is visibly off centre
They said "Your friend is 100% right haha" and they have said to bring it back down whenever and they will have a look and adjust it for free!
Thanks again!
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No problem. :smiley: