Alignment

[packinkimber45]

Hello everyone, I know this isnt really related to my talon. I figured I would ask a general question. I had my wife go to les schwab yesterday to have the alignment checked out on the Accord we just bought. She was told they needed to be done so we got them taken care of on the spot. After they did the alignment, I installed the 18's off my talon on the car since we really needed new tires. Drove it around last night after installing the wheels and the car still pulls a little to the right. Should I have done the alignment with the new rims and tires already on the car? I didnt even think about that before I told my wife to go ahead and give them the go for the alignment. When my wife was there she told the guy at the counter that we had new tires at home that we were putting on, but I dont think she told them that they were 18's. Does that matter... I really dont want to pay for another alignment. Thanks.

 

[CrazyM]

It may not be your alignment pulling the car. Did it drive straight before you put the rims on? If so, try swapping tires side to side if they are not directional. If they are swap the the side that it is pulling to front to back.

You could be getting a 'radial pull' which is all in the tires.

 

[1990gsx1781]

It may not be your alignment pulling the car. Did it drive straight before you put the rims on? If so, try swapping tires side to side if they are not directional. If they are swap the the side that it is pulling to front to back.

You could be getting a 'radial pull' which is all in the tires.

i would go with this answer to good answer man

 

[packinkimber45]

Thanks. It was pulling to the right as well before I had the alignment done. Actually after I had the alignment done it wasnt pulling as hard to the right as before. Does it matter though in my situation, going with bigger rims and newer tires. Should I have had the bigger rims and newer tires on the car before I got it aligned? Thanks again.

 

[turboglenn]

The rims and tires shouldn't make a difference in alignment as long as you're not changing the ride height (technically yes you should have put the rims on first in a perfect world but it still isn't that big of a deal - i'm saying this because i know some one will chime in and say different about me saying it doesn't matter)

But in all my years as a mechanic i've changed countless rim and tire combos on both road and track cars with no change in the carsability to track straight. Now what i have seen is the guy doing the alignment trying to compensate for a bent or tweaked uni-body or suspension part and even if the computer says the tires are aligned the car can still pull. (most common on trucks where the drag link gets bent too much, you can straighten the tires through alignment, but it will still pull) Most of the time the mechanic will not even know that he's fighting something that's bent or bad untill an alignment doesnt' fix it and you have to start checking all the little things and then you spot the culprit (been there a few times my self)

BUT.... DOn't get too worried about suspension and uni-body yet.... A worn tire can cause as much pull as a bad alignment or bent suspension and it will be so slight of a wear that you won't see it if you don't know what you're looking for.

 

[CrazyM]

As far as I know bigger rims and offsets don't change all that much geographically in your front end. If you put a wider tire on there I also notice they tend to try and pull the car around a lot more than a skinnier stock tire..

To be 100% sure I would swap the tires, if that doesn't solve anything. Then I would say take the car back to where you got the alignment done, get them to check the alignment on it and if they say oh it's ### of this and or\that I would go somewhere else get a second or even third opinion on what the first place said and go from there..

 

[brownfinger]

I've got a '94 Accord. Compared to my '93 FWD Eclipse, the Accord has the suspension of an F1 car, the Eclipse has that of a Huffy bike or Tonka truck. Maybe a big-wheel. Last time I got the Accord aligned, it had to go back 3 times before they got it right. There are just too many variables on the Accord. It needs to be in spec, and pass the test drive. It can be "in spec" on the table/computer monitor, and still pull. The spec for oil consumption on most cars is like "One pint/500 miles". That's 6 quarts between each oil change. But that's the spec.
Those 'professionals' are just that: In it for the money. They are in a hurry. Take it back to them and ask them nice to try it again, please.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Post up your alignment specs.

 

[Jetrosr]

I've got a '94 Accord. Compared to my '93 FWD Eclipse, the Accord has the suspension of an F1 car, the Eclipse has that of a Huffy bike or Tonka truck. Maybe a big-wheel. Last time I got the Accord aligned, it had to go back 3 times before they got it right. There are just too many variables on the Accord. It needs to be in spec, and pass the test drive. It can be "in spec" on the table/computer monitor, and still pull. The spec for oil consumption on most cars is like "One pint/500 miles". That's 6 quarts between each oil change. But that's the spec.
Those 'professionals' are just that: In it for the money. They are in a hurry. Take it back to them and ask them nice to try it again, please.

BAM! Nailed it. "In spec" and "drives straight" are not the same. I could align your car with every angle out of spec and you most likely wouldn't know until 4 months later when your tires are spitting out steel belts. Take it back until it drives straight.

Seems like those Accords should handle much better with that F1 suspension!