Tracking and balancing

[Mikeroo]

Is it just me or does anyone else find it impossible to get your car properly aligned? I have taken mine to 3 different garages who all adjust the front wheels but when I take the car out on the road the steering wheel is not centred when driving straight (although the car tracks straight). Another issue is wheel balancing, my car suffers from bad steering wheel vibration and wobble between 50-60mph even though it has been balanced 3 times. Very annoying indeed!

 

[SQ_W211]

Wheels may have been curbed at some point in life which may cause the vibration. I would also get the suspension checked out.

 

[teddycatkin]

Unfortunatley its true Mikeroo ! Great having all the modern equimpment in garages nowadays but its still down to the skills of the user ?
You need to find somebody who really knows what they are doing-not your currently inexperienced highly qualified skills on paper GCSE graduate "mechanics/engineers" wearing rubber gloves and never getting their hand dirty that they turn out nowadays.

 

[jberks]

Mercs are particularly susceptible to wheel balance issues - or so I've found. Luckly I have found one firm round here that does a decent job, but I have had it bodged by a few over the years. I insist on watching them do it now and on seeing the machine read 0:0 before they take the wheel off the balancer.

One problem is that when they put the weights on, locating them isn't an exact science. I have seen guys put them on, try to take the wheel off the machine without respinning, (I stopped them) - respan, still not 0, put more weights on, respan..... I stopped him on the 5th weight and told him to take them all off and start again.

I've also watched a skilled fitter, he put the weight on, re-span, still slightly out, moved the weight factionally, respan again - 0.

 

[Number_Cruncher]

Yes, there should never be more than one cluster of weights on each side of the rim. Moving the weights slightly is the best way to get good balance with the minimum added mass.

I say cluster, because you sometimes need more than one to add up to the right mass, but, they should be all together.

Wheel balancing is actually one of those things where a clear understanding of the physics helps - I would be much happier with someone who has learnt about the difference between static and dynamic balancing be the one balancing my wheels.

Any sensible professional mechanic will wear gloves nowadays - the threat of testicular cancer from oil on the hands is enough to frighten anyone! Or, as I used to do in the days before gloves became popular, was to wash before and after visiting the loo.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
Regarding your tracking, you need to take it to a place that does 4 wheel alignment ie, they can read and adjust the readings on the rear wheels as well if necassary, also they can check camber and castor of the wheels and adjust these with a specially made bolts (front wheels) if required.
If they can,t track the car so the wheel is straight ahead then they have done it incorrectly, your car has ESP I believe which relies on an input from the wheel to tell the system wether you are turning or not, if the car is driven with a steering incorrectly aligned the ESP sytem thinks you are permantly going round in a circle, do not be tempted to remove the wheel to straighten it up as you will then have to have the straight ahead wheel position reset within the diagnostic system reset.

 

[Blakey]

When doing wheel balancing, it is also very important to make sure there is no build up of muck or copper slip on the hub or the inside of the wheel. This can cause the wheel to go back on slightly out of true, cause vibration and uneven wear.

I also heard a tale of a good tyre techie spotting the fact that a tyre had been fitted after rainwater had collected in it. - No amount of balancing would ever get that right. The tyre would need to be taken off the rim and the water removed.

Finally when having a 2 or 4 wheel alignment carried out, it is imperative that all tyres are inflated to the correct pressure. I recently found my car was developing a pull to the n/s after having spent plenty having MB do a full alignment. Turned out I had a slow leak in the N/S/F tyre. pressure was down to 18.5psi while the rest were correct. I corrected the pressure and the pull was gone.

Hope this helps.

Blakey.