Wheel Alignment- could this be the problem?

[TurboLove]

Background: I just put on a set of Michelin PS2s (235 40/18 front, 295 30/18 rear) on my 03 TT. I figured after seeing how my last set of rear tires wore down on the inside of the tire, I best get a wheel alignment.

I just picked up my car after the alignment and I swear, the car feels different. The steering wheel just doent feel as stiff and I'm starting to wonder if anything with the alignment might be impacting my drive feel. Can anyone tell me, am I halucinating or could this be the problem? Maybe its simply the feel of brand new tires too. I dont really know what all goes into alignments on these cars. (It was a laser alignment.) Thoughts?

:huh:

Edited June 22, 2007 by TurboLove

[wross996TT]

Usually, for P-cars, set camber negative and toe positive to reduce oversteer. You were probably used to the camber/toe settings before (which is why your car handled so well). You give up handling for even wear.

[TurboLove]

thanks for the post! Well, let me continue my story....I take it back to the dealer where the alignment was conducted and I proceed to describe what Im feeling. Let me add the car drifts to the right as I drive on the freeway. The service rep tells me that this drifting is evident in all correctly aligned Porsches from the factory. He decides to take my car for a drive and says that everything feels/drives normal. I tell him that previous to bringing it in, the car drove straight like an arrow. He explains that the car was likely out of alignment. He even gets the technician on his walkie talkie who confirms his story. He then gets takes another Turbo on the lot and we go for a spin. He explains that this car will also drift right and it does slightly..... can anyone confirm that if aligned correctly to spec, this indeed happens? I havent read anything about this. Just curious. He tells me that if it drives me insane, they'll make it drive straight but it likely will be out of spec. Thoughts/comments welcome.

[wross996TT]

Get a new dealer...that is total BS!

[TurboLove]

Get a new dealer...that is total BS!

Anyone else care to comment/reply? I am open to hearing feedback...all is welcome, please.

[wvicary]

Sounds like BS to me.... why would Porsche want the car to drift to the right for an alignment spec?? A friend has a '04 Turbo and when I drove it I don't remember it pulling.

[Loren]

From the Service Manual (alignment specs). If your paper from the dealer does meet these - then they are wrong.

Danger of injury and damage to property due to malfunctions in the PSM control range if the steering angle sensor is not calibrated or is calibrated incorrectly!

- Calibrate steering angle sensor with wheels in straight−ahead position with the Porsche System Tester 2!

- The steering angle sensor actual value must be checked after a suspension alignment where no changes were made to the wheel alignment values!

Note:

- The following values relate to the empty weight, i.e., full fuel tank, vehicle with spare wheel/collapsible wheel (not GT2) and tools, but without driver and without additional weight.

- A caster adjustment is normally not necessary and is therefore not present.

- The toe-difference angle value is also influenced by the vehicle height! For this reason the measured result must be evaluated accordingly! No action is ecessary in the case of small deviations from the toe−difference angle required value, as long as the value to the right and the left is almost the same!

[k-vic]

Background: I just put on a set of Michelin PS2s (235 40/18 front, 295 30/18 rear) on my 03 TT. I figured after seeing how my last set of rear tires wore down on the inside of the tire, I best get a wheel alignment.

I just picked up my car after the alignment and I swear, the car feels different. The steering wheel just doent feel as stiff and I'm starting to wonder if anything with the alignment might be impacting my drive feel. Can anyone tell me, am I halucinating or could this be the problem? Maybe its simply the feel of brand new tires too. I dont really know what all goes into alignments on these cars. (It was a laser alignment.) Thoughts?

:huh:

k-vic

I have been in the wheel alignment industry for years and have come across your problem many times.

Steering can feel different after new tires are fitted as the old tires are stiff, new tires will make the steering wheel feel lighter but this should get better over 5000km. The problem with the wheel alignment pulling is most likely caused by the wheel alignment set poorly.

When a vehicle is new the manufactures wheel alignment specification may work fine but over time the geometry design changes. This means that the suspension changes shape and the wheel alignment settings need to change to optimize the wheel alignment balance.

The wheel alignment industry just make changes to the wheel alignment back to the vehicle manufacture settings. But for your tires to wear poorly on the inside means that there is a change to the geometry design and the wheel alignment settings need to change with the change in geometry design for corrected driver feel and tire wear.

The old tires drove straight because they wore on the inside and track your vehicle straight but with flat tires your get a different feel.

[fasterjames]

Two other possibilities: In 22 years of owning over 30 cars, I have not one time received my new tires/balanced tires/rotated tires/aligned tires with the correct amount of air pressure unless I've specifically asked the service writer to mark it on the technician's worksheet. And even then they come back sometimes without the right pressure. Usually all 4 will be different. So it's possible that even though you have new tires, they didn't inflate them correctly.

Also, I didn't see where you live but in many parts of the US, our roads are sloped for rain runoff. In FL our highways are 2-3 degrees sloped so your car will actually veer to the right most of the time. When I was writing service for 2 large non-Porsche dealerships, we would have people with the same concern. We would take them on the turnpike and the car would slowly travel to the right. Take them on a regular road and it would be straight as an arrow.

I'm not saying these are your solutions but check your pressure and check out the road surface.

[TurboLove]

thanks for the responses! This is all helpful.

As for my location, I am in Southern Califronia so road curve is not such a big issue although that's what the service writer blamed it on. In fact, on straight roads the car would veer right...therefore, I am thinking the alignment was set poorly. I will also check the air pressure too now that I am aware of that potential issue.

I am trying to get the spec sheet which would be helpful although I wouldnt know how to read it....I may be able to scan and attach for comment.....

cheers!

[k-vic]

Would like to see the spec sheet but need the bumpsteer reading also