Alignment results

[SOP8920@Siena.edu]

Hi Audi-peoples,
   Going against the popular advice of the list, I went in for an alignment at
Sears. Okay okay, before the spitting (at me) begins, I just want to
rationalize this choice a bit. My father had purchased a "lifetime-alignment"
contract with Sears, back when they used to sell these things in order to drum
up business in unneeded repairs, and I found the contract in a box with all my
old repair receipts. Boo-hiss, I know...
   Anyway, when I went in, the car was pulling to the right and the last time I
had any record of an alignment was perhaps.. (gasp!) 30K miles ago. 
Results:

LEFT FRONT                                                 RIGHT FRONT

actual --  before -- spec                           actual -- before -- spec

-0.8       -0.9     -1.0-0.0         Camber         -0.1     -0.2    -1.0-0.0
 1.0        1.0      0.2-1.5         Caster          1.4      1.4     0.2-1.5
 0.01       0.16*   -0.08-0.04       Toe             0.03     0.30*  -0.08-0.04


                                 FRONT
                      actual -- before -- spec
       Cross Camber   -0.7*     -0.7*     -0.5-0.5
       Cross Caster   -0.4      -0.4      -1.0-1.0
       Total Toe       0.04      0.46*    -0.17-0.08


LEFT REAR                                                RIGHT REAR
actual -- before -- spec                          actual--before--spec
-0.3      -1.2*     -0.5-0.0    Camber            -0.1    -1.0*   -0.5-0.0
0.07      -0.19*    0.00-0.17   Toe                0.06   -0.01*  0.00-0.17 


                                REAR
                       actual -- before -- spec
         Total Toe      0.13      -0.19*    0.00-0.33
         Thrust angle   0.00      -0.09     >>>>->>>>

* = out of spec.

The first thing I noticed was "damn.. I was crazy out of alignment." 

The second thing I noticed was "wait.. why am I still out of spec for 
the CROSS CAMBER in the FRONT?"

So, I asked. The guy said that that shouldn't matter because both the LF and
the RF were in spec. He said that it wouldn't make a difference in terms of
tire wear. My response was to give him a really dumb look. Then I asked, "are
you sure." He gave me a dumb look.

Anyway, I got back to the car. It seems to track much straighter than before
(well it should considering it was so out of wack). However, it still pulled a
little to the right at lower speeds. However, at higher speeds it felt so much
more stable. 

Well.. I posted it to the list. If anybody has any comments at all, including
"stop wasting bw PAL!" I would be greatly interested. 

Oh.. btw, there was also categories of SAI, INCLUDED ANGLE, and TURNING ANGLE
DIFF.. but they didn't do anything with these. Odd thing is that they listed a
spec for "turning angle" but no measurements were taken. They also took
measurements for SAI and included angle, but there was no specs for it.

$&(*(#$&@!!! I just realized something. ON top of this printout, it says:
Audi 89 100/200 Quattro with 14in wheels. MORONS! I have 15" wheels. What the
heck! Are all the specs wrong? Does it matter? 

Well, any comments from the list? Thanks goes to Igor for explaining some
things to me about CAMBER, CASTER, and TOE.
                               -Osman Parvez
                                89 200q (149K miles)
                                Siena College
                                Albany NY