Hunter equipment, wheel alignment ....

["Gerard van Vaugh" <gerard@acenet.co.za>]

Hi!

Having a wheel alignment nightmare on my 1990 200t.
Just wanted to know what is the general list opinion
about the accuracy of Hunter computerised wheel alignment
equipment. Opinion on doing rear wheel alignment on
a FWD car.

Here's the silly story. Thought I'd save some cash
for other repairs by sourcing 4 Gabriel GasRyder
struts/shocks for my car. Then needed to have them
fitted. Took them to Sonic Silencers in Cape Town
and was charged about $60 for fitting and for the
wheel alignment. When the guy was fitting the shocks
I asked him if he torques everything up properly and
he says "why? we use a air wrench and we haven't
had a problem with customers yet". So he put them
in and afterwards they sent me over to Mr X-haust
Mr Tyre (stupid company name) to have the alignment
done. Then over the weekend I started hearing
clicking noises from the car when I turned while
parked. Thought it was my CV joints, but they've
just been serviced/replaced. Mechanic said it was
the strut mountings making the noise. I looked at
the mounts on Tuesday night. As the wheel is
turned the struts move and the dished washer
on which the strut piston nut sits runs across
the castellated bit of the strut mounting dragging
the rubber with it, this rubber then pops back with
a rather annoying "click". Will not do it all the
time, just when mechanics are not looking. Didn't
do it while level on the hydraulic lifts, but in
a parking area or coming out a side-street it will
creak very loudly. Took it to Sonic and they
undid the camber nuts on the struts and just shoved
the struts to the outside of the car and bolted
it all back up. This shot my alignment completely.
So this morning I had a small fight with them and
got them to redo my alignment as it was way out.
Car was almost undrivable yesterday and I took it
to another place that used Hunter alignment equipment
and they showed me how far all the alignment was
out. Anyway, these Mr X-haust Mr Tyre people redid the
alignment again this morning and the car drove fine,
but I took it to the guys at Parkers Pitstop (the
people with the Hunter stuff) and had a double
check of the angles. Everything, camber, toe, caster,
was out. The rear is also out of spec; this is a
FWD car, by the way. I'm leaning more towards
believing the Hunter equipment as everything is
set up with more precision, this I noted as I
watched the guys work and also from having them
work on the Merc 300D a year or more back (and that
thing has a real skew rear axle, more than 2 inches
out). I've given up with the guys who did the alignment
to start with 'cos the equipment they have seems
to be a bit backward. I watched as they set it
up, numbers had to be fetched from books and I
couldn't see much of any reference angles to
work from on the screen. Car still pulls a little
to the left.

Now, what about the back? The guy at Parkers
told me they can set the back in, but they'd
need to get a shim from Hunters in the States
and it would cost minimum of $40 or something.
He said the back is not a problem, although
I'd feel a difference if they set it properly.
The whole front probably has 2 angles within
spec. I have a printout. They're asking about
$40 to do the whole front.

Anyway, would it be worth it to do the rear
alignment on a FWD machine?

How good and accurate are Hunter electronic
alignment machines?

The clicking from the top of the struts is
still there. I've sprayed it with some Q20,
but it still clicks. Is this because the
strut piston nut is put on too tight? The
Haynes manual indicates 60 Nm torque,
Sonic told me they first tighten it by
hand and have a go at it with an air wrench.
Yikes! I've done 40 Nm on the steering wheel
nut and it is easy to do while being
careful, so perhaps 60 Nm could be exceeded
by someone putting something on with good
force. Now what? Oh yes, it is the same
new strut mounts and washer as was used with
my old shocks and there was not a squeak or
click from them then. Guy who did the alignment
this morning said the air wrench used a reducer
so they're low torque units.

Sorry for the long e-mail. I don't know much
about struts and their problems.

G.