So, I need tires, like the day before yesterday. So I purchased some that will be in tomorrow. In the mean time, I think my alignment must be bad because this car is wearing tires really bad, on the inside, like pulling them apart. I figured that I would get the CAR aligned today and install the newer wheel and tires tomorrow and I'll be good to go.

Wrong, I stopped by this shop that installs 22"s and all those big wheels, etc.. They pulled my car in the alignment stall and pulled it back out. Said my tires were to bad and my alignment would be off when I changed or installed new tires. WTH?

Is that true? I thought cars were aligned and wheels and tires had nothing to do with it...

 

I usually get my new tires on and get an alignment after those are on..

 

Ive never heard of that.. did they try to sell you some tires?

 

Not really. I told them I didn't have money to purchase tires. They figured that I wouldn't be driving long with the tires I have on it. One tire has a split on the edge where the tread turns to the sidewall. Coming apart where you can see the belts. Then another seems like the belt is coming apart and will split like that soon. Another has a egg size bubble on the sidewall, and one is good. Oh, lets not forget my spare that has a full size wheel and the belts are coming out the side of it all the way around. I actually thing the spare was rubbing the inner splash guard.

 

It sounds like CYA from the shop. They probably did not want you get into an accident due to the tires, but sue them.

As a rule of thumb, suspension needs to be in good shape (i.e. within Volvo specs) before any new tires and alignment is done.

If suspension is fine, you can mount+balance the tires and have the alignment done. Many shops will do both at a discount. Just print out the procedure for the rear alignment, because they most likely will not know how to do it.

 

Where can I find the rear alignment proceedures? I hope to install wheels tomorrow and get this done.

 

PM me your email

 

on google docs https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&p...thkey=CLfZxYEK

 

I don't know how that works.

 

rspi: to an extent, they are correct. the reason for that is that if you have enough wear on the inside edge of your tire, it can actually cause the sensor heads for the alignment machine to not sit properly in relation to the ground. the wheels will be artificially cambered in even more than they already are due to that wear.

 

I just didn't know. I have always owned rwd Volvos and have NEVER had a wheel alignment done before.

 

That is good to know...

 

I thought sensors sit on the rims, and rubber (worn or not) plays no part in the alignment, no?

 

The sensors mount to the rims and if your machanics are all tight you will be aligned whether your tires are worn or not.

 

they CAN be off though, because the wheels themselves will be canted inward artificially if the inside edges of the tires are severely worn.

 

Definately new tires first, then alignment. Even if your old tires were worn evenly, but worn and you replaced them with the new ones after alignment, even if same size, tread, etc, the car would sit differently and the alignment could be out considerably (ie enough to cause bad wear.

 

Ok, I put the newer tires on today. I'm thinking that I destroyed the other tires from running them low on tire pressure to often. No I have 2 questions:

1. Should I get an alignment? If so, where and how many wheels?

2. What tire pressure should I run?

I use to have Kumho Estas. Now I have Fusion ZRi. These tires are like driving on rocks compared to the Kumhos. I have them inflated to 38 psi.

 

What VolvosRock said makes sense, however if tires are worn, it does not mean that you can't have an alignment. At $ 50/alignment, I must have done at least 3 in the first six months I was going through Stage 0.

With these Volvos, alignment alone will not prevent tire-wear if other components are not addressed. This may not be the case with Rspi, but many other people just slap new tires, do alignment and then b.i.tch why tire-wear is bad....

 

rspi: why are you running so much pressure in the tires? Thats WAY too much, and why they ride like rocks.

 

Dang!! Its $100 here.