I took my 18’ Kia Sorento in for a 15K service. My alignment was very slightly out of spec but the service adviser suggested I have it corrected. $90 later and I’m wondering if it really was? My Alignment Report listed the only angles out of spec as the Rear Left Camber at -1.6 (-1.5 to -.5) and …

It was probably that way coming off of the transport but yeah, best to get it done before tires wear. On my 86 Park Ave I had a rear tire wear to just about an octagon shape in less than 30,000 miles. The tire guys claimed transporting chains can pull it out of alignment. I didn’t really believe …

Someone else might have a different perspective, but my thought is that the specs are there for a reason. If -1.6 were OK, then the spec range would not stop at -1.5. A $90 alignment is a lot cheaper than new tires.

Thank you all for your responses. A little more as to why I second guessed the expense. My last car, a 05’ Acura MDX, had a misalignment in the camber that actually couldn’t be corrected without additional hardware being installed. Regular tire rotation mostly compensated for this. At least enou…

My alignment shop is not happy with within limits, they go to center of specs,just a thought.

One more thing to think about. Even if “just a little” out of spec may be alright, as the suspension ages, a even a short amount it will possibly go out more as driving can change it. Better to start from good to worse, than worse to worser.

Since you work in manufacturing and are familiar with tolerances, you may want to consider that the published alignment values are wide enough to allow most vehicles to pass through the manufacturing plant without needing additional work - and then the warranty claims would also be reduced. As a ti…

[image] jwalters2000_150887: I speculate the limits the alignment report operate off of would be more like those. Yes, design limits are usually different from published limits. That 30t bridge can, almost guaranteed, support more than 30t. The trouble comes when you take it upon yourself to…

Your response helps a lot. That’s what I was really wondering, how tight should the tolerances be. It sounds like I made the right decision on the alignment. I guess it goes to show how important regular tire rotation is if you can expect irregular tire wear when your alignment is still in spec. …

[image] jwalters2000_150887: My TPMS shows that the dealership inflated the tires to 36/37 after my service yesterday. Is there a justifiable reason they did this? Couple of possibilities: The TPMS readout is slightly inaccurate, the dealership’s pressure gauge is slightly inaccurate, or you …

[image] jwalters2000_150887: How frequently do you recommend having alignment checked? I’ve seen some varied recommendations. Sorry, outside my area of expertise. [image] jwalters2000_150887: My manual suggests the tires be inflated to 34psi. My TPMS shows that the dealership inflated th…

Was Alignment Necessary?

Maintenance/Repairs

George_San_Jose1 April 19, 2019, 2:59am 17

I think that $90 was money well spent. You’ll get that investment back and then some with reduced tire wear I expect. And it will insure the car’s suspension performs correctly in case of the need for emergency stops or turns are ever required, a little extra safety insurance.

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Was Alignment Necessary?

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