Alignment Question..riding on tip toes...

[Hye]

My car currently has 3K miles on it, and already has had one alignment done at an authorized SVT dealership, but i think the dealer did a crappy job. At 1K miles my car was pulling hard to the right so i took it in to the ford dealership to have aligned. Im not sure if i was given a 2 or 4 wheel alignment, and i dont have the specs in front of me. When i first got the car back it felt okay, but seems like the alignment is gettingmore and more out of wack when i drive her.

but heres whats going on when im driving. The car just feels like it rides on its outside toes. The steering wheel has that figidy feeling where it goes back and forth (left too right) with a lot of slack/play in it. Taking a turn (like a big swooping 50mph turn, it feels like i have to grab the steering wheel with both hands just to keep the wheel from turning back and forth ever so slightly, but its enough to give you a scare when you rub close to the car in the next lane as you.

is it the tires? i dont remember this happening when i drove the car off the showroom floor, but then again i did take it easy on her when i had her in the beginning.

Im bringing this up because my brother who has an 01 L, said my car just does not feel right. he said its 'riding on its toes' if that makes any sense. what should i do?

 

[03yllwguy]

This has been a widely discussed topic... some people make many trips to the dealer for alignments to no avail... I solved the issue with new tires and a new alignment when I lowered mine. Get new tires and an alignment.

 

[Hye]

i just find it so hard to believe that any other tire other than an eagle f1 tire will help reduce this problem. My current tires, which are the originals have about 50% tread life to them, maybe more. When i get these tires replaced, i will definitely look into getting another alignment.

just frustrating because when my car is entering into a hard turn, it feels fine. but litte turns here and there, and even driving down the straight highway, she's always going back and forth. i feel like yelling at the car and saying, "sit still!" but then people are realllly going to think im weird.

 

[Hye]

yellwguy: does your car have that stable, smooth (just the opposite of what im experiencing) feeling to it now when you drive since you've changed tires and had an alignment?

did u tell the alignment shops what specs u were looking for, or did u go buy their recomendation?

 

[03yllwguy]

Went off of their recomendation, and yes, my car tracks perfect now. I experienced similar problems as you when I had stock tires and alignment. It is no acceptable to have to buy new tires when you have half life left, but it fixed the problem for me. I tried like hell to eat the life off my tires though.

 

[JB]

there was a TSB issued (with new specs) to address the tracking problems

:read: http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2069662#post2069662

 

[Huachipato]

I feel your pain. I just put new tires on the car cause they were bald on the shoulder. Had GoodYear do an allignment for me as well, took them a while to do it, but they also provided me a report showing what it was before and what they adjusted it to - so I know it is done well. I called the dealer about it, and am hoping for a refund on the $80 I spent on the alignment, but I'm not holding my breath....

 

[Hye]

thanks JB and everyone else

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

thanks JB and everyone else

Take your car to Darren @ West End alignment. It's out at the end of the 91. By far the best guy in so cal for performance alignments.

Ashley

 

[Hye]

thanks Ashley, do i need to bring him any specs on my alignment, or does he have that down already....