# Question about getting an front end alignment to prolong life of tires....



## pctek (Jul 18, 2010)

Ok I have a 05 a4 goat running stock oem bf Goodrich gforce 17 inch tires. Now the rears are good almost new shape, but the fronts are getting down, the middle of the tires are ok for couple more months or so but the goat needs a front end alignment because the inner edges are worn bald basically and any longer it might be really bad and show strings and stuff.

So do I just take the goat to a tire shop and like any other car tell them it needs an alignment or do I need to disclose anything special about our goats in getting an alignment done right? Thanks


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## 87GN06GTO07IRL (Aug 10, 2009)

Up front I'm partial to 0 toe, -2 camber, and as much caster as possible for great handling and good tire wear.


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## spivey04 (May 18, 2011)

My friend has very similer to that and he loves it, sounds good.


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## Deathstorm45 (May 21, 2011)

I just had this same exact problem. I bought my GOAT about 3 months ago. And as I went for my second oil change, the guys lifted it on the rack and I saw the insides of my Gforce tires were wore down to the wire! of course I put brand new Toyo tires on it the next day ($700 :[ ) Anyways, with the new tires the guys did an alignment. Come to find out the stock notch were the tires are adjusted wasn't long enough and he had to notch it a bit more to get it to be perfectly aligned. Handles soooooo much differently!


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

87GN06GTO07IRL said:


> Up front I'm partial to 0 toe, -2 camber, and as much caster as possible for great handling and good tire wear.


Are you sure about that -2 camber? That is a butt load and for 99% of the people here would give strut rub. I think the factory specs are -0.7 to +0.3


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## motoristx (Apr 27, 2010)

if your going to aline the front end, I'd like to make a few sugestions first. If your bushings are loose, you can adjust all you want and it will still be sloppy, and will still reduce the life of your tires and handling of the car.

1st, I'd recomend getting newstrut bushings. these are usually colasped if they are stock and contribute to caster and camber disalinement, especially when braking.

2nd, and these are more exspencive, Radius rod bushings. These are the ones in the very front of the suspention. the stock ones are liquid filled, and they leak/break open. When that happens, it can result is pulling left or right when braking. This will shorten the life of the tire, and cuase for a dangerous situation if you need to stop very fast.

3rd, and last thing I'd do, is replace the stock rubber bushings in both places on the control arms. One is on the rear section of the radius rod, and the other is way up under the engine. Replace these with Poly bushing, they are pretty cheap, but if you can't do them yourself the labor will be the exspencive cost.

once you do one, some or all of these, then get your alinement done to the specs your comfortable with, or to what would be best for your style of driving. I've done this, and my front tires or wearing perfectly even now, Exellent Cornering, and no more wheel sweep or pulling when braking at all! Not to mention its not rubbing the struts!


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## 87GN06GTO07IRL (Aug 10, 2009)

svede1212 said:


> Are you sure about that -2 camber? That is a butt load and for 99% of the people here would give strut rub. I think the factory specs are -0.7 to +0.3


Yes. I found that anything less than -1.5 and it doesn't seem to like the corners much. I still get even tire wear, nothing premature at all, but i also rotate front to rear every oil change. I am only about 3mm away from the strut with the 265's on 9.5's so it's close. I bought off set strut mounts thinking i would need them at that camber, but they fit fine without them.


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## firebird (Feb 6, 2011)

can anyone give me the steps to adjusting rear camber on 06. what needs to be done? pics would help too if you have them.

What is more appropriate, safer for the car, and easier/cheaper?

i need to bring my tire just a bit inside, away from the fender lip, so i was wondering how big of a spacer would i need, would 5mm spacer move the top of the tire 5mm inside away from lip? or would it move it more or less then 5mm? would i need an alligment afterwards?

how about camber adjustment, how much do i need to adjust it in degrees to get about 5mm on top of tire to go inside? should i do an aligment afterwards?

any good advice and links to how to would be appriciated....


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

As I wrote in the PM the spacer would bring the tire *closer* to the outer fender lip. The only good way to bring a wheel/tire in farther is new correct wheels or get the center of the wheel milled down on the back side. I don't think you can take off 5mm without compromising the wheel altho you could maybe take a bit off and gain more backspacing.


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## ericyow (Nov 17, 2010)

I'd get an alignment anytime I put new tires on a vehicle. Plus, some places do lifetime alignments for not much more than a std.


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## ericyow (Nov 17, 2010)

Like firestone. It's 100 to align, 150 for lifetime. If you keep the car for two or three sets of tires, you're gold.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

firebird said:


> can anyone give me the steps to adjusting rear camber on 06. what needs to be done? pics would help too if you have them.
> 
> What is more appropriate, safer for the car, and easier/cheaper?
> 
> ...


There is no rear camber adjustment just only toe. If your rear tire is eating the inside edge your springs are saging causing the wheel to go more positive camber. Get better springs for the rear, get an alingment done, rotate the tires every oil change, keep the tires at recommened tire pressures and you'll be good.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

GM4life said:


> There is no rear camber adjustment just only toe. If your rear tire is eating the inside edge your springs are saging causing the wheel to go more positive camber. Get better springs for the rear, get an alingment done, rotate the tires every oil change, keep the tires at recommened tire pressures and you'll be good.


He's talking about rear eccentric bushings that allow for rear camber adjustment. He also doesn't want to go more towards "0" but increase the negative camber (like really sagged rear springs) to try to fit the wheel and tire into the fender. I't just not a good idea IMHO and will cause accelerated tire wear and negate the reason for having a bigger tire. He'd get a better contact patch with a smaller tire and the right camber.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

svede1212 said:


> He's talking about rear eccentric bushings that allow for rear camber adjustment. He also doesn't want to go more towards "0" but increase the negative camber (like really sagged rear springs) to try to fit the wheel and tire into the fender. I't just not a good idea IMHO and will cause accelerated tire wear and negate the reason for having a bigger tire. He'd get a better contact patch with a smaller tire and the right camber.


Your post confused the hell out of me. I had to read it over and over again. Until I read my post. I ment to say stock springs will make more negitive camber not positive.


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