Again they said to get the ones on the intarweb - double checked and it's £42.04 per tyre and the garage up the road want £12 for tracking - time to look some more...

It just takes a tape measure, a friend, and a couple wrenches to set the alignment. No special tools required (unless your rear is not adjustable).

Is your wheel pointing straight going down the road?
Does the car pull either direction when you let go of the wheel?

If the answer is no then your job is getting easier.
£24 is a bit ridiculous for something that is actually quite easy.

Just do one thing real quick. Measure across both the rear tires from outer tread line to outer tread line on the other tire. Do this on the front of the tires then move to the back.
Tell me the distance difference between the two measurements.

What car is it anyway?
Edit: oh Proton Wira.. right.

It goes in a straight line, I have no idea if my rear is adjustable or not.

I've been quoted £12 "+ £5 or £10 if they need to heat it up to fix it" so i'll probably go down that route.

It's a Proton Wira, which (and you'll think i'm taking the piss here) is mechanically similar to whatever the Evo 1 / 2 / 3 is based off (although obviously all the cool stuff that had - this doesn't!)

I also never knew that about straddling speedbumps.

The reason those 'straddleable' ones exist rather than them coving the full width of the road is so ambulances can go over them at full pelt with out knocking everyone in the back unconcious.

I just looked it up and it looks like the rear IS adjustable.

Quote from Alex_Ward :

We have these, will straddling these cause those possible effects? There are also these horrible square rigid ones in some places near me, which feel like you've hit a boulder even at 15mph. Being a learner driver, I'd like to know whether or not straddling these would effect me when I get my first car. Sorry for o/t.

Yes, that's the types (i.e. not full width) that really can cause damage. I'm not scaremongering though. More and more accidents are happening because of damage caused by speedhumps. Be careful.

Quote from Jakg :

What I meant was I have 2 options.

Buy new. It's a car. It weighs a tonne. Don't fit tyres that might have been rammed into kerbs just to save sixpence.

Quote from skstibi :

It just takes a tape measure, a friend, and a couple wrenches to set the alignment. No special tools required (unless your rear is not adjustable).
Is your wheel pointing straight going down the road?
Does the car pull either direction when you let go of the wheel?
If the answer is no then your job is getting easier.
£24 is a bit ridiculous for something that is actually quite easy.
Just do one thing real quick. Measure across both the rear tires from outer tread line to outer tread line on the other tire. Do this on the front of the tires then move to the back.
Tell me the distance difference between the two measurements.

What car is it anyway?
Edit: oh Proton Wira.. right.

Never measure across the tyres like he suggests. That will get the toe correct, but not necessarily in line with the centreline of the car, which is just as important in terms of handling/safety. Either use parallel strings measured against known centrelines, or get a professional to do it for you. These days they use lasers so you are fooled into thinking it's super accurate (it isn't any better than with string, except you can't trip over a laser).

Quote from skstibi :

I just looked it up and it looks like the rear IS adjustable.

Blimey. I wish I knew where to look up if a Proton Wira has adjustable toe in the rear suspension in another country...

Quote from Crashgate3 :

I also never knew that about straddling speedbumps.

The reason those 'straddleable' ones exist rather than them coving the full width of the road is so ambulances can go over them at full pelt with out knocking everyone in the back unconcious.

Indeed you are correct. But I bet that the ambulance maintainence firm check the tyres more often that Joe Public do just in case.

By straddling speed bumps you might one day be in the ambulance that needs to straddle them at speed. Is it really worth it? Is it that critical that you keep up with your moron friend in his chavvy Corsa on the way home? (not directed at anyone, just a general phrase )

Oi, none of my friends own a Corsa

Quote from Crashgate3 :

I also never knew that about straddling speedbumps.

The reason those 'straddleable' ones exist rather than them coving the full width of the road is so ambulances can go over them at full pelt with out knocking everyone in the back unconcious.

Buses from what I was told, the idea is that it'll make going by bus more desirable because it is comfortable.

Ambulances still struggle to get over them, or at least the Merc Sprinters here do anyway.

Though if you want harsh speedbumps, go to the Isle of White. They caused so much damage to the underside of my car. 4 new shockers (I didn't need four, but felt might as well do them all at once) later and an exhaust later I am still pissed off about the angle of approach of the shits there. You need an SUV to get over them without doing any damage to your car.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Never measure across the tyres like he suggests. That will get the toe correct, but not necessarily in line with the centreline of the car, which is just as important in terms of handling/safety. Either use parallel strings measured against known centrelines, or get a professional to do it for you. These days they use lasers so you are fooled into thinking it's super accurate (it isn't any better than with string, except you can't trip over a laser).

Blimey. I wish I knew where to look up if a Proton Wira has adjustable toe in the rear suspension in another country...

I just asked him to measure to see if that was 100% certainly the cause of the tire wear. If I was trying to explain how to do an alignment my post would have been a hell of a lot longer!
My alignments are far superior to any of the ones I have had done by some shop and yes, string is still by far the best way to do it.

I looked up using google to see if the Proton Wira had adjustable rear toe. All the websites that I found said it did.

It is quite obvious that I was not telling him how to do his alignment.. I only asked him to tell me what the measurement difference was.
Second, if you find anywhere that the Wira does NOT have adjustable rear toe, please share. If not, shut it.

What, in england are you not able to make speedbumps like this:

There are some of these speedbumps on my route. I don't straddle them any more because a few of them are so damn big they smack my oil sump.

I've bitched to Leeds Council about them, because for about 200 yards the bumps are set too close to each other (~10" apart) and bring vehicles directly into conflict with on-coming traffic.

Since most drivers seem to try to straddle them, and spend far too much time concentrating on getting their road position just right for the bumps rather than paying attention to oncoming traffic, I've witnessed a couple of wing mirrors lost myself. There's often glass on the road, which suggests that it's a frequent problem.

Quote from Dajmin :

I don't think he's talking about traditional road-wide ones, but these:


Which admittedly I straddle, but usually because otherwise I'd need to be in the middle of the road.

Those are just for frustrating teenagers who own extremely lowered cars with body kits. "screeeeeech" "oh crap. There went my lip kit"

Quote from dawesdust_12 :

What, in england are you not able to make speedbumps like this:

We've got 'em all. Anything the Government can think of to ruin our journeys is on our roads.

That sucks! We have stuff like that in parking lots... that's about it.

we also have these bastards



poor smart dam speedbumps

Ok, I don't know about in the UK, but here, I ride my longboard and speedbumps just KILL us boarders. :skateboar-> :zombie:-> :ambulance

theirs speedbumps every 10-30 meters where i am, my 306 was c*** for blow outs so i knicked the hubs off a 406 and put on rally wheels, problem sorted.

as for your banger - center the wheels then use your trusty measuring tape between the wheels at 2 points ( a being the left side of of it, then B being to the right side of A ) and see the difference.

Another common problem that will cause excessive rear camber is worn out springs. When springs wear out, they sag, and will cause the rear of the car to sit lower. That seems likely to me seeing that you have very similar wear on both tires.

The worst speedbumps I have seen are in a local carpark. They are basically like Toblerones and even if they are taken at 5mph they still seem to damage a lot of cars. I avoid them when I can, but if I have to I take them at an angle, seems to make them a bit less violent. It is quite funny when some chav in a Saxo rips their bumper off on them though. Oh and speedbumps are not the only traffic calming measures used in the UK, they have little islands that direct you into oncoming traffic...apparently it's safer to drive into oncoming traffic than 2mph over the speed limit.

Jakg, did you get it looked at yet?

Nah, he got new wheels instead lol, he said he still needs to get the tracking looked at tho..

http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?p=1295645#post1295645

And whoever said you shoudlnt straddle those ambulance friendly bumps, around here you have to, because you have a whacking great big traffic island in the middle of the road with high kerbs each side, so no choice but to straddle them.

I have new wheels / tyres to fix the biggest issue (bald tyres) but it's booked into a garage on Tuesday to get the tracking looked at.

Yeah, I saw the new wheels and tires, good stuff. Glad you're getting the alignment looked at soon though, or at least one of your new tires won't be looking too new for too long

ide imagine the rear suspension is a beam setup so there aint much tat can happen camber wise unless something is seriously bent, if it is independant rears check all the bushes by trying to lever them with a crowbar, if in any dout get someone to have a look at it on a ramp, damaged and dangereous buits of suspension is all i can think off

edit: just had a quick look on autodata and it looks like the rear camber is adjustable by a washer on a rear arm telling me its independant so it is probably either the camber not set corectly or that trailing arm bush has gone

edit2: @tristan. not all corsas are chavvy thanks you very much

Quote from ATC Quicksilver :

, they have little islands that direct you into oncoming traffic...apparently it's safer to drive into oncoming traffic than 2mph over the speed limit.

They're all over the place round here, 'cept on my road which is one way and thus immune, so it's filled with speed bumps instead.

The most annoying thing is that almost every resedential street around the city new seems to either be:
*30mph limit, with speedbumps you need to slowdown to anywhere from 25 to 5mph (or affore mentioned road narrowing zones, if the roads are long, wide and otherwise efficient at moving larger volumes of traffic)
*20mph limit, and no traffic 'calming' what-so-ever
*Or, the one exception, is the road past the school over the road, which is 30mph, and has nothing to go slow over except all the kids that run all over the road on their way to school

And they call me crazy?

So naturally, I try take the 20mph roads where possible, and do 30mph anyway (does anyone actually adhere to 20 zones?), thus getting to my destination more comfortable, in less time and with less wear and tear on my car.