New FGX XR6 XR8 Sprint Wheel alignments

[X-AHH]

Anybody who just bought a new XR or Sprint should be asking their dealer for a wheel alignment check within the first 500KM.

This statement is based on my own experience from buying both the XR6 and XR8 new in the last 3 months and finding out that all is not well in the wheel alignment department.

Both vehicles wheels were found to be significantly out of alignment (3 - 6mm) on both the front and rear. The two vehicles were from different dealers and different build months.

The comment from my Service Advisor after the XR8 alignment was completed at 160KM - "Mate, if you hadn't had that done, your front tyres would have scrubbed out in no time".

I'm sure that the correct alignments are being set up in the factory but as things settle in over time with the vehicle being a few months old when purchased or the vehicle is driven on some less than perfect roads, the settings seem to be changing from what they should be.

Anybody else have the same happen to them?

P.S.
Don't rely on the pre-delivery inspection for any level of detail such as wheel alignment. I got copies of mine and it's just a tick the box exercise which in many cases is being carried out when the dealership received the car several months before you bought it.

[Windsor220]

What made you have a wheel alignment so early?

[Redm]

15000km on mine, no uneven wear other than the back tyres are more worn than the front

Not sure what's going on there

[mcnews]

Originally Posted by Redm

15000km on mine, no uneven wear other than the back tyres are more worn than the front

Not sure what's going on there

Amazed you have stood them that long. Mine were useless by 2000km and I could put up with no longer around 8000km and changed them despite there being plenty of tread left.

[Redm]

Originally Posted by mcnews

Amazed you have stood them that long. Mine were useless by 2000km and I could put up with no longer around 8000km and changed them despite there being plenty of tread left.

This is my first HP car so havin a bit fun getting used to things. Won't be long before I will need some new tyres on the back so when that time comes I'll change all 4.

Not sure with what yet, plenty of recommendations on this forum but.

[sierra63]

Does someone have the details of the Sprint XR6 and XR8 wheel alignments, and how are they different to the FG-X ??

[mcnews]

Originally Posted by Redm

This is my first HP car so havin a bit fun getting used to things. Won't be long before I will need some new tyres on the back so when that time comes I'll change all 4.

Not sure with what yet, plenty of recommendations on this forum but.

In some ways despite tread depth more fun/speed/handling comes from changing the front before the rears, as once the shoulders are gone from the fronts they are a lead tipped sled snow plough.

[EWT]

Getting a good wheel alignment ain't easy on the Ford's.
If you find someone reputable, stick with them.
I still have me original Dunlops with nearly 60,000k's on my G6ET. Rears replaced a few weeks ago. From what I'm told, a bit of a record for a turbo,lol.
I'll be taking the Sprint to have the fronts either shimmed or a camber kit installed asap.
The rears I'm lead to believe have camber adjustment same as the R-spec suspension, so all told, as quickly as I can, it will be getting done.

[X-AHH]

The reason for the wheel alignment check so early in the life of the cars was that my XR6 was originally fitted with 18 inch wheels but I changed them for the 19 turbo Ford wheels. This was my motivation to get it done as I always think that new rubber and wheel alignments go hand in hand.

With such big adjustments required for the XR6, I asked the dealership to include the wheel alignment as part of the deal with the XR8 when I bought it. Glad I did because it was more out than the XR6 was.

[ronwest]

Funny you should mention wheel alignment.

Picked up new car yesterday and it has optioned 20" rims on it.

I thought that I'd get wheel alignment checked just in case.

[Windsor220]

I would be checking if they did the wheel alignment properly. The Sprints had unique wheel alignment specs and there is no way that those specs would be in the wheel alignment machine yet as they don't get updated for months. There's a good chance they have put the standard XR in and set it to that. Would explain why its so far out. Most of the mechanics there wouldn't even know there is a difference.

[Sprint]

the old sprints were the same with lots of camber(needed a camber kit), you cannot have both race car handling and even tyre wear.

[Tezza]

I don't think this is just isolated to the sprints / Falcons.

My last two Territory's (sz & szll) were both out of alignment from the factory. I learnt the hard way with the sz, however got the szll done after 3,000kms and it was out by a fair way.

I think they are just roughly aligned from new.

[superfly]

I've never had a wheel alignment on my XR50. I got 55K out of the originals and the current Kumho's are wearing well too.

[mcnews]

Originally Posted by superfly

I've never had a wheel alignment on my XR50. I got 55K out of the originals and the current Kumho's are wearing well too.

Seriously.... Do you ever take a corner or touch the throttle or brakes?

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by mcnews

Seriously.... Do you ever take a corner or touch the throttle or brakes?

I get a lot of k's out of my tyres. My R32, I sold the car at 75k on its original tyres. Still plenty of tread left. My previous car I bought 2nd hand at 25k and sold at just shy of 100k. Rears had been changed, only because one had a puncture in the sidewall so threw on a pair (tyre place only had 2 otherwise I would have done 4).

Done 7k on my current XR8. No signs of uneven wear and look as good as new.

I guess spending so much time in Sydney traffic helps tyre longevity.

[superfly]

Originally Posted by mcnews

Seriously.... Do you ever take a corner or touch the throttle or brakes?

I hammer it everywhere! I just keep the pressures up and rotate every 15K. Tyres were very shagged at 55K though.

I must say though, I don't go as fast as what I did in my WRX. 1 the XR50 is slower and 2 I don't feel as confident hammering through corners especially in the wet. I still drive my mrs WRX hard though

Check out my link below for some vids of my old car.

[EDManual]

if you want race car cornering, you get huge camber and then uneven wear. Its how it is. Straighten up the wheels, and you lose some of the cornering. But if you only drive on highways cornering is useless i guess so you may as well change it to have less wear.

[Express]

Originally Posted by superfly

I hammer it everywhere! I just keep the pressures up and rotate every 15K. Tyres were very shagged at 55K though.

Wow, I smile if I can get 10,000 km out of a set of tyres, rears in particular and I'm a moderate driver.

Not that I can rotate mine.

[4vxc]

Originally Posted by Express

Wow, I smile if I can get 10,000 km out of a set of tyres, rears in particular and I'm a moderate driver.

Not that I can rotate mine.

what car and tyres is that?

[superfly]

Originally Posted by Express

Wow, I smile if I can get 10,000 km out of a set of tyres, rears in particular and I'm a moderate driver.

Not that I can rotate mine.

That's nuts if that's only on road use. Is the whole surface worn or just one edge?

[arronm]

10000ks. Lugshury, we have to get up 1/2 hour before we went to bed.....

If i see 3 - 4ks from a set of rears I am happy, maybe 10-15 out of fronts. Go through at least 3-4 rears to each front.

I wear my tyres out well and truly before the edge wear of alignment is an issue.

But a good wheel align can really extend the life of tyres, especially on the front.

[X-AHH]

I assume that the low Ks is because of tyres that just can't handle a nicely modified Ford?
Damned tyre manufacturers, when will they ever learn!

[superfly]

Originally Posted by arronm

10000ks. Lugshury, we have to get up 1/2 hour before we went to bed.....

If i see 3 - 4ks from a set of rears I am happy, maybe 10-15 out of fronts. Go through at least 3-4 rears to each front.

I wear my tyres out well and truly before the edge wear of alignment is an issue.

But a good wheel align can really extend the life of tyres, especially on the front.

Wow, I'd hate to see your driving style.

Even with semi slicks that were used for road and street sprints on my WRX, I still got around 20K out of them.

You obviously have deeper pockets than me to be able to buy new tyres every 3 to 4000 ks. I would be spewing if I only got that mileage.

[arronm]

I have many cars like Express so I dont change them that often. But when I drive my F6, I really like to DRIVE it.

[X-AHH]

Does anyone know if there's a thread running on AFF relating to the combined buying power of the members for tyres and other car related equipment?

More to the point, are there any tyre sellers, accessories outlets , spare parts shops , service centres, body shops, etc. that offer substantial discounts to AFF members?

[mik]

Originally Posted by xahh

Anybody who just bought a new XR or Sprint should be asking their dealer for a wheel alignment check within the first 500KM.

This statement is based on my own experience from buying both the XR6 and XR8 new in the last 3 months and finding out that all is not well in the wheel alignment department.

Both vehicles wheels were found to be significantly out of alignment (3 - 6mm) on both the front and rear. The two vehicles were from different dealers and different build months.

The comment from my Service Advisor after the XR8 alignment was completed at 160KM - "Mate, if you hadn't had that done, your front tyres would have scrubbed out in no time".

I'm sure that the correct alignments are being set up in the factory but as things settle in over time with the vehicle being a few months old when purchased or the vehicle is driven on some less than perfect roads, the settings seem to be changing from what they should be.

Anybody else have the same happen to them?

P.S.
Don't rely on the pre-delivery inspection for any level of detail such as wheel alignment. I got copies of mine and it's just a tick the box exercise which in many cases is being carried out when the dealership received the car several months before you bought it.

Indeed mate you are spot on with the pre delivery assessment , i have been saying this for years , different dealers approach the pre delivery in different manners , and so do some mechanics and apprentices , the old she`ll be right tick the box mentality is alive and well , and i`d say this would be the case in many brands of vehicle , i have seen the tick box thing in action in that other brand , ;) you know who i mean .