Having found out from Fawdingtons that my car needs 4 wheel alignment doing (inside tread of passengers side front tyre went bald !), does anyone know of someone relaible that has the correct equipment to do this. I'll be dammed if I'm paying £205 plus VAT for a main dealer to do it....at least Dick Turpin wore a mask !

Cheers

Where are you based?

I got mine done at a place called Northeast tyres and exhausts in Middlesbrough. It cost me about £50.

The Team Valley branch of http://www.tyrespot.co.uk - http://www.tyrespot.co.uk  has 4 wheel laser alignment because it's meant to be an ultra-low profile specialist centre.

I don't know how good/reliable/bad/indifferent they are though because I've never used them.

Thanks for that chaps. Peter I'm in the the North East, near Durham.

Coasting, I have since been in contact with John from Prestige, he does not have the equipment to do it but can get it done at a main dealer via him for 25% less than they normally charge. Bif thumbs up to John

Sorry MTEC530D don't know your name, but thanks for that, I'll check them out. You remember me from the run 330 Club Sport ? I was interested in your comments about the last run, but I'll reply to it in that thread instead of here

Cheers

Hello everybody! Sorry I can't help you with names, cos I'm far from where you are...Scotland

I have a problem here with the alignement... My car has been aligned by a dealer, after an accident I had. The car drives fine, but the steering wheel is not straight on the straight line; it's a bit offset to the right...I would say 5 degrees from the horizontal...

You may say I'm nuts to worry about it, since the car drives perfectly OK and at unbelievable speeds on the bends... BUT not having the steering wheel the way it used to be...upsets me... And the dealer technicians have aligned the car TWICE to get the alignement right!!

What can I do? Or just forget it?

I_MNL wrote: I have a problem here with the alignement... My car has been aligned by a dealer, after an accident I had. The car drives fine, but the steering wheel is not straight on the straight line; it's a bit offset to the right...I would say 5 degrees from the horizontal... You may say I'm nuts to worry about it, since the car drives perfectly OK and at unbelievable speeds on the bends... BUT not having the steering wheel the way it used to be...upsets me... And the dealer technicians have aligned the car TWICE to get the alignement right!! What can I do? Or just forget it?

It's possible to get the alignment right but still have the steering wheel off centre.

I have to say that most decent places will clamp the steering wheel centrally before they set up the alignment. I would have expected this standard of service from a BMW dealer and I think you have a right to complain. Rectifying the problem should not be a major job.

Neileg, thanks, I can try

The thing is I'm fed up... When they initially aligned the car, the steering wheel was OK, but the car was not properly aligned ... I went to a garage, the technician locked the steering wheel,asking me if I'm happy with it been straight  (I said I am) and got the car right, but with the steering wheel off centre finally...

Been not happy with the initial alignement from the dealer and explaining the situation, I challlenged them. The BMW dealer accepted to recheck my car (!), which was very good of them, since another garage was also involved. I told them that I don't trust their KDS machine readings and they agreed to take the car to another dealer and have it checked there . It took them a week to do it!!!

So, job done, the car was driving even better,but with the steering wheel still off centre...

So, I'll wait for a while and see what I can do soon

Foxhunter Tyres in Whitley Bay have a 4 wheel laser set up.

Their tyre prices are good too.

Number's in Yella Pages.