Wheel alignment and tyres

[Andrew Fisher]

These two posts are rambling old toffee but there is a simple message: If you find your Beat is wandering at speed please get the alignment checked!

I've just had my wheel alignment done, and the information on the database the company (STS Tyre Pros) used stated 2.6 - 4.7mm rear toe, so they set it at 3.2mm each side.

All the information I have says rear toe 1 +/- 3mm, so how they've set it is within the specification, but not on the nose by any means.

I can go back to have it checked in a couple of weeks. When I challenged them on the setting they said that 'specifications may have been updated'. I would have thought that was highly unlikely.

Has anyone else encountered a change in rear wheel alignment???

I did all this because the car had a distinct wobble when overtaking at motorway speeds. I had a full service with Honda and asked them to look into it and they said they 'balanced the front wheels' (whatever they mean by that).

The car had rubbish, but annoyingly nearly brand new, tyres on. I drove myself round the wall trying to work out what to put on, but eventually got Nexen NBlue HD Plus because you could get the same tyre in both original sizes (only a T rating for the front though).

It may well be the tracking change that's done it, but the car is completely transformed and in a good way. When I had my first Beat it had some low profile Dunlops that I think were Japanese on it and I changed to Continentals that were not the same at all, but I wonder if changing them knocked out the alignment.

The initial alignment on the car was front toe 1.5mm and -1.4mm, rear toe -10.8mm and -3.9mm. A couple of MOTs back there was an advisory of excessive wear on the inside tread of both rear tyres. Not, perhaps, a surprise.

[Andrew Fisher]

Well I went back after two weeks and the tracking had drifted a bit; they adjusted it back.

The car remains totally transformed, stunning to drive in all conditions. If I was honest I knew it was dangerous before on two lane roads over 60mph.

I'd initially thought of getting Kumhos all round as you can get H rated front and rear tyres from them in the same KH17 tread, but I was put off by this post:


"ok. so I bought a pair of kumho's for the rear to see what they're like.

ever since they went on, my beat has not been right. it seems to handle fine round tight bends etc but once up to about 60+ it kind of drifts all over the shop. left to right, right to left, its particularly bad under acceleration and when coasting along. It is scary when going around gentle motorway bends. It doesnt seem to pull to one side only and is ok at lower speeds. also the steering wheel now points right.

It's booked in for a wheel alignment soon but I'm not convinced this is going to solve it. my old tyres had no abnormal wear on them. any ideas?

they've clocked up enough miles to wear in since they went on."

Which is EXACTLY the description of my car BEFORE I changed my tyres AND of my old car when I changed from dodgy cracked up low profile jobs to pukka Continentals. Unfortunately the person who posted the above never says what the result of an alignment check was, and had other problems before scrapping the car five years later - selling the wheels with Kumhos on.

I'm really sure that all three of those issues were related to wheel alignment and that just the act of changing tyres on these cars can knock that alignment out.

I'm sorry if these posts are rambling old toffee but there is a simple message: If you find your Beat is wandering at speed please get the alignment checked!

[Seventynine]

how keen are you on sticking with the original tyres?

always struggle to get non-track good small diameter tyres. start getting into 195/45/15's and you can get a decent selection of all round tyres, Michelin PS3 etc.

I'm running NS2R's because I chose to stick with 13/14's but they're a little aggressive for most people

[Andrew Fisher]

I'm very keen now. I always think they chose those tyres for a good reason, maybe to keep dumb drivers safe, but I happily consider myself a dumb driver who needs that care!

As I said, the main thing is that wheel alignment is easily knocked out with these little cars.

[Seventynine]

a lot has changed since the 80's