Wheel Alignment as part of Pre Delivery ????

[Garfield]

Does any one know if new Defenders in Australia get a wheel alignment during pre delivery before handover to the customer ?

[Grumbles]

Good question. I'd never thought of that. But yes - I'd expect the wheel alignment to be correct but whether it is a dealer issue or a factory responsibility I have no idea. I do know that when I bought a Jeep the headlights were not aligned - not even close to being on the road ahead.

[Garfield]

As I will be changing the tyres immediately on delivery/pick up and returning the vehicle to the dealer a week later for snorkle, flares etc for fitment, it seems silly for me to pay for another wheel alignment when the tyres are fitted.




Good question. I'd never thought of that. But yes - I'd expect the wheel alignment to be correct but whether it is a dealer issue or a factory responsibility I have no idea. I do know that when I bought a Jeep the headlights were not aligned - not even close to being on the road ahead.

[101RRS]

Why would you do a wheel alignment when fitting new wheels - for sure if there are definite signs they are out of alignment but in my nearly 50 years of car ownership I have had more issues after a wheel alignment than before.

Prior to my last wheel alignment (tyres had slight increased wear on the inside) the car had done 160,000km without an alignment and when I got the alignment done, it was technically still within the acceptable range, albeit at the limit.

If it ain't broken leave it alone.

Garry

[Garfield]

Thanks Gary

The wheels will remain the same but the tyres and the "size/profile" will be different from the standard tyres. The different tyres is the factor requiring an additional alignment after the new tyres are fitted.



Why would you do a wheel alignment when fitting new wheels - for sure if there are definite signs they are out of alignment but in my nearly 50 years of car ownership I have had more issues after a wheel alignment than before.

Prior to my last wheel alignment (tyres had slight increased wear on the inside) the car had done 160,000km without an alignment and when I got the alignment done, it was technically still within the acceptable range, albeit at the limit.

If it ain't broken leave it alone.

Garry

[101RRS]

Thanks Gary

The wheels will remain the same but the tyres and the "size/profile" will be different from the standard tyres. The different tyres is the factor requiring an additional alignment after the new tyres are fitted.

Sorry not following - taking the wheels and putting something on does not actually change the alignment of the vehicle - now if the new setup requires different alignment settings well that is different. But just taking one set of wheels off and putting another set on does not change the alignment.

But anyway - good luck - nice drive.

[loanrangie]

Thanks Gary

The wheels will remain the same but the tyres and the "size/profile" will be different from the standard tyres. The different tyres is the factor requiring an additional alignment after the new tyres are fitted.Who told you that,load of rubbish.
New wheels or just tyres do not change the suspension geometry.

[Sweetpea]

The wheel alignment will be completed at the factory when the car is built. It won't be part of the Dealer $3000 delivery charge. They probably don't even do a test drive as people want to see as few as possible KM on the car.

If you change the tyres then a wheel balance will be required.

If you have tyre shop and trust the guys to do a good job then you can get the wheel alignment checked. Some think its a good thing as the production line is a very automated and fast process and it will be set to fit within parameters they can achieve with a degree of consistency.

Given you are spending I expect $400 per tyre and if you are doing 4 then the place I go to includes the wheel alignment at a heavily reduced price.

I will be getting my checked as the cost of new tyres are expensive and $100 in the price of the car is minor. Its the same as I will drop the first lot of oil before the first service interval. It piece of mind, but that's just me and knowing something about car production lines.

[one_iota]

My service person recommends a "stud" balance when tyres are changed:


Different Kinds of Wheel Balancing Depending on the make and model of your vehicle, the wheels will be either capable of a centre point or five-point balance check. The five-point balance, sometimes called a stud balance, mimics the way that the wheel connects to the car, and is the most accurate for balancing.
In either balance check, if a discrepancy is identified then the mechanic will add very small weights to the wheel to create balance. These small weights should be of the highest possible quality to ensure they do not come off under the high stresses experienced by the wheel.

[Garfield]

When I first purchased my D4 some 5.5 years ago, I changed the Wrangler road tyres after 5,000km to All Terrain tyres. At the time the vehicle was not even 6 months old. When putting on the new All Terrains they did a four wheel alignment and found the rear wheel alignment to be substantially out. The owner of the tyre business said it was quite common for new vehicles to come off the production line these days with wheel alignment being out.

Usually when you purchase a set of $400 per tyre set they will throw in a four wheel alignment for $90. Cheap insurance in my mind for a $2,000 outlay of tyres.