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I recently got my vehicle's front right suspension replaced by some mechanics. Before driving off from the mechanics I had a look at the front and noticed that the right wheel (driver's side) has the top slightly pointing outwards (positive camber) and the left wheel was vertical (no angle visible to the eye). Part of the job included wheel alignment. The vehicle drives straight without hands on the streering wheel, before it would go left.

Is this difference on the angle normal/acceptable? Or should I call these guys asking them to fix it?

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  • Did you get an alignment?
    – Gabriel Mongeon
    Commented Nov 21, 2014 at 9:29
  • That would be my question to the mechanics. Of which their answer would obviously be "Yes we did the alignment". They are a medium company (i would say well known also), but their staff's conduct and my past experiences with them have forced me to be suspicious of their work.
    – pnizzle
    Commented Nov 24, 2014 at 0:54
  • The question is "was it aligned to factory specification. If not what were the variances?" I'm fairly certain factory spec doesn't include different camber side to side. Not sure where you are located, but here in the US when I've had an alignment i get a paper showing readings before and after. In your instance you should have at least gotten an after. So, what was the reason to have the right-front suspension replaced? If there was an accident it's possible the chassis is deformed.
    – Tim Nevins
    Commented Mar 29, 2018 at 19:43

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If you think the alignment is off, take it back to the shop and have them double check it for you. They could have made a mistake ... it does and can happen. They should have given you an alignment report which would give you the before/after shot of what the alignment looked like. Make sure all of these numbers are in the green. If they didn't give you an alignment sheet, I'd consider the alignment suspect. Most tire places will check your alignment for a nominal fee, if all else fails.

The only other thing is if the wheel may have been turned slightly when you got the vehicle back. When the wheels start turning, the inside wheel will start tilting before it is noticeable on the outside tire. It may have just looked off, but may be good.

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  • The positive camber angel is clearly visible from the side and the front. I also noticed that my air-con is not blowing cold air anymore. I have always been suspicious of their work on my vehicle- the last time my car would not start on the next day. Once, I asked them to do a de-grease of the engine area, which on inspection I realised was not done. They are a medium and known company but my experience with them is just bad, even their conduct. I am therefore going to my original service centre (pricey) and ask them to check if the air-con system has been tempered with, and then the alignment
    – pnizzle
    Commented Nov 24, 2014 at 1:08
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    When I went to collect the vehicle after the suspension job, I noticed while inspecting the car that the rim centre cap was loose on the wheel where the job was done. I slightly placed my finger behind it and it fell off! That put me off completely. It was so visible and clear that it needed securing and would have fell off while driving. This is the reason why I am not going back to them. This was a sure sign that I was dealing with terrible mechanics. Thanks for your info, i will definitely ask for alignment reports from now on.
    – pnizzle
    Commented Nov 24, 2014 at 1:19

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