02 C70 Alignment Results Are Strange

[woolshire]

I hit a pothole last week, actualy blowing out a tire. I noticed the steering wheel was a little off afterwards even though it wasn't pulling, so I had it aligned today at the dealer. I asked for a copy of the alignment results.
I tried to post the TOE results, but I could not make it readable as a table, so I'll briefly explain the results.
None of the four wheels were actually adjusted to within spec. The left front was found at +1.46 deg, which is way too high and was adjusted to +0.11, which is actualy too low. (spec +0.12 - +0.23). The right front was found at -0.54 deg and adjusted to 0.00, again not within spec.

The car does track perfectly and the steering wheel is centered.

What does this tell you? It was late when I picked it up and I didn't get a chance to talk to anyone with a clue.

[cn90]

I think you are OK.
Just look at the Total Toe values and verify.

[Ozark Lee]

Did they do a 4 wheel alignment? The rear toe is adjustable although most tire store alignment guys have no idea how to adjust it.

...Lee

[MoVolvos]

The left front... was adjusted to +0.11, (spec +0.12 - +0.23). The right front... was justed to 0.00, again not within spec.

The car does track perfectly and the steering wheel is centered.

Owned my S70 for 2 years and have only taken a measuring tape to the front and back of the tires and adjust them so the measurements are close. The tires are not feathering. You'll need to know whether to adjust the left or right Tie Rod in order for the steering to be straight. The numbers you offered were very close and in reality is split (Total Toe).

I try to adjust mine to 0.00 Total Toe which is not possible of course so I settle for Positive Toe. Volvo likes a Positive Toe so the car tracks straight although it is an outer-edge tire wearing angle. Because your steering wheel is straight you can consider having a +0.055 on each side which is an angle that wears the tires less. The car should feel lighter and get better mileage overall.

Positive Toe
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgrefurl= ... =282&w=408

Image from link above

Positive Toe.png (8.55 KiB) Viewed 535 times

Blessings,

BKM
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[jimmy57]

P2 specifications are toed out for many models.
Alignment machines aren't perfect. A good tech will figure out quickly that some compensation needs to be done to get an ideal alignment on his machine. I would imagine the toe reading being all on one side was due to the tech knowing the wheels would not be centered if the final result were not that way as shown on the machine. That you car drives fine with a centered wheel tells me it likely is a good alignment. The toe setting showing 0 on one side with all toe on the other side. The total as already mentioned is the important number.
I also know that a good tech figures out that ideal specs as listed and what makes the car have less tire wear and drive better aren't always the same.

[rmmagow]

Related question. If one has an alignment done say on new tires does an alignment need to be done again after changing the new tires for used on another set of wheels? For example, I put on 4 snows for the winter, had a 4 wheel done and all is fine. Next week or so I am going back to my summer tires on a different set of wheels.

[woolshire]

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

Lee: Yes, they did the rear too. This was the Volvo dealer so I am assuming they know the delta-link rear suspension. The results were close to within spec, but much the same story.

The car drives fine, but with those results, I thought maybe I bent something when I hit that pothole. Of course, one would think the dealer would have let me know if they thought that was the case.

One more question: How does the toe get thrown off by hitting a pothole? It doesn't make sense because the only way to adjust the toe is by the threads between the inner and outer tie rods...did that assembly slightly bend?

[cn90]

You need to think in 3-D in terms of front suspension.

Let's say the control arm is bent a tiny bit, it will throw the toe out of spec a bit.
Ditto for suspension tower damage.
All the suspension components work together very tightly.

[MoVolvos]

P2 specifications are toed out for many models.
Alignment machines aren't perfect. A good tech will figure out quickly that some compensation needs to be done to get an ideal alignment on his machine. I would imagine the toe reading being all on one side was due to the tech knowing the wheels would not be centered if the final result were not that way as shown on the machine. That you car drives fine with a centered wheel tells me it likely is a good alignment. The toe setting showing 0 on one side with all toe on the other side. The total as already mentioned is the important number.
I also know that a good tech figures out that ideal specs as listed and what makes the car have less tire wear and drive better aren't always the same.

+1 Suspension setup, age and tire are all factors in an alignment. A good tech will check the drive-ability at all speeds and determine the amount of toe so the customer only feels the car going straight down the road. That is why the max and min range of the spec is quite wide.

Blessings,

BKM
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[MoVolvos]

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One more question: How does the toe get thrown off by hitting a pothole? It doesn't make sense because the only way to adjust the toe is by the threads between the inner and outer tie rods...did that assembly slightly bend?

_

Remember the Audi commercial that showed two people lifting the Aluminum Chassis. A car is just a large tin can being kicked down the road with the suspension and steering system as a cushion and for its direction of roll. Things flex when you kick it hard enough or should I say the road beats it up enough. Every part gets flexed or bent in some measure so it does not take much to whack the alignment out of spec.

Blessings,

BKM
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