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Alignment question

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by FirstFlight, Apr 16, 2011.

  1. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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    Got my Goodyear assurance fuel max tires today. When they checked my alignment, they said the front and the rear was off. At first the guy told me that he could do the rear so I had him recheck and he said he couldn't.

    I called the dealer and asked for a 4 wheel alignment. At first he asked me why I wanted an alignment and I told him the front and the rear were off. He said it would be $129.95.

    Please take a look at this sheet. Is there anything else I need to be concerned with? Will the dealer actually do all four wheels if the back is off by a lot?
     

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  2. Hal W

    Hal W New Member

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    Rear is a non-alignable axle. Shims are required to align it! This is the way I understand it.I would do the front only! Did you have tire wear with your old tires? Hal
     
  3. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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    I bought the car used. My rear toe seems to be way off and the guy said I would chew up my tire in no time.

    The dealer said they could do a 4 wheel alignment, are you saying they can't do it?
     
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If you think that your dealer's service dept might actually do something about your excessive rear toe-in, I suggest that you call and tell the service writer that you know the rear toe-in is excessive, and ask what the tech will do about it. If he is honest, he will say "nothing."

    Since the rear alignment is way off, and we know that the Toyota dealer service dept will not take any remedial action (unless you are willing to pay to have a new rear beam axle installed), you would be better off finding a specialty alignment shop in your area that is willing to use shims to adjust the rear wheel alignment.

    As a side benefit, you'll probably find that your mpg and handling will improve a little after the wheels are properly aligned.
     
  5. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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    There are no chain stores that can do the alignment? Are you sure the dealer won't do it?
     
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I am sure. If you also wish to be sure, please call your dealer's service dept and ask the question that I suggested in my post above.

    Don't expect chain stores to be able to do this. The use of shims is something that few alignment shops will do.
     
  7. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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    I believe you but it's discouraging to think that there are a very small amount of shops that will do an alignment on a Prius. It's like, what do you do if your rear alignment is out?
     
  8. PapaGallo

    PapaGallo Junior Member

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    First Flight, I see you live in new jersey, most Good Year tire shops can do the rear alignment, had my alignment done today after a hitting a curb a few weeks ago and started notice that it was drifting to the right, only the front was off.
     
  9. KD6HDX

    KD6HDX New Member

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    Interesting topic. I am approaching 150K miles on my 2005 Prius. Rear axle alignment is something I would like to check. Patrick, is it correct to say that shops that cannot or will not do the alignment, are still able or capable of actually measuring it? I am getting an average of 53 lately at 60 MPH on freeway, and I would be willing to pay a pro alignment shop if they could actually set it true straight tracking like it should be. As I approach the 150K mile club next month, I will be thinking of having that done with the money I have NOT spent on brake jobs in my Prius. Still good and original at last check.
     
  10. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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    Yes, I am in Morris county and went to the Goodyear dealer in Parsippany. I asked them to do the alignment but they said they couldn't do the rear because they needed special tools. If you know of a place that can do the front and the rear, please let me know.
     
  11. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Live with it, if you can't find a shop that will install shims. Or, pay relatively big $$$ to have a new rear beam axle installed, which is Toyota's service philosophy.

    Yes, any shop with wheel alignment equipment should be able to measure four wheel alignment. However, not all shops are willing to take corrective action in terms of installing shims to correct rear beam axle alignment issues.
     
  12. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    Lack of adjustment from the factory is a universal problem with twist beam rear axles and shimming the axles isn't rocket science. It doesn't take special tools unless wrenches are special tools:D

    All you need is one alignment shop with one tech that knows how to shim the rear. Keep checking shops and you should eventually find one. You stand a better chance of finding a small independent shop that can do it than you do a big chain or a dealership.

    When you are talking to the shop, ask how they align the rear wheels on a Prius. If they don't say shims, move along and try another shop.
     
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  13. Hal W

    Hal W New Member

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    FirstFlight:
    If you have a couple used tires , install them on the rear until you have the issue addressed. At least that way you won't screw up your new tires! Hal
     
  14. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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    I made an appointment with the dealer this Friday for an alignment but wanted to speak with them in person. So I went to the Toyota dealer and showed them my alignment sheet. I said, "Can you do a 4 wheel alignment on my Prius to correct this problem." The guy said, "yes." I said, "Are you sure you can do it because I was told you couldn't."

    He goes and asks a mechanic. The mechanic comes over and is a little arrogant and tells me that you can't align the rear wheels on a Prius. I said, "You can't or you won't?" He said, "We won't because we won't put shims in the rear."

    Then I turned to the service manager and asked why I was being charged $130 for a 4 wheel alignment when only two wheels are being aligned. He said, "Well, it's a 4 wheel alignment but we only do the front 2 wheels." At this point, I was frustrated, cancelled my appointment and walked out.

    I made an appointment with a local shop who can do the alignment for $70. I'll just rotate my tires every 6K miles and deal with the wear on my rear wheel.
     
  15. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    Monty Python could have made a nice skit out of that.
     
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  16. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    >Are you sure this is a cheese shop?

    >>Oh yes sir, the finest cheese shop in the district.

    :p
     
  17. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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    By the way, what is the correct way to rotate the tires on a Prius. Is it only front to back or can you do it side to side also?
     
  18. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    If the tires have a directional tread pattern (usually these have an arrow on the sidewall to show the direction they must spin) then you can only rotate them front to back. If not directional then you can choose to cross rotate them (FL -> RR; FR -> RL; RL ->FL; RR -> FR).

    I believe cross rotation is the preferred method.
     
  19. FirstFlight

    FirstFlight Member

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    I have the Goodyear Assurance fuel max tires. I'll have to check for an arrow....
     
  20. Agape

    Agape Member

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    My Prius was ok to drive, however I just went to local shop for alignment ''check'' -to be on the safe side, as the car was going for the car test. Technician used older machine to check alignment and I was told that rear is slightly ''out '' and the front is slightly ''out'' too. Since the car was already in the ramp technician offered me to try to align Front as the rear is not adjustable (so the front would be done at half of the cost €70/2). When I left the shop my sterring wheel was going to the right side, so I returned to complain. Technician adjusted Front and I went for the test drive, the sterring was going to the left side. I returned and asked Technician to use another Laser based 4 wheel alignment/computerized machine (which was shiny new-looking machine). During the process I asked to set all values at 0.00 (Green Area), I noticed that Rear wasn't out while looking at the screen (as the values were at Green area and no rear values showed Red area)- Technicial confirmed that Read is Ok (even no alignment done at Rear).

    as a result: the car passed test on the alignment. However the alignment printout from the car test centre shows that the front isn't set to ideal @0.00.

    I am left with guess which machine now is ''out'' 1st (this one was out) , 2nd (probobly ok) or 3rd (the one from the test centre)

    I would strongly advise to visit the shop that uses quiet new laser machine and I would ask when was the last when the machine was properly calibrated.

    The first machine used on my Prius was also laser based, but it was old looking machine (~10yrs old to my eyes). Wonder if your Rear is really out, or is it that the machine isn't calibrated and tells you that it's out..

    me 2 €- cents
     
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