Reply With QuoteGoogle is your friend (or Dave O'Sullivan)
Had 2 new front tyres fitted to my van yesterday at Kwik fit, (bit of a shambles)
When driving home I now notice if I hold my steering wheel dead centre I go to the left. Feel really strange
Gonna take it back because it wasn’t like this before. What can cause this ? Want to go back armed with a little knowledge
Andy
Google is your friend (or Dave O'Sullivan)
Incompetence.Originally Posted by lenlec
First thing I would do is check all the wheel nuts are in place.
Did they do the tracking?
If so, get them (or better still a proper garage) to check it again.
1) Check they have fitted to tires the right way round. Look at the rotational arrow on the side wall.
2) check the Pressures
3) check the wheel is seated correctly.
4) take to a competent garage to get tracking checked.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
“Tread steer” can cause this and is usually cured by switching the front wheels over (if they aren’t directional tyres) and not going to KwikFit.
Sent from my calculator using a lawnmower.
Only went to Kwik fit because they were offering a hotel break with two
Good year tyres purchased
Tread steer effects would cause the car to pull to one side and the steering wheel to need holding to keep the car running straight. The OP claims that the steering wheel is now slightly off- centre with the car running in a straight line, which isn’t the same.
To me, that sounds like the tracking has been adjusted. If the old tyres were worn unevenly Kwik Fit may have carried out a tracking check and adjustment, but I’d expect the customer to be advised and charged.
I would definitely take it back and ask what was done.
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 25th September 2019 at 08:55.
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/kwikfit.co.uk
They said it was within the limits so didn’t need doing
I had similar once along with a noise I thought was wheel bearings. Turned out to be the tyre distorted
Did they use the alignment equipment to arrive at this view?
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Was it with Thomas Cook..?
Ouch...!!!
Tyre pressures then.
Or they've jacked it in the wrong place and bent something...
Last edited by Dave O'Sullivan; 25th September 2019 at 10:28.
Quite likely given it didn't do it before.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
What pressure should be in the tyres on a Vw transporter
https://postimg.cc/VdNys3jc
Sorry I really have no idea, does it not say in the handbook? It normally does.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
https://postimg.cc/ZCFM3ZhQ
- - - Updated - - -
https://postimg.cc/ZCFM3ZhQ
Normally a sticker inside the door frame. Do check the specific tyre size though as there may be a table showing different pressures for different size tyres (and loads).
In best Monty Python voice, laden or unladen?
Cheers..
Jase
As the saying goes, you can't get shitter than a KwikFit fitter.
Check insider the fuel filler flap. That's where my son's Skoda pressures were found.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Wheels balanced incorrectly / incorrect balance weights fitted
dunk
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
That would not cause the symptoms described by the OP. Wheel balance problems always manifest themselves as vibration, getting worse at particular speeds.
Best take it to someone that does proper 4 wheel tracking.
The only symptom is the steering wheel not being centred.
Assuming that tracking is okay can this be cured by simply removing steering wheel and replacing it pointing straight ahead?
Agreed, but it shouldn't be necessary following a simple tyre swap. I`d be asking some serious questions at Kwik Fit, like how they supported the vehicle and where it was jacked. If the track rod ends haven`t been loosened to correct tracking/alignment it raises the concern that a suspension/steering component has been slightly bent. A check of front wheel alignment needs to be carried out and I`d be asking Kwit Fit to do this whilst I was there to see it. It's not hard to interpret what's going on, it's simple geometry and they should be willing to explain this.
If the steering wheel problem has happened immediately after having the tyres swapped it's got to be caused by something they've done. I had a similar problem years ago, but that was caused by the car hitting a deep pothole around a manhole cover on an unmade road, that was my own fault and it was obvious when it happened.
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 26th September 2019 at 13:46.
Maybe they did tracking whilst steering wheel wasn't straight ahead?
If the wheel is on a spline, which is likely, then yes that would be true. But it doesn't alter the fact that changing tyres should not affect steering wheel alignment. Having checked and corrected wheel alignment on many cars in my younger days, for the wheel to suddenly change must have a cause. I would take it to a different alignment centre. Worth asking local garages which specialist they use or if they can check it.
My money would be on them bending a tie rod when jacking up the car.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Take it back to VW and they'll tell you what the problem is.
About 50psi will be ok. It won't be wrong pressures that cause it, it'll be uneven ones (lower on one side).
With regards to taking the wheel off to re-centre it: bad idea. A) it's not a five minute job and B) it'll leave the geometry all wrong.
Get it to a decent garage with a Hunter 4 wheel alignment unit and someone who knows how to use it properly. They should ensure that your wheel alignment is bang on.
Are you still in Warrickshire? If so PM me - get it sorted properly.
Look at my post history and read the thread where I posted about geometry. Needless to say a car can be 'within green limits' and very far from correct, producing what you see.
If you can get to Leamington then I can point you in the right direction.
Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
You're probably right about it not being a five minute job, especially with all the airbag stuff these days. But surely it won't alter the geometry, if as they say it's correct (which I doubt)? If it's right it will stay right and if it's wrong it will stay wrong. Moving the wheel around on the splines would have no effect on the geometry itself.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Unfortunately you will find the splines keyed to keep the wheel on centre when the rack is centred.
This is likely a thrust angle issue. PM inbound.
Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
It won't alter geometry.
But if it is wrong, then moving the wheel won't solve it. Along with toe in / out, you've got castor angles to contend with. Not really aimed at the OP's van, just a general comment.
I don't know what's exposed under there but could they have got the jack in the wrong place and bent something? Even if it went up, ooops, then down again the damage might have been done?
I had this exact thing happen years ago after having a wheel change/tracking on a car. I assumed it was normal and a result of the tracking. Never knew it was caused by incompetent mechanics. Really interested to know the cause/outcome of this.
Oh ok, agree with that. I know some garages used to just move the wheel round, in the good old, bad old days!!
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Posting Permissions
