Camber busted, 4-wheel alignment?

"Martin Robertson" wrote in news:HpI4i.542$lz3.352 @newsfe5-win.ntli.net:

Do you mean the front nearside? Maybe time to strip it down and look for bent/worn bits.

It's not Glasgow, but I know of a place called pro-grip alignment services or somesuch, which is on Canalbank Street in Bonnybridge. It's quite easy to find and the bloke there seemed to know his stuff. I've not used them but I've seen the little colour printouts his rather spiffy alignnment rig makes and he was reccommended to me by a mechanic chap. Last time I went you had to book a week or so in advance

I don't know much about the front suspension dynamics of them, but do you want to have the tyre scrubbyness adjusted out? I'm not sure the suspension is that sophisticated on an Escort.

It sounds like it's taken a smack and something is bent, or there's a badly collapsed bush somewhere to me.

I dunno what the man in bonnybridge charges.

It did have an incident with a pot-hole a while back, but an evaluation by 2 garages has said "your car is in tip top condition", of which the first garage didn't do any other work on the car, so I can't see them saying that for no reason.

Here's a picture of what I feel is the issue. Now the weird colour around the shoulder suggesting all is not well, plus the drivers side tyre still has the wee sticky-out plasticy spikes suggesting it's just the passenger side buggered:

It had new aftermarket (unfortunately) wishbones a few months ago, and they seem okay upon inspection.

What I'd like to know is, on a car without camber adjustment, would a 4 wheel laser alignment fix this? I don't want to go waste £50, only for the problem to still remain present, also meaning possible new parts, plus further laser alignment. It's an expensive road to go down, although risking a blow-out isn't ideal!

Cheers again.

The escort has camber, Castor and track adjustment.

I pay £19 for full laser Alignment down here in Hampshire.

Where?

Where?

Where?

Where?

If the tracking is OK and nothing is worn, the only possibility left is that it's had a smack in that corner at some point in its life and something is bent, such as a steering arm or TCA, albeit not visible to the naked eye.

With dubious service-history log I can see this being the case Conor. What should I say to a garage when I take it in prior to the 4 wheel alignment being done elsewhere? I may go with the line 'went in a big pothole front offside, take a look at everything and get back to me', but I wouldn't be surprised if "all is tip top!" comes back again.

Oh how I long for a good set of ramps for Christmas. I ended up with a £10 mp3 player last year. F*** family.

I'd go for the pothole line too.

LOL.

Many places will do a free check, then you can decide. I'm sure it's related to the control arms being replaced etc. Worn control arms can easily knacker your tyres

Micheldever tyres. Same place I get tyres for the Escort for £35 a corner.

For the record, scrote now back on the road ;-)

Almera going to be part-Ex'ed for something sensible and not renault-related. Maybe a Ford galaxy.

"Martin R" wrote in news:vv05i.365$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net:

That is most likely your problem then.

As was the 'you don't need it done' that the reasonably-nice man, head of, the garage saying it wasn't required.

Bloody people. Honestly.

If they measured it up before and after then it *might* not need to be done.