Front alignment errors cannot be corrected - suspension work needed...
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2005
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The only thing I suggest since your car is an S8....is to go back to him and ask him to redo
it by selecting 1BD suspension or sports suspension on his machine.
Did the machine had an option for the S8 or the 1 BD suspension?
If your guy did not checkmark the sports supension 1BD on the machine before the allignment then he probably tried to allign it as an A8 and not as an S8. S8 is lower than the A8.
I am pretty sure that he made a mistake
Did the machine had an option for the S8 or the 1 BD suspension?
If your guy did not checkmark the sports supension 1BD on the machine before the allignment then he probably tried to allign it as an A8 and not as an S8. S8 is lower than the A8.
I am pretty sure that he made a mistake
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Sep 2004
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My friend's alignment machine doesn't list S8 only A8 and A8Sport.
When I put the S8 suspension on my car the A8 spec would not work. I would take it back to have them check the control arms and if they are good he just need to align it to Sport suspension spec. BTW the total camber and total caster is adjustable.
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: May 2003
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From: Atlanta, GA
Is the inner edge wear smooth or a feathering or cupping type of wear?
If its smooth wear, its caused by camber. If its a feathering wear, its toed out. Now camber wear takes a long time for the wear to show up. Toe on the other hand is very fast to show. If toe is out about 2 degrees total, it can wear a set of new tires in about 1K miles.
Do you have your alignment print out. At all our shops, we provide before and after specs to our customers. If so what were alignment specs?
More than likely you have a loose component in your suspension. Any loose component will cause a toe out condition when driving down the road and wear the inside of your tires.
Do you have your alignment print out. At all our shops, we provide before and after specs to our customers. If so what were alignment specs?
More than likely you have a loose component in your suspension. Any loose component will cause a toe out condition when driving down the road and wear the inside of your tires.
Elder Member
Joined: Mar 2001
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On my '01 S8, I've been running -1.3 deg camber and zero toe.
As others have said, total camber is not adjustable, though it can be moved left or right by shifting the subframe.
With both 18" and 20" wheels and now at 80k miles, my tire wear has been very good and totally uniform across the tread for the six years I've been running zero toe. Toe-in improves high speed straight line stability, zero toe improves braking and tire wear, toe-out improves turn-in ... which is why some who track their cars run toe-out.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a8/msgs/63508.phtml">S8 Alignment Specs</a></li></ul>
With both 18" and 20" wheels and now at 80k miles, my tire wear has been very good and totally uniform across the tread for the six years I've been running zero toe. Toe-in improves high speed straight line stability, zero toe improves braking and tire wear, toe-out improves turn-in ... which is why some who track their cars run toe-out.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a8/msgs/63508.phtml">S8 Alignment Specs</a></li></ul>
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
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maybe the bad tires are causing the alignment to not calibrate
switch the fronts and back tires...
i had a similar problem (knock on wood) but its fixed (knock on wood)
i'm just reaching for a suggestion.
i had a similar problem (knock on wood) but its fixed (knock on wood)
i'm just reaching for a suggestion.
Member
Joined: Jun 2008
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I found the streets in the USA as bad as Holland or Germany. My front control-arms lasted 160k miles
On the German autobahn's you often drive at hogh speed over concrete slabs that really punish the suspension and control-arms.
In Germany you are therefore forced by law to change shocks every 75k miles :-)
I agree that in the States the roads are pretty poor sometimes but don't under estimate (over estimate ??) the roads here in Holland or Germany or Switserlands.
The highways in Holland and Switserland or France are pretty okay but the B-roads, holy crap they can be bad...
In Germany there are stretches of autobahn that are downright horrible.
In Germany you are therefore forced by law to change shocks every 75k miles :-)
I agree that in the States the roads are pretty poor sometimes but don't under estimate (over estimate ??) the roads here in Holland or Germany or Switserlands.
The highways in Holland and Switserland or France are pretty okay but the B-roads, holy crap they can be bad...
In Germany there are stretches of autobahn that are downright horrible.
Member
Joined: Jun 2008
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Re: "the total camber and total caster is adjustable". How then? By adjusting subframes you mean?
Are you referring to (removing) the centering-rings around the first and last of the five bolts that hold the fronts uppper subframes in place ?
That trick i know already but otherwise it's not possible according to my info. Please enlighten me ;-)
That trick i know already but otherwise it's not possible according to my info. Please enlighten me ;-)
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Thread Starter
AudiWorld Senior Member
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My alignment readings...
Front
Initial Caster: 3.5, 3.9 spec: 3.5
Final: 3.5, 3.9
Initial Camber: -1.5,-1.8 spec: -1.1
Final: -1.6,-1.8
Initial Toe: -0.20,0.35 spec: 0.3
Final: 0.05,0.05
Rear
Initial Camber: -0.8, -0.8 spec: -0.7
Final: -0.8,-0.8
Initial Toe: 0.0, 0.0 spec: 0.2
Final: 0.0,0.05
It sounds like I have some bad control arms and/or bushings so I'm thinking of just replacing it all. Make sense?
Thanks for all the great help everyone!
Initial Caster: 3.5, 3.9 spec: 3.5
Final: 3.5, 3.9
Initial Camber: -1.5,-1.8 spec: -1.1
Final: -1.6,-1.8
Initial Toe: -0.20,0.35 spec: 0.3
Final: 0.05,0.05
Rear
Initial Camber: -0.8, -0.8 spec: -0.7
Final: -0.8,-0.8
Initial Toe: 0.0, 0.0 spec: 0.2
Final: 0.0,0.05
It sounds like I have some bad control arms and/or bushings so I'm thinking of just replacing it all. Make sense?
Thanks for all the great help everyone!