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01-10-2012, 02:15 PM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,150
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Car Question?
My rust bucket needs new tires and alignment soon. It's going to need new front brake pads and rotors this year too, but not yet. Wondering if getting alignment done now could be undone by new brake pads and rotors later? I'm way too cheap to pay for another alignment in the same year.
Not sure I can trust respective service depts to give me the best answer. TIA...
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No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-10-2012, 02:44 PM
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#2
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: LaLa Land
Posts: 4,693
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A change of brake pads and rotors should not effect an wheel alignment.
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Work is something you do to get enough $ so you don't have to....Me.
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01-10-2012, 02:53 PM
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#3
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Chattanooga
Posts: 3,871
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For my two cents I'd have the brakes and tires done first and then the alignment. Theoretically it shouldn't make any difference but I don't trust service shops.
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Earning money is an action, saving money is a behavior, growing money takes a well diversified portfolio and the discipline to ignore market swings.
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01-10-2012, 02:58 PM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,150
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frayne
For my two cents I'd have the brakes and tires done first and then the alignment. Theoretically it shouldn't make any difference but I don't trust service shops.
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The brakes have at least 10k good miles left, unfortunately the tires and alignment are needed now, so I'd like to avoid doing all three now if I can avoid it.
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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01-10-2012, 03:28 PM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,194
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
My rust bucket needs new tires and alignment soon. It's going to need new front brake pads and rotors this year too, but not yet. Wondering if getting alignment done now could be undone by new brake pads and rotors later? I'm way too cheap to pay for another alignment in the same year.
Not sure I can trust respective service depts to give me the best answer. TIA...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 73ss454
A change of brake pads and rotors should not effect an wheel alignment.
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As mentioned.... it does not affect a wheel alignment...
But I would ask if your car needs an alignment.... or can they even align it I had a 95 Chevy and took it in to get an alignment... they tested it and one wheel was slightly out, but they said that it was in such a way they could not adjust...
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01-10-2012, 03:36 PM
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#6
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 293
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Alignment.
First, it won't matter if you get the brakes and rotors later.
Second, I would shop around and find a shop that will sell you a 3 yr or 5 year alignment. At the NTB near me an alignment is 79$. A 3 year alignment is about $130. NTB will do an alignment ANYTIME I ask during those three years. It is also transferable if I sell the vehicle for another vehicle.
The reason I do this is that early in my driving career I bought a set of 60K tires. They lasted 30K. They wore out because I didn't rotate them, didn't balance them and I never had an alignment. I learned the value of 1) rotating the tires, 2) balancing them and 3) doing an alignment. I live in an area of the country where we have snow and salt that creates potholes. I took it back once after hitting a pothole and it was way out of alignment. I now take it in for an alignment every 3 months or when I know I hit a pothole. My tires last a LOT longer.
If tires are $400-$600 installed and I can double the life of the tires with alignment for $130, then it saves me (half tire price - alignment price) or between $70 [200-130] and $170 [300-130]. I drive 20-25K per year.
If you take this approach, you just take it back and get another alignment for "free" when you get the brakes and rotors. It is also great when you buy new tires, you just take it in and get an alignment w/the new tires!
BTW, aggressive recommendations are 1/yr or every 15K miles. Least aggressive approach is to watch for:
- your car seems to be drifting to one side, even when you think you're driving straight
- your steering wheel vibrates
- you are driving straight, but your steering wheel isn't centered
- you notice tire wear
What I believe based on experience is the by the time you notice any one of these symptoms, you've altered the tire pattern on the tires and they don't drive right which leads to lower fuel mileage, shorter tire life, more frequent alignments and problems that can't be fixed with alignment or balancing. YMMV (LOL!!!!)
Hope this helps!
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FIREd at 46, 8/31/11
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01-10-2012, 03:49 PM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,314
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REattempt
Second, I would shop around and find a shop that will sell you a 3 yr or 5 year alignment. At the NTB near me an alignment is 79$. A 3 year alignment is about $130. NTB will do an alignment ANYTIME I ask during those three years. It is also transferable if I sell the vehicle for another vehicle... I now take it in for an alignment every 3 months or when I know I hit a pothole. My tires last a LOT longer.
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I'm going to look into this. My gas mileage dropped a couple of miles/gal after my last tire rotation and I recently thought I detected a slight pull to the left. I like the idea of just stopping in for a periodic alignment.
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Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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01-10-2012, 03:52 PM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,201
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 73ss454
A change of brake pads and rotors should not effect an wheel alignment.
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+1 I would have the tires and alignment done now, and the brake pads and rotors done later when they need to be done.
Like the ol'man used to say if it ain't broke don't fix it.
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01-10-2012, 04:05 PM
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#9
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Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 22,923
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How do you know the rotors need turned? Unless the rotors are grooved, I just replace the pads (which I do myself). Or maybe you meant replace the rotors, which should only be required if they are under spec for thickness.
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Living an analog life in the Digital Age.
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01-10-2012, 05:29 PM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,150
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumby
How do you know the rotors need turned? Unless the rotors are grooved, I just replace the pads (which I do myself). Or maybe you meant replace the rotors, which should only be required if they are under spec for thickness.
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- Rotors have 125K miles on them,
- just before the car stops I can feel them "wobble" and
- when I had the rear pads replaced (by a friend who owns a shop) about 6 months ago he told me I could probably get another year out of the fronts, but then I'd have to do pads and rotors...
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
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