Alignment when you just change the rear tires?

[redline-nsx]

I had gone to my dealer a year ago and asked for an alignment, NSX-Tech said, since my tires still had half of their life left on them, I should wait until I change them out otherwise it would “eat up my tires”. Now, fronts are in great shape, rears are gone. So I am going to change out the rears right now, the car has been pulling to the right when I drive, but the tires in the front don’t seem to have any uneven wear. Is it ok if I just switch out the rears and then get an alignment? Will that cause any adverse affects?

PS

Do most dealers charge $35 to mount and balance 1 tire?

 

[PaulL]

The pulling could be caused by uneven caster, which wouldn't necessarily cause uneven wear. Many folks think toe causes pulling, but the caster creates the force the returns the wheels to center.

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, though ... but I would suggest getting the alignment done when you have the tires put on.

$35 is pretty steep ... it can vary anywhere from no charge if you bought the tires through them, up to the $35 you mention!

 

[Bart Geerts]

a car pulling to one side is mostly caused by the rear not the front

 

[redline-nsx]

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking, though ... but I would suggest getting the alignment done when you have the tires put on.

$35 is pretty steep ... it can vary anywhere from no charge if you bought the tires through them, up to the $35 you mention!

Sorry, I realize that it was not clear. Based on what the NSX-tech told me, he said that if I try to do an alignment on tires with wear on them, then the wear will rapidly accelerate after the alignment. I hadn't really heard of this before so i figured I would check it out to see what you all had to say about that.

The dealer pricing in this area is strange, 4 different Acura dealers within 15 miles of me. The prices I got on the alignment were $90, $175, and $245. Since they were all at Acura dealers I didn't understand the variance. Same with the Mounting/Balancing of the tires. Varied a lot too after I had asked around. But the $35 the service rep said was the "NSX price" because its so much more complicated to mount and balance an NSX tire....... um yeah.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

WoW,

BS meter fully pegged!!! I do have one question. Are you sure your fronts, even on the most inside edge, are not worn? How many miles do they have.

Also I undersatnd what the tech is saying but if your tires have 1/2 life, and the car is out of alignment, then they too woill wear faster. I do agree that it is optimum to align once new tires are installed.

I really cannot address the pricing, it is all over the map though.

HTH,
LarryB

 

[Bart Geerts]

. But the $35 the service rep said was the "NSX price" because its so much more complicated to mount and balance an NSX tire....... um yeah.

mounting and balancing is as difficult as any other low-profile wide tire and rim combination... If they're used to only mounting 165/70-14 or something I understand they have to work a little for their monney for a change on an NSX-tire.

NSX-price, just tell them you left your NSX-wallet at home and you only brought the CIVIC-wallet today!! :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[jgtcnsx]

what kind of wear are you having? like what does it look like. i think what he is saying is if you align it like that now when you put new tires on its goin to be aligned for the tires with wear on them. so you are goin to wear the new tires much faster unless you get it realigned.

 

[redline-nsx]

what kind of wear are you having? like what does it look like. i think what he is saying is if you align it like that now when you put new tires on its goin to be aligned for the tires with wear on them. so you are goin to wear the new tires much faster unless you get it realigned.

Actually, it was a year and 10K miles ago, my rears still had a good deal of tread left and the tech's words were "If you get an alignment now, you will eat this tires up pretty quick". I simply took his word for it since he stood to make money by just doing the alignment.

The front wear is pretty smooth, inside, out and middle. The wear is even on the rear as well. But the car hasn't had an alignment in the past 50K miles. It has developed a noticeable pull to the right and I was hoping that an alignment would cure that before I consider more expensive possibilities.....

 

[LJSB]

a car pulling to one side is mostly caused by the rear not the front

Bart, I'm curious why you would think that is so.

If the rear wheels are not parallel to the center line of the vehicle it most likely will result on a off center steering wheel which if kept straight will put the vehicle off to one side but that is not "pulling it".
It actually is "pointing" the car and usually does not transmit a pulling sensation on the steering wheel.


It's generally the front caster, having one tire further back than the other, that will encourage the vehicle to pull to the side that is further back.

 

[Bart Geerts]

You are 100% right. My mistake. Rear mis-allignment will have the car pull to one side, but this is compensated by the front ==> therefore indeed the off center steering wheel, but car not pulling to the side.
It looks like I can only memorize half of the truth lately...Where is my memory when I need it? ?

 

[Briank]

I have my car aligned each spring at the beginning of the driving season and each time it's up on the rack adjustments are necessary. I have over 10,000 mi. and 3 track events on my rears and am not down to the wear bars yet :smile:

 

[LJSB]

10,000 miles on the rear huh? Not shabby.
Probably tracking the car is helping you get more even tire wear than folks like me who don't.
Give me some info!

What do you have the rear camber and toe set at?
Is your car stock suspension, lowered? Tires,wheels stock for a 1991?

 

[Briank]

Stock wheels, stock tires, stock suspension, stock alignment settings.

 

[jgtcnsx]

i really dont know briank, if you have even wear all over i dont know what the problem would be to realign it, we do that at school all the time. kids who need realigning get it done, it no problem. as far as why the tires cost more than normal tires is the tires on the nsx, usually the bead on the tire of an nsx are harder to set for the tech to do than a regular tire. but as far as realigning if you have normal wear it shouldnt be a problem.