Bestman

Well I went for it and bought a beautiful 09 car - which I'm loving.

Having read the FAQs I asked the main dealer to get the geo sorted as part of the deal. Unfortunately after just 600 miles there was serious wear on the inside fronts. A local specialist checked the setup and numerous values were out of tolerance and the front casters adjusters had seized. The suppling main dealer has offered to pay for two new front tyres, which is great, but maintains the geo was done and was satisfactory - they have supplied me with a copy of the report.

What confuses me is that both the values and tolerances on each report are different. For instance the dealer supplied report gives front right caster as 5.47 with an acceptable range of +5.45 - +6.15. The local specialist gives front right caster as 4.85 with with an acceptable range of +5.75 - +6.25.

Who's right and what should I do next?

GavB

The target is 6

They are probably both right. I bet the dealer is using minutes and the specialist is using a decimal. Eg they both have a quarter tolerance.

GavB

What's the camber and toe - that's more influencing on your tyre wear.

Bestman

The thing is on the specialist report 12 values are outside parameters while on the dealers everything is in!

Specialist's report Left front camber.10 (Range -0.67 - -0.33) and Left front partial toe 0.35 (Range -0.14 - +0.14).

Dealer's report Left front camber -0.33 (range -0.20 - -0.40) Left front partial 0.04 (Range -0.05 - +0.05).

Makes no sense to me....

lovegroova

Toe is how much the wheels are pointing off the straight ahead.

A zero figure means they are exactly straight ahead.

A positive figure means they are pointing towards the centre of the car

A negative figure means they are pointing outwards.

The specialist report of 0.35 toe means that the left front is pointing inwards a lot so that is probably the main cause of the wear.

Essentially, you are getting different measurements from two different machines (or the dealer report was not actually from your car)

Have a read of this, it's a good clear explanation: http://yanks-uk.tripod.com/tech_tips.htm

Dembo

What's their explanation for the tyre wear then? Maybe you should go back and demand they replace the steering and suspension to see if it fixes the problem ;-)

Clearly their equipment is wrong; the spanner monkey operating it screwed up, or they're lying completely and the print out was from another car. My money would be on option 2.

I would take the new tyres and make a note never to go near that dealer again.

Dixon Motorsports

They are doing it Wrong! S2000 need a very balance geometry setup to get the best of it, within tolerance is not good enough it needs to be perfectly equal! if you got your car from Honda and found your caster bushes are seized then go back and ask them for a pair of new lower arm. It should be under warrantee and they have to pay for a new pair of Potenza Re050 tyres for you as well as it was their incompetence causing you all this hassle.

Forget to get them to get the alignment done again for you, they often outsource someone outside to do it for them which normally is the nearest cheapest garage with the basic tracking equipment.

After they replace all them for you then go to someone with a proper 4 wheels alignment machine and get the car setup properly! You won't believe how much better the car feel with the right setup!

Simon W

Here is a link which explains the principles of geometry with some useful diagrams:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...e.jsp?techid=4

Bestman

Thanks for all the advice.

Does anyone know the correct values for a 2009 car?

Something along the lines of the Honda Intranet Bulletin "Honda S2000 (1999 -2001 MY Only) Steering and Suspension Geometry settings and Alignment Procedure" found in the FAQs.

lovegroova

Use the "2004 onwards" settings that are shown directly below those you've referenced.