Help me make sense of this wheel alignment report!

658 Views 18 Replies 10 Participants Last post by cphvolv, 11 d ago

DenverJaguar

Discussion Starter · 14 d ago

I just went in for an alignment after getting new tires (Continental Cross Contact) on my XC90. The old tires, Nokians, were cupped and scalloped pretty badly after only 19,000 miles on them. The tire shop that installed the tires suggested my XC90 might benefit from an alignment check; they didn't offer that service so I took it to another shop.

The report they printed out after doing the work appears to show the rear left wheel's camber being out of spec. They adjusted it and the new result is even further out of spec. Can this be fixed? Do I need to go back to the shop and demand they bring that camber into spec? Why would they give me back my car after not actually correcting the problem? My car now seems to track slightly to the right, which it didn't do before.

2018 XC90 with air suspension and 37,000 miles on it.

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Tech

· #2 · 14 d ago

There isn't an adjustment for camber

DenverJaguar

Discussion Starter · #3 · 14 d ago

Tech said:
There isn't an adjustment for camber

IF it shows the correct range for camber and mine is outside of that range, what then? Just have a car that is not fixable?

Pioneer4x4

· #4 · 14 d ago

It seems reasonably close, and if it is off too much, something is typically bent (lower link?), and would need to be replaced (or bent back some)

Tech

· #5 · 14 d ago

Something is bent. Usually have to guess to figure it out though, unfortunately.

DenverJaguar

Discussion Starter · #6 · 14 d ago

Tech said:
Something is bent. Usually have to guess to figure it out though, unfortunately.

Weird. They said everything looked good in the inspection. I'll ask the dealership to check it when I bring it in for my 6 year service next month.

DenverJaguar

Discussion Starter · #7 · 14 d ago

Pioneer4x4 said:
It seems reasonably close, and if it is off too much, something is typically bent (lower link?), and would need to be replaced (or bent back some)

I'd really like for it to match (or be close) to the caster on the other rear wheel. Since I have directional tires, and the rotation will be rear to front, I would really like the tires to wear similar on both sides. I really hope I don't get cupping/scalloping on the left rear tire again.

Tech

· #8 · 14 d ago

It won't be something you'll be able to see, most likely. If you can see it, it would be way worse.

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831t5r

· #9 · 14 d ago

You have air suspension. Do you know if they turned it off or adjusted the height to right position before alignment. It makes a difference with some numbers

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C30pio

· #10 · 14 d ago

Wouldn't a possible reason be that the struts are worn? I know that after you replace them, you are supposed to get an alignment. You have to adjust everything else to meet the struts, because there's no adjustment of the struts.

You would think, if you needed new struts, the shop would recommend it, ideally before they do the alignment. Then they could charge for replacing the struts, plus an alignment, and send you on your way happy as a clam.

VolvoUhu

· #11 · 13 d ago

831t5r said:
You have air suspension. Do you know if they turned it off or adjusted the height to right position before alignment. It makes a difference with some numbers

Yes I was going to say the same thing. It should be at the default ride height. I had asked my tech not long after it had arrived stateside post OSD and he said it should be at the Hybrid. He had also mentioned disabling air suspension (service mode) but I don’t think it was in the context of alignment. That might have been for jacking up to rotate if I wanted to do them myself.

I expect @Tech will have all the details about documented way to do it and will comment further.

orlioe

· #12 · 13 d ago

Negative camber would mean the top of the rear tires is tilted towards the vehicle giving a distinct "sagging" look of the rear of the vehicle. Few things could be the reason as other members suggested. There should be eccentric bolt kit that can be adapted to make the camber adjustable. Otherwise, the factory method would be replacing control arms to compensate the squished rubber bushings on the original suspension.

Stickygreen

· #13 · 13 d ago

1. Verify alignment was done in the proper mode with air suspension

2. I wouldn’t worry too much about the camber…have had several cars where camber was slightly “out of spec”, and never caused much of a tire wear problem. What does kill tires fast though is bad toe, and it looks like that was corrected.

Tech

· #14 · 13 d ago

A ride height measurement before the alignment should have been taken. I don't recall the specs though

Dyno

· #15 · 13 d ago (Edited)

Negative 1.9 degrees of camber seems like a lot to me.

I guess if it were me, I'd say what my dentist always says: "Well, I'll let you go for now, but we need to keep a close eye on that molar".

In other words, I'd be inclined to let it go as-is but would watch like a hawk for scalloping/cupping to appear on the inner shoulder of the LR tire. I hate scalloping. My V60 was prone to it. I hate the noise it creates. Once it starts, it's almost impossible to reverse even by rotating.

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Pioneer4x4

· #16 · 13 d ago

orlioe said:
Negative camber would mean the top of the rear tires is tilted towards the vehicle giving a distinct "sagging" look of the rear of the vehicle. Few things could be the reason as other members suggested. There should be eccentric bolt kit that can be adapted to make the camber adjustable. Otherwise, the factory method would be replacing control arms to compensate the squished rubber bushings on the original suspension.

Yeah, BUT that enhances handling,so there's that...

And yes, since the top is in too far, or the bottom is out to far, that "should" help track down what is probably bent.
So something on the top is bent shorter or something on the bottom is stretched or straightened out more then originally. (or a mounting point is shifted/ovalled)
Right?

DenverJaguar

Discussion Starter · #17 · 13 d ago

Dyno said:
Negative 1.9 degrees of camber seems like a lot to me.

I guess if it were me, I'd say what my dentist always says: "Well, I'll let you go for now, but we need to keep a close eye on that molar".

In other words, I'd be inclined to let it go as-is but would watch like a hawk for scalloping/cupping to appear on the inner shoulder of the LR tire. I hate scalloping. My V60 was prone to it. I hate the noise it creates. Once it starts, it's almost impossible to reverse even by rotating.

View attachment 196865

I had to buy all new tires after just 19,000 miles because the rear was so scalloped it was unsafe (in addition to being extremely loud and all kinds of vibration occurring). I rotated the tires and drove about 800 miles, hoping for it to even out, but it didn't get any better and I threw in the towel and paid $1,200 for new tires.

Dyno

· #18 · 13 d ago

DenverJaguar said:
I had to buy all new tires after just 19,000 miles because the rear was so scalloped it was unsafe (in addition to being extremely loud and all kinds of vibration occurring). I rotated the tires and drove about 800 miles, hoping for it to even out, but it didn't get any better and I threw in the towel and paid $1,200 for new tires.

Both rears scalloped or just the left rear?

There are pros and cons and endless debates about whether to rotate tires, but I maintain that if you do it early and often enough, you can avoid severe scalloping on a scallop-prone car. That's a big "if", though.

Side note: For whatever reason, my 2021 V90 is showing exceptionally even tire wear compared to my previous Volvos, both front-to-back and outside shoulder-to-inside shoulder. If I get the chance, I'll compare the V90 alignment specs to others.

One contributing factor may be the rear auto-leveling air suspension, which keeps the rear alignment constant even when heavily loaded.

cphvolv

· #19 · 11 d ago

Right front toe and total toe are in the red before the alignment. That will cause tire wear. Camber is not adjustable. I can not answer why Volvo doesn't make it adjustable but it's not.

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