Lowering And Wheel Alignment Issues?

[highwaycollective]

Can I ask what this means (after 'no load):
with 1BA, 1BL, 2MF suspension : A8B (Basic) / A9K (Shuttle).

Thanks

Like all things in the motor industry, everything is automated now, and nothing is set up to handle anything other than OE specification. On these laser alignment systems, you have to choose your model of van, and then it automatically spits out the suspension your van would have come with standard. That 1BA, 2MF, etc, etc are the different suspension configurations T6 vans came with as standard. Obviously, with all of us running coilovers or lowering springs it becomes irrelevant, but the machine doesn't know that. All we need from the machine is to point our wheels straight, so choosing "no load" is the way we trick the machine into doing that.

 

[Tourershine]

A big thanks to @highwaycollective for passing on the settings. Myself and @T6180 had our vans checked and adjusted today at Tyre Medics in Hinckley. The tech was a really knowledgable guy, but best of all he set them both as we requested, and as you advised.

As you can see from the print out below, there was quite an issue, and this hopefully explains why i'm eating rear tyres. The van feels a little different, almost more planted, but that might just be a placebo. I have noticed one obvious change, and that's the fact I cannot see the inner rim of my rear wheels in my wing mirrors any more, just the edge. I won't know if this has cured my problem for several weeks, but i'm glad they found it to be out of alignment, and were able to rectify it.

 

[highwaycollective]

A big thanks to @highwaycollective for passing on the settings. Myself and @T6180 had our vans checked and adjusted today at Tyre Medics in Hinckley. The tech was a really knowledgable guy, but best of all he set them both as we requested, and as you advised.

As you can see from the print out below, there was quite an issue, and this hopefully explains why i'm eating rear tyres. The van feels a little different, almost more planted, but that might just be a placebo. I have noticed one obvious change, and that's the fact I cannot see the inner rim of my rear wheels in my wing mirrors any more, just the edge. I won't know if this has cured my problem for several weeks, but i'm glad they found it to be out of alignment, and were able to rectify it.

View attachment 43576

Glad you guys got it sorted out. Hopefully that gives you many more miles out of your rears going forward. I also felt like my van carried a bit more momentum after I had mine done, but wasn't sure if it was placebo either haha.

 

[Vanlife]

I’m Running van slam coil overs on my van no issues so far and the ride is so much better than standard. My van was very high before on standard suspension even with 18" wheels fitted, I could pretty much get my head in the front arch. I had to raise the van slams up when first fitted on full low setting due to rubbing the arch liners when set all the way down. I have the suspension set reasonably low 10mm up on the rear and 15mm / 17mm on the front from full drop. It seems to have settled down again as its been driven a bit. I’m running 20" staggered wheels with 40 / 45 profile tyres (the rubbing is still not 100% sorted yet when fully loaded with camping stuff and full tank of fuel it rubs on big bumps on the back slightly on the pasanger side and on the inner arch liner on the front if I hit a bump on a Roundabout).

I was holding off getting the tracking done until i had fitted a tow bar for a bike rack and checked it out when loaded up with a full rack of bikes as its probably going to need the rears adjust up again! I did notice when I came to fitting the tow bar at the weekend the rears are scrubbing down the insides quite badly not been driven that much only the odd trip out in the week over the last few months as I don’t like to leave it sanding all week without a run and longer runs for camping at the weekends, not more than 1000miles since I fitted the suspension and 20” wheels. I think ill need to get this ride height finalised and tracked sooner rather than later!

Looking at the above it sounds like it is possible to track this out reasonably successfully even if lowered but what kind of drop are people doing and still getting the tracking sorted?

When do you get to the point its not possible to track properly? Is it worth fitting the Powerflex camber adjuster bushes front and rear? Are they needed at all or should just haveing the traking done to adjust the toe be enough? these bushes are £400 and are nearly as much as the Van slam kit in the first place but tyres are not cheap ether!!

 

[gal2009]

I’m Running van slam coil overs on my van no issues so far and the ride is so much better than standard. My van was very high before on standard suspension even with 18" wheels fitted, I could pretty much get my head in the front arch. I had to raise the van slams up when first fitted on full low setting due to rubbing the arch liners when set all the way down. I have the suspension set reasonably low 10mm up on the rear and 15mm / 17mm on the front from full drop. It seems to have settled down again as its been driven a bit. I’m running 20" staggered wheels with 40 / 45 profile tyres (the rubbing is still not 100% sorted yet when fully loaded with camping stuff and full tank of fuel it rubs on big bumps on the back slightly on the pasanger side and on the inner arch liner on the front if I hit a bump on a Roundabout).

I was holding off getting the tracking done until i had fitted a tow bar for a bike rack and checked it out when loaded up with a full rack of bikes as its probably going to need the rears adjust up again! I did notice when I came to fitting the tow bar at the weekend the rears are scrubbing down the insides quite badly not been driven that much only the odd trip out in the week over the last few months as I don’t like to leave it sanding all week without a run and longer runs for camping at the weekends, not more than 1000miles since I fitted the suspension and 20” wheels. I think ill need to get this ride height finalised and tracked sooner rather than later!

Looking at the above it sounds like it is possible to track this out reasonably successfully even if lowered but what kind of drop are people doing and still getting the tracking sorted?

When do you get to the point its not possible to track properly? Is it worth fitting the Powerflex camber adjuster bushes front and rear? Are they needed at all or should just haveing the traking done to adjust the toe be enough? these bushes are £400 and are nearly as much as the Van slam kit in the first place but tyres are not cheap ether!!




View attachment 47081

When i had my b14s done, it wasn't stressed that i should re-align. Now looking back it makes perfect sense that i should have. I assume the same process would need to be followed with vans slams as b14s. I may be wrong but i would suggest a Hunter re-allignment , and stress to the garage that you want it done with no load so they can re-set manually instead of the automatic adjustment spurted out from the machine.
Not sure what the bushes are going to give you that a decent re-alligmnet wouldn't.

 

[highwaycollective]

If you are really low I think the Powerflex bushes would be a good idea at the rear. Not essential by any means, but I think they would get you right back to stock camber in the rear (you can't adjust camber on the rear of a T6). You can get the toe in pretty much back to standard spec without them though.

I don't think the bushes are necessary at the front as you can get adjust both camber and toe at the front, and can get them back within tolerance without much effort. Perhaps on air ride it is more of a challenge, but with coilovers, I think the rears are the only ones you might want to consider in extreme circumstances.

Whatever you do alignment wise, make sure the hunter system is set to "NO LOAD". Any other setting just considers the excessive toe at the rear to be normal.

 

[Vanlife]

Yes I think ill wind the suspention up a bit more tonihgt and go get the alignment done tomorrow as above. usfull to know about the unloaded setting! TBF the www.vw-t.co.uk vanslam fitting instructions do say in the last item to get the tracking looked at i just didnt realise it would munch through the tyres so fast!

 

[Vanlife]

Thanks Highwaycollective dose it have to be a hunter system im not sure what the local place i usualy iuse has i know its a resonably upto date system that gives you a print out

 

[Vanlife]

The local qwicksh*t has hunter system ... i usualy avoid qwick fit like the plague! do i dare take it there?!

 

[T6180]

The local qwicksh*t has hunter system ... i usualy avoid qwick fit like the plague! do i dare take it there?!

@Tourershine

Ask Paul to send you the load settings for hunters machine as we've both used them and it is the sweet spot

I've got adjustable polybushes in the rear only and it really did help sort my rear camber out. but be mindful they can only be adjust to a certain point and mine are adjusted to the maximum tolerance of the bushes which got me just on the edge of being within all green on the alignment

 

[highwaycollective]

Thanks Highwaycollective dose it have to be a hunter system im not sure what the local place i usualy iuse has i know its a resonably upto date system that gives you a print out

Not specific to hunter. Just make sure they dont use the auto load settings to compensate for ride height.

 

[Vanlife]

Great stuff thanks guys T6180 useful to know someone has them fitted lets see how the tracking goes and if they are needed at a later date i mihgt be in contact to see how to set them up. Highwaycollective i have printed off your tracking sheets and will take them with me for reference / explaining to the operator. I have wound her up last night / this morning the back was very low with the bike rack and 3 bikes. tyre was 20mm under the arch when loaded up. i can now get my hand in between the top of the tyre and the arch without the bike rack on. thats about full up on the rear adjuster not looking quite so mean now but at least i should make it to the campsite without having a blow out! Will try and get down to get tracked today or tomorrow.

 

[Vanlife]

Its booked in tomorrow at the local garage got the guy to come out and check he was happy it would go on the van ok with the 20" wheels and he said no problem also explained the no load thing and he was happy with that said if i bring down some setting print outs that others have got to work he could compare to standard. he said he has done a few of these vans before and didn’t seem phased by it.

 

[CRS Performance]

When working on any aspect of the suspension it is advisable to check tracking . the slightest movement putting the car together will result in the steering wheel being off true .

 

[Wozalot]

Book in for a Hunter alignment next week, getting excessive wear on the outer edges of the rear tyres.

Would the "no load" setting still be suitable for a standard Kombi?

 

[highwaycollective]

Book in for a Hunter alignment next week, getting excessive wear on the outer edges of the rear tyres.

Would the "no load" setting still be suitable for a standard Kombi?

Yes. That’s exactly what you need to ask for.

 

[Wozalot]

Yes. That’s exactly what you need to ask for.

£40 well spent

 

[racerke600]

quick question, i've read through the entire thread, would a vw california t6.1 with kw coilovers also be aligned with the NO LOAD settings?

i've had mine aligned on the half load, i thought it made 'sense' to me, because it's loaded with extra stuff

 

[huw169]

I would suggest it should. From my understanding ‘no load’ equates to how the van sits normally.

 

[highwaycollective]

quick question, i've read through the entire thread, would a vw california t6.1 with kw coilovers also be aligned with the NO LOAD settings?

i've had mine aligned on the half load, i thought it made 'sense' to me, because it's loaded with extra stuff

Always no load. Half load or full load Settings assume that the van will be unloaded at some point. Because of this it over compensates the toe in. Unless you plan to “off load” whatever is in the van after the alignment is done you should always use no load.