Recommendations? - Suspension/alignment/tramlining woes in Kent

dgmx5

Member
I am looking for recommendations for a really good suspension and wheel alignment specialist in Kent.

I know that elite in Essex is not that far away but I would really prefer someone in Kent.

I have had an unnerving sensation with the car for sometime and have already tried some things to address this.

I have recently had the lower control arms on the front of the car replaced because of a particularly worn rear brush and the rear springs have both been replaced as one had broken.

One wheel was particularly out on the weights, but otherwise I have been told everything is ok.

After the above work, and since the car was suffering badly from tramlining, I had a 4-wheel alignment done. I will not name and shame but on the day the printer was not working so I do not have the results from that. With the above there was some improvement but the tramlining was still bad.

I have also moved away from Vrederstein Ultras to Goodyear F1 because I had had one too many incidents of aquaplaning using the Vreds.

When I replaced the tyres, a free alignment check was done and it is clear another alignment will be necessary. However, the garage said they couldn't get the rear camber correct because the the elliptical shims were not allowing sufficient correction. I was told that they could fit motorsport shims to allow more correction instead but that would have to be done another time.

At this point I was getting really frustrated and so I just wanted to ask for the forum's opinion on the following:

a. any recommended suspension specialists in Kent (ideally East Kent) who could look at the car and tell me what I need doing, including any further suspension work to make the car handle a lot more consistently, particularly at motorway speeds and

b. has anybody ever experienced this issue of not being able to achieve sufficient camber at the rear?

Resolving this finally would be the difference between me wanting to get rid and finally truly enjoying the car.

Thanks in advance
 
Best of luck with this. I wish I could offer some help - my tramlining was solved with just a switch from PS3 Runflats to Uniroyal Rainsport 3s.
So it does sound like there is an issue with your alignment in someway because you're not on runflats!
 
Cant help with where to go, but check the rear trailing arm bushes - mine had collapsed, and was making the rear of the car wander all over the place! Also, rear lower control arms from an e46 m3 fit an e85, and they have a ball joint rather than a bush on the end, which give better control of toe angle.
 
dgmx5 said:
I know that elite in Essex is not that far away but I would really prefer someone in Kent.
As you're not really prepared to go to Essex, I would think there's no chance of you going to Bucks. But I would recommend Wheels In Motion in Chesham. I took my SLK there all the way from Manchester! And it was well worth it.
Besides, wait for the weather to improve and it's an excuse to go for a blast. :driving:
 
Thanks for the suggestion, it is more of a concern that I go and at the alignment/inspection something is picked up that hasn't been spotted before and the work cannot be done that day and having to return to get it done at a later date.
 
Where in Kent are u?

I spent a fortune on my old 3.0 sorting this, have sent PM if want a chat what to cover, as an alignment is only part of the cure
 
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