NCT Failure - after track rod replacement and wheel alignment

nicnac

I had a pre nct done on Saturday. They identified that the tracking rod needed to be replaced on the front axle. They provided me with a "Wheel Alignment Report" subsequent to the job being done.
I had my NCT this morning and it failed. The guy asked straight out if I had the tracking rod replaced - he said that they did not align the wheels at al. I have to go back for a retest.

The front axel was 23m/km on the NCT report.

The limit is +14 to -14. So it was nearly twice over the limit.

Is this something that could have slipped out after leaving the garage - or is it a sign that they did not do it at all.
I'm afraid to go back to this crowd again to fix it tbh

Nic Nac

voxpop

The alignment wont slip out - unless you hit a kerb or something.

Alot of times the guys doing the alignment are doing it manually and dont bother doing it right.
The best alignment is done with a computer - they put 4 big sensors on the wheels and this reads back to the computer. You get a printout before and one after showing you the changes.

DannyBuoy

It sounds like it was only roughly done, ie the new one screwed on as many turns as the old one was taken off.

TBH tho, its possible for it to be thrown out while driving but generally as a result of hitting a kerb or bad pothole.

If your not happy to go back then go to a tyre outlet and get them to do a proper wheel alignment test, but you did pay for the work to be carried out already. I'd be inclined to go back to the place you got the work done with the nct report and get them to recheck the alignment.

Snap voxpop

briana7214

nicnac, take it back to em along with the report and they will have to sort it out as they fitted it originally and therefore it is their mistake and if you push em hard enough you might even get the €30 off em for the re-test

nicnac

Hey lads - I had computerised wheel alignment done on Saturday after the track rod was replaced. I paid 40 euros for the alignment alone. I have the print out in front of me and it says the original values for the front axel were -00.12 degrees LH and -00.02 on the RH. The final values were -00.05 and -00.07

I didn't drive through any pot holes since Saturday - so it sounds like they gave me someone elses printout and didn't bother to do the tracking at all.:(

I'll take it back so .... but I'll get it second checked afterwards and let them know that

voxpop

Thats very strange - def go back to them with the nct report and the printout they give you.

beam99

This depends on who is doin the wheel alingment and if they know how to use the equipment, I got a peugeot not so long ago that failed a nct on side slip, the girl then went and got the wheel alingment done with a peugeot main dealer, when she got it back of them the steering wheel was off centre. She put it back in for the nct, and failed worse than the first time. When i got it and checked it the wheels were set up for a rear wheel drive car not a front wheel drive car, I reset it the way it was meant to be and straighten steering. She rang me after the test to say it passed with a result of 0.02.

galwaytt

...hold, there's two sets of equipment here: one at the garage, one at the NCT centre.

If the garage go through the motions, and re-check, and find all within bounds, then the obvious error, however improbable......is the NCT centre......

mark1974

I agree. Why not give the NCT the report the garage gave you.
Bring it to a third garage and get a third opinion and then you should know whether it is the original garage or the nct at fault and go from there about getting you money back

Darragh29

If the NCT report is correct then the tracking is well out. Most likely explanation is that the garage that replaced the track control arm didn't track the front wheels after replacing the component. A lot of garages don't have the 4 wheel laser alignment equipment due to the cost of it...