Mondeo 4 wheel alignment

theatretony

My car needs its wheels aligning, but the garage had a quick look and said it may need extra work, because the bolts seem rusted and may break when they try the alignment, is this true (rear wheels) ?? Image is of the bolts they were talking about (not my car a generic pic of underside a Ford!)
 

https://thumbsnap.com/8bi2L4tm

They were quoting £70 for front and rear.

They also mentioned the rear bushes were a bit worn and may also need replacing.

daveyjp

There is also little point realigning wheels if the suspension components are failing.

Suspension rubbers don't last forever.

Ibrahim5

I know with my car people were being charged for rear wheel alignment when in reality no adjustments are possible. Tyres wear more on the inners but you just have to live with it.

theatretony

I know the toe can be done on a Mondy, but the camber cannot so if they try tell me that the camber needs looking atI would not be happy. 

So basically, get the bushes done as per daveyjp and then look at the alignment. 

Could be an expensive time for me then, also needs a new battery as I get 'low battery' after engine off for two minutes. Although is does start EVERY time. The stop/start no longer works so I think the battery has had its day, been on the car since new (62 plate)..

They were meant to call me back with a price yesterday, but didn't !! Will have to chase them today

tacpot12

Many car enthusiasts report their experiences of wheel alignment on car forums and if you do more research, you may be able to find a local garage that has a good reputation for wheel alignment. 

The risk of bolts breaking is real, but an experienced mechanic will know the tricks to avoiding this. Pre-applying WD40 to all the bolts on the suspension is something you can do to help avoid problems. 

AdrianC

theatretony said:

My car needs its wheels aligning, but the garage had a quick look and said it may need extra work, because the bolts seem rusted and may break when they try the alignment, is this true (rear wheels) ?? Image is of the bolts they were talking about (not my car a generic pic of underside a Ford!)
 

https://thumbsnap.com/8bi2L4tm

They were quoting £70 for front and rear.

They also mentioned the rear bushes were a bit worn and may also need replacing.

Replace the rear bushes, and any other worn suspension bits, before doing the alignment.

Yes, it's always worth doing four-wheel alignment, even if there isn't much/any adjustment for the rear. It allows you to get the complete picture as to what's going on.

Yes, it's entirely possible that bolts underneath the car are not going to simply slacken off, and yes, that takes extra time...

Ibrahim5

theatretony said:

I know the toe can be done on a Mondy, but the camber cannI ordered ot so if they try tell me that the camber needs looking atI would not be happy. 

So basically, get the bushes done as per daveyjp and then look at the alignment. 

Could be an expensive time for me then, also needs a new battery as I get 'low battery' after engine off for two minutes. Although is does start EVERY time. The stop/start no longer works so I think the battery has had its day, been on the car since new (62 plate)..

They were meant to call me back with a price yesterday, but didn't !! Will have to chase them today

I ordered 2 post lockdown batteries from Tayna. Very good price and service. However buying mail order batteries is risky if you might need to return them.

Grumpy_chap

theatretony said:

needs a new battery as I get 'low battery' after engine off for two minutes. Although is does start EVERY time. The stop/start no longer works so I think the battery has had its day, been on the car since new (62 plate)..

9 yo battery has done its time.