THIS TOPIC IS FOR PROFESSIONAL MECHANICS ONLY PLEASE.

Two questions.

Does a car have to have the same size tires all the way around or could you have different size on the front than the back? My Car is a front wheel drive.

Does the wear on the tire affect the alignment? Can a mechanic do the alignment with tires showing cords?

I just replaced the wheel bearing/assembly and ball joint on both sides. The mechaninc I took my car to told me they couldn't do the alignment till the car had new tires and the drive axles are replaced. If you know the name of the bolts that hold the hub assembly up to the struts, i would greatly appreciate knowing.

thank you

I just happen to have a genuine mechanic in the house!
He says that you can use different sizes of tire front and rear, but wonders why you're doing so? Is it cosmetic or ????

Alignment affects wear, wear and alignment both affect handling.

Many shops won't do alignments with bald tires because, in most places, it is illegal to operate a vehicle with bald tires and there can be liability issues.
If you're planning to replace axles, an alignment will have to be done post-replacement, so there would be little point to alignment before that bit of work.

The bolt question can't be answered without knowing the make,year and model of the car.

quote:

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Originally posted by thomas_g:
The mechaninc I took my car to told me they couldn't do the alignment till the car had new tires and the drive axles are replaced.

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Hi Thomas G
I can give you a partial answer...
Putting new tyres on is a good idea as the accuracy of tracking the steering geometry is critical to nearly 1 mm, or sometimes less than a degree . However replacing the drive shafts sounds like they are after money unless they have said (need a second opinion) the drive couplings are perished and you are getting "Knock on lock" drive the car slowly in a tight circle both clockwise and anticlockwise and you'll hear it loud and clear.
And it's an awkward and time consuming job .
Better with 2 people on this job
How old is your car? And has the steering taken a heavy Knock? If it has then the top of the struts will be sitting not straight can see this when viewed in the engine compartment the rubber surrounds will be distorted and with extreme age and corrosion the welding will break!

Mrs S
You are absolutely right about the Liability (health and safety issues) They are within their rights to turn a job down on the understanding that there are no dangers to their employees.

my car is a 1989 pontiac grand am, 4 Cylinders 151 U 2.5L TBI.

The tires, to my knowledge, are the same all the way around, and the one tire is showing cords, shows ONLY on the external inside. (closest to the body) Currently the car is running on the external middle to outside, not on the cords. The rear tires are almost brand new. They were replaced last Oct/Nov before it died, needing a new clutch.

As far as the drive axles, i hear a little bit of a click coming from the drivers side when i turn left.

hope this helps

Thanks for that
Going on what you say I'd guess you'll need 1 UJ repair kit and 1 tyre. Guessing the worn tyre is on the Drivers side? you'll find that the rubber gaiter has split letting road muck inside and destroying the bearings (common prob with FWD cars) check the gaiter on the other side as well and if it looks suspect, you can buy a repair gaiter (cheap)which is tied around it Okay for a quick repair?
In the Uk, we have an annual compulsary basic safety check (MOT) and they are ultra-strict on things like this This is needed to satisfy Legal obligations like Police checks and insurance claims.