Hello,

1st post :)

I was wondering what can be adjusted on the front end with regard to the alignment?

My wife went in for a regular service and needed to get the alignment checked (it's been a while and the car pulls a tad). The $tealer said that the RF strut was bent and needed to be replaced prior to doing the alignment. However, I put the car on a jack to look things over, and it doesn't look like the strut is bent, nor does it look like camber or caster is adjustable on the front end - just toe.

(side story: I've owned BMWs for years and take them to road racing tracks regularly. I think I've done 6 or 8 complete suspension jobs on various cars that have been in the family over the years.)

The concern I have is that I'm going to get charged for a $170 strut when I don't really need it and the only thing that can be adjusted is toe anyway.

BTW, does anybody know what the alignment specs are?

first thing, don't go to the stealer. try an independant shop for the alignment, see what they tell you.

Osborni, if you look up "volvoclub.org.uk/tech/S40MY2005-SuspensionSteering.PDF" this gives all the technical information on the S40 (same as V50) front end. It also indicates on page 5 that only the toe-in is adjustable.

I cannot imagine the strut would have bent significantly without a substantial impact on the suspension (such as hitting a huge rock) and you sure would have noticed this at the time! You should also have visible signs of incorrect alignment in the tyre wear pattern evident to a trained eye.

The pulling may also be from problems with the brakes or the wear pattern in the tyres. Best get another independant opinion.

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