Does this mean I should get an alignment? I plan on getting yoko AVID V4S from Town Fair, but they only do a front wheel alignment for free with purchase.

I know my suspension needs to be replaced but thats not my #1 priority. I'm not sure if I should pay $80 for a four wheel alignment or what. Also, will the SEEMINGLY worn out suspension make the alignment impossible to do?

New tires is an expensive process and I want to make sure I get everything right the first time. Looking at almost $700 I think!!!

 

Mainly depends on how they are worn, they could of been over or under inflated in the rear but not the front... Or your camber, caster or toe is off in the rear....

 

Get the alignment first to see what is wrong with the suspension/geometry. Have it corrected then purchase the tires. No sense buying/installing new tires knowing that there is a possibility that they will wear incorrectly.

 

If you are sure you're going to be replacing suspension stuff in the future...do yourself a favor and buy lifetime alignments somewhere. I got mines at Firestone...lifetime alignments there only amount to two individual alignments, as far as cost is concerned. The 3rd...4th..5th...etc... alignments are free.

I've upgraded a lot of my suspension and made the investment and am happy I did.

 

check your tire pressure? if theyre over inflated, theyre gonna wear faster.

also do you have the same brand tires front and rear? cheaper tires wont last as long.

bottom line is do everything besides align at first. narrow your way down to alignment.

remember... K.I.S.S.(keep it simple stupid)

 

Wow thanks for the quick responses. Getting the alignment before is a great idea as long as its ok NOT to get an alignment after the installation $$$.

Can I tell how they got worn out? Should I check suspension parts...and how lol? They are aurora's and had 80% tread around 8 months ago. Now <10%. Pretty quick! AND I only checked/adjustated the pressure about 3 times in the last 12 months. STUPID lol.

I HAVE to replace the suspension so its not a maybe. I'm 75% sure the suspension will be the adjustable struts with H&R springs since I read great things about them here. However, if more important things come up between now and december....OEM will do.

I am in the habit of checking the pressure a little more often now. Guess I had to learn the hard way.

 

p.s. buy your tires on ebay stores, discount tire direct auctions, mad cheap, and quality tires. (i got 2 for $300)

 

Town Fair met discount tires price ($40 less each) and included free road hazard ($76 on tire direct) plus they install/ front wheel alignment for like $50 or $60

 

The person doing the alignment should check all suspension components to verify their quality, and if all OK, set up the car up to factory specs.

 

alignment first. maximas have nonadjustable rear suspension, so if its out of alignment, that means something is wrong and you probably gonna replace it.
and struts wont affect when doing alignment if the springs match.

 

Agreed, do the alignment and find out what is out of spec and then start looking to see whats damaged.

Also how many miles are on the tires? do you rotate regularly?

 

about 20k on the tires. Rotated them twice. Guess I'll do the alignment first. Thanks for the help guys

 

Is it even wear or is it along the edges?

As far as I know, the Maxima has a solid rear axle therefore there is no camber adjustment.

 

Correct, but even some cars with IRS don't have a camber adjustment available.

If it's put on a rack, they will be able to determine if the suspension is correct, or any bent/worn parts that might be needed to bring it back into specs. At least if it comes out of the alignment with flying colors, there should be no uneven wear when the new tires are installed and he'll be good to go.

 

thanks for the help guys. next week I'm getting the alignment and then the V4S tires will be put on. I have read good things about these tires so I'm looking forward to it.