3 Door Wheel Alignment Different?

[Sha170]

Hi guys I have a 3 door A3, my steering is off center so I took it for a check to Kwik Fit, who checked it and told me that it would need tracking on the front and also on the back.

Not being happy with their pricing I then took it to a place a mate recommended, he has the 5 door and had 4 wheel alignment done right before my car, the guy then put my car on the ramp and said my car could not have rear wheel alignment as it is a 3 door and the back axle isn't adjustable?

Is that true that the back isnt adjustable on the 3 door?

 

[f1nny]

The steering wheel doesn't happen to be slightly off to the left does it? I'm on my third A3 (8V) and everyone one of them has had the steering wheel slightly off centre to the left.

Each time I've took it to Audi who came back and said it's within tolerance and they can't adjust it, but on my latest A3 I insisted I wasnt happy and they actually made an adjustment which put the steering wheel slightly off centre to the right.

So each time I've ended up taking it to a garage with a Hunter Wheel Alignment System and paying out my own pocket to get the tracking done. Latest being being Kwik-fit who managed to get it bang on.

Anyway to answer your question it doesn't matter if it's a 3 door or 5 door. It's all to do with the engine size of your car as the 1.0 & 1.2 TFSI come with torsion beam rear axle which cant have the toe or camber adjusted. Same with the 1.6 TDI which has the same torsion beam real axle. All the other engines in the A3 has independent rear suspension which can me adjusted.

 

[Sha170]

The steering wheel doesn't happen to be slightly off to the left does it? I'm on my third A3 (8V) and everyone one of them has had the steering wheel slightly off centre to the left.

Each time I've took it to Audi who came back and said it's within tolerance and they can't adjust it, but on my latest A3 I insisted I wasnt happy and they actually made an adjustment which put the steering wheel slightly off centre to the right.

So each time I've ended up taking it to a garage with a Hunter Wheel Alignment System and paying out my own pocket to get the tracking done. Latest being being Kwik-fit who managed to get it bang on.

Anyway to answer your question it doesn't matter if it's a 3 door or 5 door. It's all to do with the engine size of your car as the 1.0 & 1.2 TFSI come with torsion beam rear axle which cant have the toe or camber adjusted. Same with the 1.6 TDI which has the same torsion beam real axle. All the other engines in the A3 has independent rear suspension which can me adjusted.

Thanks for the reply, It's actually off centre to the right, finally had enough and took it to kwik fit for the free check who wanted to charge extra because the back was also out apparently.
Not being happy with their price I took it to a different garage, it wasn't hunter it was hofmann, who said the back can't be done because it's a 3 door, yes it is a 1.6 TDI. However after they made the adjustments it felt as if it was worse.
I may try another branch of kwik fit, once he had checked it he did say my steering was off to the right which he managed to find out from having the car on the ramp so I think they may be able to sort it.
Seems as if kwik fit weren't sure themselves or they did know but still wanted to charge extra?

 

[f1nny]

Yea adjustments can't be made on the back, Audi even sent me an Audi CAM video saying and showing me they couldn't and that they adjusted the front toe only as front adjustment of the camber can only be done my unbolting and movi the subrame.

Kwik do a free check like you say. I decided to let them to the adjustments as it was only £45 and it come with a 30 day guarantee that if you aren't happy they will do adjustments for free. Which come in handy for me as I went back 3 times . They got in perfect in the end.