QuestionWould you recommend that only the dealer align my wheels? I took it to two places today and both could not get good results with their machines- is this bad luck or what?. Also, is kumho tire a good brand for this car?
AnswerHello Toogroove,
Dealers are not the only ones that can help you with your car
(at least when it comes to alignment). Reputable firms would have modern equipment, programs and data to effect proper alignment of most vehicles available in the market. And yes, trained personnel to do the alignment. Car manufacturers do not make their own alignment machines. They buy their machines just like anybody else. But of course they have company approved brands.
Good alignment results also depends on a number of other things:
1) The condition of the car's suspension and steering components (including tires and wheels)
2) The applicability of the alignment tools to the particular wheel configurations (some aftermarket wheels
are nice to look at but does not allow exacting alignment
procedures---meaning that the mating surfaces of the alignment tools are not good, even missing)
Regarding Kumho and similar aftermarket tire brands, I believe personally that they can be used for day to day, normal tire usage. But of course, to use an old cliche, there are good, better and best tires. BMW currently uses Michelin, Dunlop,Continental, Bridgestone and Goodyear. And they only recommend tires of these brands that have the star symbol on the sidewall.
Your buying decision which is yours alone to make, should take into account not only price but also a lot of other things like durability, safety, noise, traction, appearance/tread design/profile, etc.
Tino
