Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Dan-P on 10 February 2011, 19:31:28
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First I'd just like to say thanks to Elite Pete for sorting the cam cover gaskets last week and solving a couple of other little problems :y
Now, the car needs a full geometric set up and have been recommended Wheels in Motion.
Has anyone on here had their Omega set up by WIM, and were you pleased with the results?
Also is there a forum discount, as I have heard it mentioned but can't see any information on the forum after a quick browse.
Cheers ;D
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First I'd just like to say thanks to Elite Pete for sorting the cam cover gaskets last week and solving a couple of other little problems :y
Now, the car needs a full geometric set up and have been recommended Wheels in Motion.
Has anyone on here had their Omega set up by WIM, and were you pleased with the results?
Also is there a forum discount, as I have heard it mentioned but can't see any information on the forum after a quick browse.
Cheers ;D
Both the old Omega and this one .. been there about 4 times now !!
WIM are the best .. without question :y :y :y
You ONLY get the "discount" at the Chesham unit .. which is the WIm HQ for want of a better description .. all the others are a tad like franchises .. but not quite !!
I always mention OOF when making the appointment, and again on arrival (great big OOF sticker in the window as well !!) .. discount then just happens .. :)
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Whereabout's are you?
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Yep... Mine's been there twice :y It's the best part of a 300 mile round trip for me but would/will still go to Chesham every time :y :y
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I went to WIM in Chesham just this last Saturday.
I fitted new wishbones and droplinks on the friday, tried to do tracking and camber with my friend and his garage/tools. He (the experienced mechanic out of the 2 of us) was daunted by the number of variables on the omega and the fact that he'd never done camber at all before. I called WIM not long before 11am the next morning and they managed to squeeze me in even though Saturdays are the busiest day. I told them I was recommended to them but no by who, and they said there was a special deal on Omegas.
Aside from waiting a bit to be squeezed, I was very pleased (Saturday morning kitchen on big screen kept me occupied! lol).
The normal process is that they get the car on their ramp infront of the Hunter Hawkeye 2000 or whatever it's called, and after asking if anything's wrong with the vehicle, measure everything and chat to you about what they're gonna change. All the variables are measured in real time and displayed on the monitor, and get immediately updated (picked up by IR sensors I think). Their program tells them the idea settings (which the owner has worked out himself and are an improvement over the original Vx settings). It also works things out: eg adjust camber off the ground, but measurements are converted to take into account weight of vehicle.
They then give you a table of results; before and after, and also in pictorial form if you request it, which I did (print off of the monitor).
2 guys worked on the car initially then down to one. Both were very friendly and chatted for a while about stuff, omegas, and forums etc! The owner has been a member of OOF for ages (wheelsinmotion).
Also, they assume you're using the car for road, but will do different set-ups depending what you use it for. I know people come along in race season a lot and ask for different things: road / track / drift / etc
The normal price for an omega is £95 + VAT.
The special price for OOF members is £60 + VAT (£72)
Now all in all, I think it's an amazing deal. There are 5 variables on the omega I think (compare that to £30 at Kwik-fit for front tracking only)
They talk you through everything and give you the settings written down.
What more could you want.
I was definately a believer in their product. Car felt better on way back, consumption improved too I think. Even ride height was even too! awesome. money well spent.
Just do any suspension work needed Before you go!!! ;)
I know that's a long post, but there you go! lol Think it covers everything.
I would like to know about the other WIM "franchises". I was only down south for the weekend, but would be good to know of any more local.
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WIM don't actually have "franchises" as such .. but I can't think of a better word ... they have garages that will do the same work but e-mail the results to WIM for checking before the car is released.... so you get the "correct" WIM settings. The OOF discount does NOT apply at these.
To find them use the WIM website, "buy" a wheel alignement, you then get to see the map. (if my attempt at linking to the map fails)
At this point you have not actually "bought" anything so no money has changed hands .. if that makes sense ....
http://www.blackboots.co.uk/order.php?step=5
HTH
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yeah i get ya. thanks.
without the discount, there's not much point. and i bet they don't all have the hunter hawkeye megatron XXL 7000?
with lots of mates in the area (used to live around there) I think I will always go back to them. :y
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yeah i get ya. thanks.
without the discount, there's not much point. and i bet they don't all have the hunter hawkeye megatron XXL 7000?
with lots of mates in the area (used to live around there) I think I will always go back to them. :y
They will ;) Tony has been very picky about which garages he's let trade under his name :y :y
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There is a write up by Tony here .. its a tad old .. but is, I think, still relevant.
Some parts may have changed ... but knowing Tony he'll spot this thread and correct any errors I may be making .. :)
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1279741222
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Quick question to you guys that have been to WIM, still relevent to OP.
Do they fit wishbones / droplinks and idlers etc or do they set up what you arrive in. :-/
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Quick question to you guys that have been to WIM, still relevent to OP.
Do they fit wishbones / droplinks and idlers etc or do they set up what you arrive in. :-/
They will, obviously for a charge :y But you need to make them aware that it needs doing when you book it :y
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Labour rates are pretty reasonable at WIM Chesham :y
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Quick question to you guys that have been to WIM, still relevent to OP.
Do they fit wishbones / droplinks and idlers etc or do they set up what you arrive in. :-/
Both .... if you want them to do the work they will, and obviously will charge you for it, or they will check what you turn up with.
What they WON'T do is a full setup on knackered parts !!! When I went with odd tyre wear, it took them less than a minute to diagnose knackered wishbones and 5 minutes to explain to me what i neeeeded to do. they then refused to charge me, despite the fact I had time booked on the machine so no-one else had been booked in ... Tony just said "we don't rip people off or charge for advice"
I drove home, next weekend did the wishbones using the guide, took it back to WIM and not only did they do the setup, they checked my work for me, and when I explained the problems I had doing the "torque with the weight on" part, they re-did that part for me ... dead easy with the car in the air !! ... for no charge at all.
Basically ... they will do what you ask, within reason .. :)
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Quick question to you guys that have been to WIM, still relevent to OP.
Do they fit wishbones / droplinks and idlers etc or do they set up what you arrive in. :-/
Both .... if you want them to do the work they will, and obviously will charge you for it, or they will check what you turn up with.
What they WON'T do is a full setup on knackered parts !!!.............
Basically ... they will do what you ask, within reason .. :)
Cheers chaps.
They can't say fairer than that can they and Chesham is only twenty miles from my house. :y
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Mine tends to go there annually, what with potholes and driving styles ::). Pre-WIM experience has taught me that the Omega is quite fussy on geometry as it ages, and local fast fit tyre places are not the solution.
I have been using WIM for around 5yrs, never use anybody else for the Omegas.
I have always been delighted with the service and results I've had. I know the vast majority of people have also been happy. I do know of 2 OOF members who weren't so pleased, but I can only recommend as I find personally.
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Thanks for all the useful replies :y
I think I will get everything checked over and get it down to WIM.
Do they also fit tyres, as it will be needing a pair of fronts almost immediately :D
Cheers
Dan.
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They have a sister company called black boots which do tyres. They're in the same garage. :)
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Supplied me with a pair on the fronts and made miggy's steering geometry absolutely 1st class well worth all the miles travelled would do it again :y :y
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Thanks for all the useful replies :y
I think I will get everything checked over and get it down to WIM.
Do they also fit tyres, as it will be needing a pair of fronts almost immediately :D
Cheers
Dan.
Like said earlier Dan whereabouts in the Country are you?
I was not happy after visiting WIM and afraid every post I see about WIM will post the very same answer... I would not go there again. Granted it was not Tony that worked on my car but it pulled to the left and the steering wheel was not level, now you may ask why I didn't go back? I simply did not have the time as I had to be somewhere else at a particular time.
I did however phone and speak to this Tony everyone raves about, who said would phone me and let me know why this happened... as yet still waiting for that call........ >:(
So I went to Nigel Langs in Bolton who after they had finished made the car drive straight as an arrow plus the steering wheel was level.... I will continue going there and also recommending them not WIm.
Hope that helps :y
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Had similar issues as Daz tbh, but there's nowhere else better that's closer.
Some thoughts on the pulling/steering not straight though, previous tyre wear seems to be a factor, ESP if one front tyre is considerably worn more than the other, but more so, I noticed wim will now double check the steering is straight after, and have found it to be out each time on mine. Wondered if the steering wheel clamp moves too easy on leather seats...?
Tony has suggested collective play through the omega steering linkages as a possible cause, so I asked, show me the play, let's find and fix. Found play in drivers side wheel bearing. Replaced, re set, still not straight. :-/
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Had similar issues as Daz tbh, but there's nowhere else better that's closer.
Some thoughts on the pulling/steering not straight though, previous tyre wear seems to be a factor, ESP if one front tyre is considerably worn more than the other, but more so, I noticed wim will now double check the steering is straight after, and have found it to be out each time on mine. Wondered if the steering wheel clamp moves too easy on leather seats...?
Tony has suggested collective play through the omega steering linkages as a possible cause, so I asked, show me the play, let's find and fix. Found play in drivers side wheel bearing. Replaced, re set, still not straight. :-/
In my case though Chris I changed everything before I went, Wishbones (vauxhall ones) droplinks, Shocks, Springs..... and yet Langs got it perfect and still is with its new owner :y
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Like said earlier Dan whereabouts in the Country are you?
I am in Shropshire :y
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Like said earlier Dan whereabouts in the Country are you?
I am in Shropshire :y
If you can update your profile mate it would help :y
You maybe closer to Bolton that WIM then :y
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Am planning on visiting WIM at Chesham the week prior to going to the Farnborough bash.
Let's see what happens, as they've a 'franchised' set-up that's much closer for me, that I wish to avoid.
Hopefully, I'll be able to give a good report .......
If not, you'll never hear the end of it! :D
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Had similar issues as Daz tbh, but there's nowhere else better that's closer.
Some thoughts on the pulling/steering not straight though, previous tyre wear seems to be a factor, ESP if one front tyre is considerably worn more than the other, but more so, I noticed wim will now double check the steering is straight after, and have found it to be out each time on mine. Wondered if the steering wheel clamp moves too easy on leather seats...?
Tony has suggested collective play through the omega steering linkages as a possible cause, so I asked, show me the play, let's find and fix. Found play in drivers side wheel bearing. Replaced, re set, still not straight. :-/
In my case though Chris I changed everything before I went, Wishbones (vauxhall ones) droplinks, Shocks, Springs..... and yet Langs got it perfect and still is with its new owner :y
Strange, and annoying, it is just tracking at the end of the day... :-/. Got mine straighter on the drive after changing a track rod end tbh.
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As said, I can only recommend on my own personal experiences. My MV6 has been there 5 or 6 times, tractor twice, and the Elite once. I've been delighted each time, and the OOF price is more competitive than other places around here.
I guess I do have that 'comfort blanket' that WIM isn't that far from here if something's not right - its around 120m round trip.
DLK - if you still have the printouts, can you email to me, I'd love to see why you get a left pull, as for me, they always adjust castor to slightly pull right to overcome road camber...
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I can only comment on my experiences. I've been at least once a year for the last 4 years (sometimes twice when things have broken!). Its always been a good service and has transformed the handling.
Only one time did I leave with the wheel not quite straight. We are talking a tiny bit off centre but this kind of thing annoys me. Took it back they got me to sit in and set the wheel to exactly where I thought it was straight then adjusted everything to keep it that way.
I also took my Golf there and after setting the rears they took a look at the fronts and found the cause of the poor handling. The Mrs had bumped a kerb in the snow and the track rod arm was bent. Tony had already agreed to do the Golf for the OOF price of £60, but once he discovered the problem knocked it down to £30. Pretty fair I thought.
Reminds me I must book in again next week as I've just replaced the front wishbones.
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Had similar issues as Daz tbh, but there's nowhere else better that's closer.
Some thoughts on the pulling/steering not straight though, previous tyre wear seems to be a factor, ESP if one front tyre is considerably worn more than the other, but more so, I noticed wim will now double check the steering is straight after, and have found it to be out each time on mine. Wondered if the steering wheel clamp moves too easy on leather seats...?
Tony has suggested collective play through the omega steering linkages as a possible cause, so I asked, show me the play, let's find and fix. Found play in drivers side wheel bearing. Replaced, re set, still not straight. :-/
In my case though Chris I changed everything before I went, Wishbones (vauxhall ones) droplinks, Shocks, Springs..... and yet Langs got it perfect and still is with its new owner :y
Strange, and annoying, it is just tracking at the end of the day... :-/. Got mine straighter on the drive after changing a track rod end tbh.
Well I took the DTi to Fleet Fit in Loughborough and found them to be excellent, all corners needed adjustment, including the siezed (now there's a surprise!) rear adjusters that they freed off and everything on the front (all new suspension as per Daz's car).
Everything was set to the settings we all know and the car was test driven, immediately it was obvious that the wheel wasn't straight and the car pulled to the left. This was corrected (steering wheel possibly slipped in the clamp while setting up) and the car test driven.
It's all spot on now with just a very slight hint of drift to the left, this was proven to be road camber because if the vehicle is driven on the opposite side of the road it has the same characteristics over to the right.
The V6 was set up at WIM and had all new suspension and refurbished Wishbones (Meyle bushes). To be fair it is due to be re-setup after 18 months but as the car doesn't get used much I haven't bothered but this car does have far more of a tendancy to drift to the left (will test on opposite side of the road at some point), it's not pulling the wheel out of your hands but it does like the look of the kerb.
I think when the suspension is new the stiffer setup tends to follow the road camber far more closely, however, what I know about geometry on vehicles I could fit on the back of a fag packet and still have space!!! ;D
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As said, I can only recommend on my own personal experiences. My MV6 has been there 5 or 6 times, tractor twice, and the Elite once. I've been delighted each time, and the OOF price is more competitive than other places around here.
I guess I do have that 'comfort blanket' that WIM isn't that far from here if something's not right - its around 120m round trip.
DLK - if you still have the printouts, can you email to me, I'd love to see why you get a left pull, as for me, they always adjust castor to slightly pull right to overcome road camber...
When I phoned Tony at WIM I had both the Printout from WIM and also the Printout I had just had done from Langs in front of me, they were loads different. This is what I was/am waiting for a phone call from him for!! to explain and perhaps a refund as the work wasn't obviously done properly.. so cost me well over double of what it should, plus time >:(
Anyway as not hearing I have thrown the lot away >:(
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Like said earlier Dan whereabouts in the Country are you?
I am in Shropshire :y
If you can update your profile mate it would help :y
You maybe closer to Bolton that WIM then :y
I may well be, i'll have to look into it. Thanks for all the information, definately something to think about :y
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As said, I can only recommend on my own personal experiences. My MV6 has been there 5 or 6 times, tractor twice, and the Elite once. I've been delighted each time, and the OOF price is more competitive than other places around here.
I guess I do have that 'comfort blanket' that WIM isn't that far from here if something's not right - its around 120m round trip.
DLK - if you still have the printouts, can you email to me, I'd love to see why you get a left pull, as for me, they always adjust castor to slightly pull right to overcome road camber...
When I phoned Tony at WIM I had both the Printout from WIM and also the Printout I had just had done from Langs in front of me, they were loads different. This is what I was/am waiting for a phone call from him for!! to explain and perhaps a refund as the work wasn't obviously done properly.. so cost me well over double of what it should, plus time >:(
Anyway as not hearing I have thrown the lot away >:(
Shame, would have been good to look at to see what was wrong :y
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o.k all good and well but when i sit in salzburg i have a bit of a problem!! what should i be looking out for when i find a garage that will take on the omega?, firstly i have irmscher springs to go in and bilstein b4's, poly bushes on the stailiser and front wishbones, anyone know what settings i should be looking for after this is done? and what would you look at to think these guy's know what they're doing, all replies welcome, many thanks
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Ideally find a geometry centre with decent 4 wheel geo equipment (Hunter generally) and operators who know what they are doing. WIM and others will generally be happy to advise on the optimal settings if it's to another country / non-direct competitor.
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thanks for that i will email wim for settings and try and find a centre : :-/ no mean feat me thinks! i was by rauscher tuning (well known for expensive race setups..world famous in austria!) the other day and they quoted me €180 for setup! hopefully i can find something better