2018 ASTON MARTIN DB11 V8 · 25,528 km
Aston Martin DB11: Alignment and Vibration Re-Inspection
the owner entrusted us with their DB11.
This DB11 arrived with substantially impaired driving composure. The steering wheel sat to the right while the car pulled left, and vibration reached both the steering wheel and body as speed increased.
Under acceleration, the front felt light and the car unsettled from side to side; braking also brought shudder. This called for more than a small steering-centre adjustment: the car needed inspection to recover the stability and driving refinement expected of a DB11.
BEFORE · DB11
Four complaints appeared
together on arrival
Steering wheel to the right;
car pulls to the left
Vibration reaches the steering
and body as speed rises
Light front-end feeling
and side-to-side instability
A separate shudder
when applying the brakes
This required more than a minor steering-centre adjustment. Wheel angles, wheels and tyres, and the braking system all needed attention.
The Bentley experience led to the next visit
Pleased with the change in their Bentley Flying Spur, the owner next entrusted us with a DB11 that they did not drive often.
The car had received an alignment elsewhere, yet the complaints remained. We first checked when the pulling and vibration appeared on a road test, then measured the wheel angles and examined the wheels and tyres.
The confirmed symptoms were a steering wheel off-centre to the right with the car pulling to the left, vibration in the steering wheel and body while driving, reduced stability after acceleration, and shudder under braking.
Separating the symptoms by cause
We separated the pulling, vibration while driving and shudder under braking. Alignment, wheel and tyre condition, and the braking system all needed checking to establish the scope of the work.
The RFV test pointed to an issue on the wheel side, so we re-inspected using dedicated equipment that examines the wheel on its own. That inspection distinguishes radial (up-and-down) runout from lateral (side-to-side) runout, and is what determines how far repair should go.
Alignment does not straighten a bent wheel. Equally, balancing alone does not correct misaligned wheel angles. Both required attention on this car.
Front and rear alignment adjustment
The DB11 provides adjustment for front caster, camber and toe, and rear camber and toe. That flexibility is an advantage, but it also calls for careful setup.
A well-matched setup supports the car’s composure and steering feel. If left–right balance or front–rear wheel directions are out, even a high-performance car can feel unexpectedly unsettled.
What matters is how it was set and how it drives afterwards.
We worked through the front and rear adjustments, including the awkward rear camber adjuster. Front caster difference was reduced, and rear toe and thrust angle were brought into alignment.
ALIGNMENT · BEFORE / AFTER
Bringing the front and rear wheels
into a more even alignment
Before
Left–right imbalance
After
Left and right brought into balance
Front caster difference
Rear thrust angle
| Measurement | Before · left / right | After · left / right |
|---|---|---|
| Front camber (°) | −0.52 / −0.68 | −0.52 / −0.56 |
| Front caster (°) | 5.14 / 5.68 | 5.58 / 5.70 |
| Front toe (mm) | 1.2 / 0.1 | 1.0 / 1.0 |
| Rear camber (°) | −1.67 / −1.59 | −1.58 / −1.60 |
| Rear toe (mm) | 1.9 / 0.2 | 1.8 / 1.9 |
Measurements taken at NHC before and after adjustment. The caster difference uses the equipment’s displayed value; rounding of individual angles may give a different subtraction result.
Actual before-and-after measurement screens
Forged-wheel repair and rotation checks
This DB11 was fitted with forged wheels. The owner was particularly concerned about the possibility of breakage during straightening.
We first inspected the location and direction of deformation, assessed the scope of repair to avoid forcing the correction, and repaired the two bent wheels.
The wheels were repaired without the breakage the owner had feared. We then checked their rotation and measurements again.
After the repairs, all four tyre assemblies were measured under load and balanced. We considered both mass balance and force variation under load.
FORGED WHEEL · REPAIR JUDGEMENT
Lightweight, finely engineered wheels.
Repair calls for careful judgement.
Designed around weight and strengthForging is used in premium wheels to pursue low weight and strength together. A slender appearance alone does not mean a wheel is weak.
A damaged wheel needs a separate assessmentWith impact deformation such as this, slender rim sections and the direction of damage need inspection. Forcing a correction risks breakage, so the repair scope was assessed first.
Locate and assess deformation
Avoid forcing the correction
Rotation and measurements
Wheel repair · Before and after
Compare the measuring indicator and the rotating wheel. Play each clip to observe the movement before and after repair.
Before repair
After repair
Videos load only when you press play. The indicator provides a visual comparison; no numerical reading has been inferred from the dial.
Alignment sets the direction of the wheels. A bent wheel requires a separate check of its shape.
In this case, two wheels were repaired and all four assemblies underwent loaded balancing.
Mass balance and behaviour under load
need separate checks
Mass imbalance is corrected during rotation. The g readings and OK indication relate to this check.
The assembly is rotated under load to measure variation in force. This provides information about driving vibration beyond mass balance.
FINAL RFV · kg
Final readings for all four assemblies
The detailed screen for ID 1 shows tyre 8.5 kg and assembly 6.5 kg. These are different measurement fields, not a before-and-after change from 8.5 to 6.5 kg.
The original detail and final four-assembly summary are shown below.
About road-force measurement: Hunter Road Force
Disc machining, contact-area cleaning and finishing
The brake disc thickness was within the allowable range.
Contact-area cleaning and anti-seize application
The front and rear brake discs were machined to address the braking complaint. The work also included removing contamination from exposed contact areas during disassembly, rather than ending with the machining alone.
Anti-seize application was included during reassembly. Disassembly, cleaning and reassembly were part of the work alongside machining.
Driving vibration and braking shudder require different checks. Pad-to-disc contact and actual braking feel need to be checked after disc work.
Inspect contact areas
Front and rear disc machining
Cleaning and anti-seize application
Actual brake-disc machining
What the final road test confirmed
On the post-work road test, the earlier steering-wheel and body vibration was gone and the steering wheel was centred. The unsettled side-to-side movement and light front-end feeling during acceleration were also gone, with stable running confirmed.
This followed a combination of alignment adjustment, wheel repair and tyre balancing. Checking the car again under the conditions that caused the complaint is part of the work.
Correct measurements and a road test tell us different things. Driving the car lets us check whether pulling remains, how settled it feels under acceleration and how the steering responds on different road surfaces.
That takes time and care, along with the responsibility of driving a valuable car entrusted to us.
This owner has trusted us with their cars for several years. On that basis, we checked the before-and-after behaviour under a range of driving conditions on this visit.
For a collection car, even additional mileage may be a concern. If you prefer, we can omit the road test on request.
We then focus on equipment measurements and the work itself, and explain that changes in actual driving behaviour have not been verified.
A performance car should be rewarding on the road
The pleasure of owning a special car should extend to driving it. A clean exterior and low mileage do not, by themselves, mean the car is in good driving condition if it pulls or vibrates on the road.
Plan care around how the car is used. Consider the last service and storage and driving patterns alongside mileage when planning inspections and routine maintenance.
Look for experience with the work your car needs. Adjustment points and access differ between cars.
Look for a workshop that can show and explain its inspection and work with real photographs and measurements.
Check the result after the work. Check measurements and assembly, then revisit the original complaint on a road test when the owner wants one.
Alongside this DB11, NHC documents actual maintenance work on cars including the Ferrari 488 Pista and AMG GT Black Series. The records show the work performed, beyond the model name.
Questions before booking
I already had an alignment done, but the pull and vibration remain. Should it be looked at again?
Yes, we recommend measuring again. Beyond alignment, pull and vibration can involve overlapping causes such as wheel deformation, tyre load variation and disc condition, so each needs to be checked separately.
If a wheel is bent, can it always be repaired?
No. The repairable range depends on the location and extent of the damage.
We first use precision wheel inspection to distinguish radial from lateral runout, determine the scope of repair, explain that result to you, and then proceed.
Does disc resurfacing eliminate brake shudder completely?
We cannot state that definitively. Resurfacing is work aimed at reducing a factor behind brake shudder, and whether it actually improves is judged by checking braking condition separately after the work.
Wouldn't replacing parts with new ones be faster?
Checking alignment, wheel and tyre condition before replacement lets you separate what adjustment resolves from what genuinely needs replacing.
Can you omit the road test to avoid adding mileage to a collection car?
Yes. Please tell us when booking or bringing the car in.
We can omit the road test on request, check equipment measurements and the work itself, and make clear that changes in pulling or vibration on the road have not been verified.
Still uncomfortable after an alignment?
If pulling and vibration remain after adjustment, let us check the cause before repeating the same work. We will inspect alignment, wheel and tyre condition and explain what the car needs now.
Discuss your driving concerns 031-258-1617
524 Maesonggosaek-ro, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon · By appointment