Alignment done right!

[The Artillerist]

Yes, I know, this “isn’t how pops did it” or your favorite local “premium” service station does it, but it’s just beautiful — I think — when the “good enough” just doesn’t cut it! Love to see people taking pride in what they do:

45 seconds of class:

 

[vavavroom]

I have an alignment guy like that. Watching him is a demonstration of experience, precision, accuracy, efficiency, and pride in a job well-done.

 

[ctechbob]

My preferred place for alignments does pretty much that exact thing. They are the go-to place in this area. You'll see all kinds of things in their shop for alignments. Exotics, race cars, regular ol street cars, etc. From the outside, you'd never know it, but there's a reason I make special 1-hour trips into Atlanta to have them do my stuff.

If you bring them your race car, you'll be the ballast in the seat for the alignment, so hopefully you're at your race-weight.

Yep, streetview has it just about right. Old Bronco, newer Porsche, and a Toyota(?) in the bay.

 

[DemoFly]

That's pretty standard for anyone with a rack. Cheap alignments are paying for what you get. Usually just a toe and go.

A quality alignment is well worth the money.

 

[The Artillerist]

That's pretty standard for anyone with a rack.

I’m just guessing here, but I think if one would be pick 10 just random alignment shops, at all 10 places one would get plate-sized eyes from an employee when asking for the rolling compensation and caster sweep to be not omitted during an alignment procedure.

 

[MattPersman]

That’s basically an alignment anywhere with a rack from the last 20 years

 

[The Artillerist]

That’s basically an alignment anywhere with a rack from the last 20 years

They’ll distribute additional weight, set the tire pressure, do the rolling compensation and caster sweep before proceeding to set an alignment, really?

 

[Astro14]

That’s basically an alignment anywhere with a rack from the last 20 years

That’s basically what an alignment shop with a new Hunter has been capable of doing for the last 20 years.

How many of them do you think actually do all that?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I had and alignment just done by local FORD dealer on a new rack asked for MIN toe-in as I drive on crowned roads. and the car has tonnes of caster and camber already. Car went in with near -0- toe, came out with 0.20 deg total toe in. They did adjust a rear toe-out condition, on the DS.

Now drives dink-toed. BIG FAIL.
The rack is just a tool, the proof is in in the drive.

ON unit body net build with struts, if you need an alignment, you bent something, or a bushing is worn or torn. Or in the case of the O.P, the suspension was disassembled.

 

[Mainia]

It is hard to find shops that will spend time on your alignment to get it right where you want it, especially race car or tuner cars that can get knocked out of alignment with high loads in bumpy corners. You are always doing a full 4 wheel alignment with toe and camber every time. We have a guy here where I live in a major city that I use to use, who does a lot of the racing cars around town. I first received his name from a nephew who use to do Pro Autocross. But his mental issues became to much to handle as all he did was complain he was going to kill himself all the time. ( looong term multi year issue) I just ignored him and tried to pull the subject elsewhere. I always tip him and the last time I went there he was a bit agitated and that affected his work. One of those who are professional whiners. The car took him over an hour and he started getting mad he could not do it under 1 hour and if over it was costing him ( yet he knows he always gets a tip) and he gave me the car with the steering wheel offset. He basically throw it back at me, here you go, he knew it was wrong. I will never go back to him again. My nephew dropped him too, because of the metal issues where just too much to stomach. My nephew found another place where the alignment guy is a European performance car owner and races cars, so we now get a good job done without issues and without a bad attitude.

The key is to find a alignment guy who has a performance car or a place that specifically takes race cars and tuner cars, then you will get a complete job done right, if the alignment guy is having a good day, I might add. From the years of having a performance cars, the average Joe alignment guy who drives an average car or truck for the most part has no passion to do it complete or does "good enough" that is not "good enough" for a tuner car. And some places don't charge the added time or DO......... and rip the average alignment buyer off since a simple toe adjustment takes 15 minutes and you are paying normally 60 minute fees. So the house is killing it on profit for a crap alignment for the average car.

 

[TumblrDucks]

I’m just guessing here, but I think if one would be pick 10 just random alignment shops, at all 10 places one would get plate-sized eyes from an employee when asking for the rolling compensation and caster sweep to be not omitted during an alignment procedure.

Proof: I have dealership handed me the after-alignment report that shows everything is not in the middle.
According to them green means good. They won't bother to touch it.

I wish I watch this video earlier!!

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Tire wear and how it drives is paramount. Rack, It's just a tool. With these new soft bushed suspensions, you can lay a hand on a tire sidewall and throw the alignment reading off while up on the rack.

 

[dubber09]

I go to same shop for years, a one-guy shop. He lets me follow him and to see what he does as we chat and he does perfect job; I get a free beer from him time to time

 

[DemoFly]

They’ll distribute additional weight, set the tire pressure, do the rolling compensation and caster sweep before proceeding to set an alignment, really?

A modern rack like a hunter won't even begin reading without a rolling/runout compensation and caster sweep.

 

[The Artillerist]

ON unit body net build with struts, if you need an alignment, you bent something, or a bushing is worn or torn.

What about unibody with a double wishbone suspension?

 

[MattPersman]

They’ll distribute additional weight, set the tire pressure, do the rolling compensation and caster sweep before proceeding to set an alignment, really?

Yes any bmw dealer will.

 

[MattPersman]

A modern rack like a hunter won't even begin reading without a rolling/runout compensation and caster sweep.

Exactly that’s what I’m saying

 

[Al]

In 50 years I have had 2 alignments. The second one was bc the first was don't wrong. Alignments are for the most part un necessary

 

[cb_13]

It depends on how the shop treats alignments and their alignment tech. One dealer I was at used entry level techs that knew enough to follow the machine and Hunter manual’s instructions. So they were in spec when they left. The techs were paid a low wage as they were entry level guys. Flat rate time on an alignment there was 1 hour and alignments were usually done as a loss leader with a tire sale or on suspension repairs done in house.

Another shop I was at charged significantly more to the customer but they also paid the tech 1.6 hrs. The alignment guy there was a true pro, he knew how to go out of spec to optimize handling or tire wear when requested. We had guys bring in Corvettes(to a Ford dealership), lowered imports and classic cars just for him to do the alignment on. He was also well compensated because his skill set was a selling point for the entire service department.

 

[TheLawnRanger]

My preferred place for alignments does pretty much that exact thing. They are the go-to place in this area. You'll see all kinds of things in their shop for alignments. Exotics, race cars, regular ol street cars, etc. From the outside, you'd never know it, but there's a reason I make special 1-hour trips into Atlanta to have them do my stuff.

If you bring them your race car, you'll be the ballast in the seat for the alignment, so hopefully you're at your race-weight.

Yep, streetview has it just about right. Old Bronco, newer Porsche, and a Toyota(?) in the bay.

View attachment 183523

I heard their movie is good.