Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
I find that alignment in general has been over complicated like the rest of the systems in the rolling fleet. I really don't see where a 4 wheel or "Trust angle" alignment ever needed to be developed if the engineers just hadn't bothered to tell anyone that it was there. Better yet, just not have it there to begin with. Leave it to some wizbang Euro alloy shop to spend the coin on.
I took my daughter's old Taurus in for an alignment (I know the shop well), I figured the standard $59.95 front wheel job. Get the bill for $89.95 4WA and the rear adjustments were frozen. The charge was for the added labor of hanging the sensors and reading it.
The average consumer sees absolutely no benefit (my opinion) from these advanced suspensions technologies and supporting them over simpler and proven designs. So what if you can't pull .0002 more g's in a turn (or whatever).
Camber was a nice additional adjustment to the standard strut front end. It meant that you didn't have to trade it in if you ever got the slightest of front end damage.
The trend to low profile expensive tires I think also makes alignment a bigger issue than it was. My 65 series all seasons or 80 series snow tires aren't really that sensitive to alignment...
I find that alignment in general has been over complicated like the rest of the systems in the rolling fleet. I really don't see where a 4 wheel or "Trust angle" alignment ever needed to be developed if the engineers just hadn't bothered to tell anyone that it was there. Better yet, just not have it there to begin with. Leave it to some wizbang Euro alloy shop to spend the coin on.
I took my daughter's old Taurus in for an alignment (I know the shop well), I figured the standard $59.95 front wheel job. Get the bill for $89.95 4WA and the rear adjustments were frozen. The charge was for the added labor of hanging the sensors and reading it.
The average consumer sees absolutely no benefit (my opinion) from these advanced suspensions technologies and supporting them over simpler and proven designs. So what if you can't pull .0002 more g's in a turn (or whatever).
Camber was a nice additional adjustment to the standard strut front end. It meant that you didn't have to trade it in if you ever got the slightest of front end damage.
The trend to low profile expensive tires I think also makes alignment a bigger issue than it was. My 65 series all seasons or 80 series snow tires aren't really that sensitive to alignment...
