Prius Alignment

[The Critic]

I had my friend's 2006 Prius aligned by the geniuses at Pep Boys. Here are the results:

Most of the initial readings have been removed since they were were erroneous. You can thank the geniuses for that-- they did something during the initial setup that goofed the readings.

Nevertheless, here are a few observations:

1) The steering wheel is a bit off center--it's clocked slightly to the right. This is probably due to the fact that the geniuses did not use a steering wheel holder when they performed the alignment. I'll take the car to a different Pep Boys and have it realigned soon.

2) The RF camber is at -1.4 degrees. The car pulls slightly to the right. Not sure what is causing it though since according to the results, the car should be pulling to the left.

3) Pep Boys wanted $107 ($46 for the part, $61 for the labor) to install a RF camber bolt to correct the camber. Instead, I ordered a Moog "Fast Cam" bolt, part # K90475 for $17 shipped from RockAuto. Supposedly, this bolt will offer one degree of either positive or negative adjustment. Since I need exactly one degree of positive adjustment in this situation, would installing the bolt and setting the bolt to the "max positive setting" correct my camber problem?

4) Although I am going to install the bolt before taking the car back in for another alignment, how far off will my toe be after installing the camber bolt?

Thanks!

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Why anybody in their right mind would take a nice Prius to Pep Boys [instead of the dealer] for a alignment baffles me with all the negative remarks that have been posted on here on Pep Boys...They can't even change the oil properly...There are no better then the Peanut Butter place that changes oil.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
Why anybody in their right mind would take a nice Prius to Pep Boys [instead of the dealer] for a alignment baffles me with all the negative remarks that have been posted on here on Pep Boys...They can't even change the oil properly...There are no better then the Peanut Butter place that changes oil.




Aligning a Prius is no different than aligning a Corolla, Matrix or a Camry.

Not all Pep Boys Service Centers are poorly run. The ones that I have been to in Sacramento have been great. I just happened to come across a "bad egg" this time around.

 

[bepperb]

The problem is that most dealers don't do their own alignments, and double the prices to still get a profit on the service.

We don't have pep boys, so I can't weigh in.

 

[mechtech2]

What did Pep Boys do?
Only check the alignment?
Because it's hard to believe they would let that camber error go untouched, or without a recommendation to you to get it fixed.
It sure is odd that it pulls the OTHER way [as you noticed].
Possible tire problems?
I'd gt a hold of them and discuss it, as you have the smarts to do so.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
What did Pep Boys do?
Only check the alignment?
Because it's hard to believe they would let that camber error go untouched, or without a recommendation to you to get it fixed.
It sure is odd that it pulls the OTHER way [as you noticed].
Possible tire problems?
I'd gt a hold of them and discuss it, as you have the smarts to do so.


Pep Boys adjusted RF toe.

As stated in the original post, they recommended that I install a camber bolt on the RF for $107. The tires are new Cooper CS4 tourings that were installed at the same time.

 

[The_Jeff]

Remember if you mess with the camber you're going to mess with the toe again.

Since it sounds like they have a warranty see if you can get a free re-check after you put the bolt in.

Mention the bolt, and that it's "always been in there"

 

[Boczech]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
Why anybody in their right mind would take a nice Prius to Pep Boys [instead of the dealer] for a alignment baffles me with all the negative remarks that have been posted on here on Pep Boys...They can't even change the oil properly...There are no better then the Peanut Butter place that changes oil.




Aligning a Prius is no different than aligning a Corolla, Matrix or a Camry.

Not all Pep Boys Service Centers are poorly run. The ones that I have been to in Sacramento have been great. I just happened to come across a "bad egg" this time around.


Which one did you go to ? I use to take my work car to the one on Northgate and they seemed okay for a lof.

 

[mechtech2]

A camber bolt is simply a skinnier bolt. Less clamp force.
But if you want, you can get one yourself at a hardware store. Obviously, get the strongest super duper one that you can.
But another option is to slot the strut hole. It is a ten minute job, and you can use the stock bolt. A dremel, or even a drill bit can be used.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Boczech
Which one did you go to ? I use to take my work car to the one on Northgate and they seemed okay for a lof.


The ones on Stockton Blvd and Arden Way are OK. The one that screwed up the alignment was the one on Storey in East San Jose, CA.

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
A camber bolt is simply a skinnier bolt. Less clamp force.
But if you want, you can get one yourself at a hardware store. Obviously, get the strongest super duper one that you can.
But another option is to slot the strut hole. It is a ten minute job, and you can use the stock bolt. A dremel, or even a drill bit can be used.


I already bought a camber bolt from Moog-- $17 shipped. Now the tough part is installing it-- what size are the bolts?

 

[chrome]

I installed front camber bolts myself once before bringing the car in for an alignment. Made a DIY camber gauge from a $10 spirit level, a straight piece of extruded aluminum and some self-tapping screws.

Installed the camber bolts to the mid adjustment range, tighten, reinstall the wheel. Ensure car is perfectly level (left compared to right), and then check and compare left and right wheel camber with the DIY gauge. With a bit of trigonometry, you can calculate the camber in degrees and minutes. You only need to get it approximate to be able to drive safely to the alignment place, where they will do the final adjustments.

 

[The Critic]

Well, the car is at almost 84k now (15k since alignment) and the steering wheel is about 20 degrees to the right. I guess the RF toe must be off? Or did the camber bolt come loose? Ideas?

 

[mechtech2]

If the steering wheel is off/crooked, your toe may still be perfect. It is not the deciding factor.
It requires you to move one side in, and the other side out by the same amount.
It would annoy me to drive with a crooked steering wheel.

 

[goodtimes]

The requirements to do an alignment are a good understanding of the machine, a desire to do an accurate careful job, and perfect cleanliness of all the parts. Maybe more. It isn't easy to find a person who will step up and do these things right, as if it were their money and car.

 

[RH+G]

Car pulls to the right cause of the camber readings. Bolts are easy to put in but definelty need an alignment afterward

 

[unDummy]

If you install the bolt, you will need a full complete new alignment.
The bolt is just not skinner, it'll have an eccentric or cam profile to it, preferably to the bolt itself and not just the head.
Usually, you can simply loosen the strut bolts and have a strong arm pulling the top of the tire and re-tighten since the strut bolt holes tend to have some play in them, and not even need the eccentrics.
When you need the bolts, you are making up for suspension wear or accident damage.

If the vehicle has stability control, it'll need a zero-point VSC reset after the alignment, along with reinitialization of the power windows, sunroof, compass, electric steering....... Owner is lucky if that vehicle doesn't have the fancies. If it does, don't go to Pepboys if they don't know how to deal with a VSC zero-point. Most dealers that I've seen required tech R&D re-awakening when making the zero-point 'demand'. Its a must if required my your year/model.

Pepboys is only as accurate as their technicians, and the frequency of the alignment machine calibrations.