New suspension setup...alignment shops?

[neocrynym]

Wow...only the third thread in the suspension forum!?

Anyway, I'm wondering if people out there could post up places they've had good experiences with getting their modded (lowered, custom settings, etc.) vehicles aligned? Right now I have an appointment set for this coming week at a shop near where I live. I know a guy there that said he'd make sure it's done right, but as always, it doesn't hurt to shop around!

I need somewhere that has no problem installing a bunch of new/aftermarket suspension parts AND doing the alignment itself (with camber, caster, and toe settings of my choosing). As far as the parts go, I'd normally do ALL that myself if I was back home (access to air tools, etc.), but alas, I have none of that down here, nor access to another car to use if I break something on mine that hinders it from being driven.


So, what shops are people liking for alignments these days?

[Tungsten]

I have always used Tire World in Smyrna for my alignments. Both the 1998 GT that I owned previously and the 2003 Mach have been lowered and the shop was able to accomodate them without any problems.

[Mike]

I could install the parts for you. I would reccommend Jon(89lx-ls2) for your alignment.

When are you looking at doing this?

[neocrynym]

Tire World in Smyrna...hhhmmm...if I can't find anywhere closer that's cheaper than my current place, I'll give them a call!

Looking to have all this done early next week. I took Tuesday off work...that's when my current appointment is.

[Mike]

Who do you have the appt. with now?

[neocrynym]

Who do you have the appt. with now?

Franklin Tire. It's right by where I live, price wasn't horrible (a little high, but not outrageous), and Matt from MFG assured me it'd be taken care of.

[89LX-LS2]

Im rigth down the street from franklin tire at darrel waltrip volvo. i can do custom spec for anything just let me know. usually charge 55 for custom specs.

[neocrynym]

$55.00 for a good solid 4-wheel alignment?

How much additional cost you think to replace both front upper control arms, both rear camber arms, and both rear toe arms with aftermarket (note: the 2 front arms require popping upper balljoints). Let me know, thanks.

[lightasakite]

Hey 89lx do you know where i can get any sky jacker shocks for the back of a mustang lmao the stock ones won seem to reach!
POwer

[neocrynym]

Bringing this back from the dead because I'm in need of an alignment again. VERY long story short, Franklin Tire royally fudged my alignment last year (there were safety issues with the car after they got done with it), then tried to blame me for their piss-poor knowledge and work, claiming I didn't know my own car.

Anyway, who out there can align my car? I've had it eyeball aligned for about the last year, but I'd like to get it spot-on. Someone/where that will do custom alignment specs (don't need to install parts, that's all installed already and has been for a while), someone/where that's willing to deal with my pickiness (ie: tweak settings, take it off the rack so I can drive it a minute and let the suspension settle, put it back on the rack, tweak more, repeat), and someone/where that will let me near the car while it's being aligned so I can show them how to adjust and retighten the components. Car is lowered w/ aftermarket suspension stuff.

Any help in finding someone up to the task is appreciated.

[Bob-E]

Your suspension shouldn't settle any more, if you have had it on for long. What suspension components do you have? Do you have camber bolts/camber plates? What are your custom aligment specs? If you insist on driving and realigning again, you will get charged twice at everywhere I know. Christian Bros in Franklin can do your alignment.

[turbolover02]

Your suspension shouldn't settle any more, if you have had it on for long. What suspension components do you have? Do you have camber bolts/camber plates? What are your custom aligment specs? If you insist on driving and realigning again, you will get charged twice at everywhere I know. Christian Bros in Franklin can do your alignment.

X2 on Christian Bros, only q is how low are you because my 240 couldn't make it up the ramp for the alignment. Then again it was looooooooow.

[kwikrnu]

The firestone at harding and nolensville rd did my mustang a couple of years ago. They did a good job plus it has a lifetime alignment guarantee.

[davidj]

The firestone at harding and nolensville rd did my mustang a couple of years ago. They did a good job plus it has a lifetime alignment guarantee.$140 for the lifetime deal. Do you take your car regularly? heh

I've been trying to avoid buying the lifetime deal because I don't know how often I would use it. Do you take your car for an alignment on a regular basis?

[Bob-E]

You should probably align your car more than never, DeeJayOyYay.

[Octave236]

aaroNX use the lifetime thing and takes his car everytime he has to take a strut off or an axle or just if he feels like it. I think they know him by name. He ask's to set it to 0* camber for drag but Im not totally 100% positive.

[Jason]

The firestone at harding and nolensville rd did my mustang a couple of years ago. They did a good job plus it has a lifetime alignment guarantee.

I use the lifetime deal on my BMW. I'm learning to do the vette myself.

[davidj]

Yeah, I probably haven't had an alignment in 3-4 years. :dunno:

It drives straight... most of the time. I might do the $140 deal some day.

[kwikrnu]

$140 for the lifetime deal. Do you take your car regularly? heh

I've been trying to avoid buying the lifetime deal because I don't know how often I would use it. Do you take your car for an alignment on a regular basis?


A lot of people change out springs or go to the track and may change their alignment a couple of times or more over the course of a year.
They have specials in mailers occasionally for around $100, or at least they used to.

[2000AtlanticGT]

I have the Firestone lifetime alignment deal as well with the Mustang. I have used it three times since I bought it, last time was after the Maximum Motorsports suspension (k-member, a-arms, coil overs) was installed. I thought they might say something about the after market suspension but they did not care at all.

[neocrynym]

Your suspension shouldn't settle any more, if you have had it on for long. What suspension components do you have? Do you have camber bolts/camber plates? What are your custom aligment specs? If you insist on driving and realigning again, you will get charged twice at everywhere I know. Christian Bros in Franklin can do your alignment.

It does all settle/re-seat itself again after you take the wheels off the ground. Namely the shocks/coilovers are what need settling. It works like this: drive the car on to the rack, check settings, raise each corner and adjust as needed, re-tighten nuts/bolts, put car back on all 4, drive off rack and around the block so stuff can settle, drive back onto machine, repeat process as necessary. That's what my old mechanic always did with all our cars. That's also what the last place did, except they left out the "re-tighten nuts/bolts" part:stare2: I've never heard of someone charging you for 3 alignments if the car needs to be taken on/off the rack a few times.

To answer your questions, I have fully adjustable coilovers, front and rear adjustable camber arms, adjustable rear toe arms, and front/rear upper/lower strut and sway bars. Custom specs I'm looking for: stock toe, stock caster, -1 rear camber, -.5 front camber.

So will this Christian Bros. place work on modded cars? That's kind of my whole point in asking for someone on here that could hopefully do it...like none of the shops I've talked to will touch modded cars. Bleh. I have to go to the Firestone by me this weekend for another matter, so I'll talk to them then about the car I need done. If they can't do it I'll give C.B. a call.

[Bob-E]

After a year, your coilover springs are very "settled". Doesn't matter how many times you lift the car off the ground, as long as all the bolts are tight, the alignment settings are not gonna change due to "settling". If you wanna play with coilover heights, I would take it to Vettesport (I think that's the name) and have it corner weighted (expensive), but I suspect this is not a track car, so I would just take it Firestone and get the lifetime alignment plan. I'm also curious why you want to run -.5 front and -1 rear camber. Sounds like understeer hell in a FWD.

[neocrynym]

Maybe you're not understanding what I mean by "settled." When I take a wheel off the ground via jack, lift, etc., the weight of the wheel/tire make the strut and spring decompress/lurch downward. As soon as I set that wheel back on the ground, that corner of the car now sits higher, and thus has slightly more positive camber. In order to get the ride height back down to the proper level and the car settled back down, it's easiest (on my car atleast) to just drive it around quick so it all goes back to normal. That's what I mean by settled. Coilover heights are already set and car has been cornerweighted (we had scales back home, so mine was free:-p). Not a track car, but not a DD either. And -.5/-1 is what feels best on my car/setup, so that's what I'm sticking with. It just all got out of whack after the last place touched it, so now I need it done again.

[Bob-E]

If it has been cornerweighted, then I wouldn't touch the coilover collars and only the camber bolts and the tie rods for toe.

I still can't make sense out of your settling theory, maybe I'm totally missing something. the way you put it it every time the car is off the ground, the settings change. If that were correct, then you would be doing an infinite amount of alignments.

change settings
drive
settings change
change settings
drive
settings change
etc.
ad infinitum

Why would it be right the second time and not the first?

Just trying to save you money and WTF looks from the alignment shop.

[cooter]

Last time I got an alignment done, it was done without lifting the tires off the ground. You just drive up onto a set of ramps and put the detectors on the wheel faces. I think it was a Hunter machine (whatever they have at DW-Volvo).

[Octave236]

I'm feeling what cooter's sayin... or am I feeling cooter :stare:

[Jason]

I still can't make sense out of your settling theory, maybe I'm totally missing something. the way you put it it every time the car is off the ground, the settings change. If that were correct, then you would be doing an infinite amount of alignments.



The alignment settings don't change, but when you take the car down off the jacks, the suspension will not fully compress until the car has been driven. So you can't get an accurate measurement until you drive the car, bring it back and measure your camber on the face of the wheel.

[Jason]

Last time I got an alignment done, it was done without lifting the tires off the ground. You just drive up onto a set of ramps and put the detectors on the wheel faces. I think it was a Hunter machine (whatever they have at DW-Volvo).

That's an ideal set-up, but us hacks don't have all that fancy equipment. ;)

[Bob-E]

The alignment settings don't change, but when you take the car down off the jacks, the suspension will not fully compress until the car has been driven. So you can't get an accurate measurement until you drive the car, bring it back and measure your camber on the face of the wheel.


I see what you're saying, but I aint buying it's gonna be much if any change on a car with year old springs. All that work for a 0.aintgonnaevenshaveonetenthofasecond999 change? No thanks

What did you end up getting for your home alignment setup, Jason? I need to get on some scales bad.

[Matt]

dont bring it to CB...Ill only do it once, if its done right the first time....

Think ur being to picky about ur street car alignment.

[Jason]

I see what you're saying, but I aint buying it's gonna be much if any change on a car with year old springs. All that work for a 0.aintgonnaevenshaveonetenthofasecond999 change? No thanks

What did you end up getting for your home alignment setup, Jason? I need to get on some scales bad.

I know when I drop my car off the jacks, the tires are at a pretty funky angle. All of this is moot with a Hunter machine though.

I use a SmartCamber gauge:
http://www.smartracingproducts.com/alignment.htm

And the toe tool from Hardbar. Works on any 5lug pattern:
http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=44

[neocrynym]

If it has been cornerweighted, then I wouldn't touch the coilover collars and only the camber bolts and the tie rods for toe.

That's the plan. Might have to touch the rear toe adjusters too, but I doubt the toe has changed much back there, if any.

I still can't make sense out of your settling theory, maybe I'm totally missing something.

What I was trying to say, but couldn't...I need to go back to school, lol:

The alignment settings don't change, but when you take the car down off the jacks, the suspension will not fully compress until the car has been driven. So you can't get an accurate measurement until you drive the car, bring it back and measure your camber on the face of the wheel.

Last time I got an alignment done, it was done without lifting the tires off the ground. You just drive up onto a set of ramps and put the detectors on the wheel faces. I think it was a Hunter machine (whatever they have at DW-Volvo).

I know my TSX can be adjusted with the wheels all on the ground on the rack, but to adjust camber on my Civic, I have to lift the corners atleast high enough to get an arm in there at the bolts:(

dont bring it to CB...Ill only do it once, if its done right the first time....

Think ur being to picky about ur street car alignment.

Are you saying you work at CB or something? And I don't think I'm being too picky, but I am picky w/ my cars, as I think we all are. Alignment affects so many things, including tire wear, safety, traction, bearing wear, etc. So if I want a good alignment to my standards, and I'm paying for it w/ my hard-earned money, then a good alignment is what I should get...street car or not:D

[turbolover02]

^^ yes he works at CB.

[Matt]

Alignment affects so many things, including tire wear, safety, traction, bearing wear, etc. So if I want a good alignment to my standards, and I'm paying for it w/ my hard-earned money, then a good alignment is what I should get...street car or not:D


yea and can be set with one pass on the rack if u know what ur doing. Ur right its ur hard earned money and ur gong to pay twice as much for the same job.....

[Moody]

yea and can be set with one pass on the rack if u know what ur doing. Ur right its ur hard earned money and ur gong to pay twice as much for the same job.....

Hey Matt, will you allow me to sit in my car while you align it? I've always had it done this way, and have had some pretty good success (only with the Supra, it never seemed to matter on the Subaru, etc...)

[Matt]

Hey Matt, will you allow me to sit in my car while you align it? I've always had it done this way, and have had some pretty good success (only with the Supra, it never seemed to matter on the Subaru, etc...)

yes....