Ranting on a fiasco alignment
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 99
Ranting on a fiasco alignment Car is at the aligmnent shop (supposedly one that know what they are doing and has installed adjustable lower control arms).
Background.
1998 Z 28 A4 -never wrecked - original owner.
Car had no tire wear what so ever with stock setup.
Replaced stock K member with UMI K Member, UMI Lower adj a-arms and non adjustable upper arms.
Stock springs with Koni SA adjustable shocks set up upper stock setting - 3 clicks from soft.
Shop already has 7 hours into the alignment and still isn't done.
They said they had to remove sway bars, remove the shocks (I call them shocks - they call them struts), remove the two big bolts because the adjustment on settings on a-arms is so far out that no more room to move the bolts which tie the arm to the k-member in the 3 inch slots in order to remove the hiem joints so they can be centerd to adjust the heim joint in or out.
I'm not at the shop but as I recall the slots are at least three inches.
I call it all BS - but they have my car and it looks as if I won't get it until they are done with a huge amount of unnecessary labor.
BTW - I've replaced the shocks, and springs and all new rubber pieces on top so I kind of know what is involved to do this stuff. And laying on my back under 18 inch jackstands + I'm 62 without the convenience of a lift. I've replaced the shocks to lower the Koni shocks to lower level, moved them back up a second time, replace stock springs with Strano springs and then replaced the Stano springs with stock springs again (car way to low). In short - I've done this many times this and it doesn't take a whole day.
So it's kind of bizzare to me how they can say it takes nearly 8 hours to loosen and adjust 4 bolts or possibly six on the lower controls arms to align the car.
Just a rant and advise to those who might be doing this in the future - make darn sure the shop you have doing this has actually done it and know what to do rather than saying they have done and actually haven't.
Kind of like this last shop who installed my wide band and left the terminator plug in the wideband and installed it so it is impossible to remove either the terminator plug and the o2 sensor without removing the PCM first. He installed the controller under the pcm. And this was by a shop who installed turbos for a living.
From now on I will just do the work myself.
Background.
1998 Z 28 A4 -never wrecked - original owner.
Car had no tire wear what so ever with stock setup.
Replaced stock K member with UMI K Member, UMI Lower adj a-arms and non adjustable upper arms.
Stock springs with Koni SA adjustable shocks set up upper stock setting - 3 clicks from soft.
Shop already has 7 hours into the alignment and still isn't done.
They said they had to remove sway bars, remove the shocks (I call them shocks - they call them struts), remove the two big bolts because the adjustment on settings on a-arms is so far out that no more room to move the bolts which tie the arm to the k-member in the 3 inch slots in order to remove the hiem joints so they can be centerd to adjust the heim joint in or out.
I'm not at the shop but as I recall the slots are at least three inches.
I call it all BS - but they have my car and it looks as if I won't get it until they are done with a huge amount of unnecessary labor.
BTW - I've replaced the shocks, and springs and all new rubber pieces on top so I kind of know what is involved to do this stuff. And laying on my back under 18 inch jackstands + I'm 62 without the convenience of a lift. I've replaced the shocks to lower the Koni shocks to lower level, moved them back up a second time, replace stock springs with Strano springs and then replaced the Stano springs with stock springs again (car way to low). In short - I've done this many times this and it doesn't take a whole day.
So it's kind of bizzare to me how they can say it takes nearly 8 hours to loosen and adjust 4 bolts or possibly six on the lower controls arms to align the car.
Just a rant and advise to those who might be doing this in the future - make darn sure the shop you have doing this has actually done it and know what to do rather than saying they have done and actually haven't.
Kind of like this last shop who installed my wide band and left the terminator plug in the wideband and installed it so it is impossible to remove either the terminator plug and the o2 sensor without removing the PCM first. He installed the controller under the pcm. And this was by a shop who installed turbos for a living.
From now on I will just do the work myself.
Shouldn't take any more than 1 hour, And that's with all aftermarket suspension, with alignment set close to your specs! 
FYI, the UMI lower front control arms are preset to factory lenght, at most the rear rodend will need to be adjusted a couple of turns in, or out!
Sounds like you took it to the Wrong Place.
Good luck!
FYI, the UMI lower front control arms are preset to factory lenght, at most the rear rodend will need to be adjusted a couple of turns in, or out!
Sounds like you took it to the Wrong Place.
Good luck!
Last edited by 99Bluz28; Feb 26, 2009 at 02:01 PM.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,869
Likes: 99
Update:
Shop worked on the car attempting to align from 3:30 PM until 7:00 and then from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm at which time they said the car is aligned.
Steering wheel still not straight up and now no power steering at idle.
When I can get the car on the lift will post pictures of how this shop adjusted the lower control arms. All the way out of one side and all the way in on the other side - not even close to the original adjustment which is spec'd when shipped from UMI.
Note: When I complained about the time required to get the car aligned the shop owner told me to come and get my car the 'blank' out of his shop. He said he didn't like whiners about the work he does.
Shop worked on the car attempting to align from 3:30 PM until 7:00 and then from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm at which time they said the car is aligned.
Steering wheel still not straight up and now no power steering at idle.
When I can get the car on the lift will post pictures of how this shop adjusted the lower control arms. All the way out of one side and all the way in on the other side - not even close to the original adjustment which is spec'd when shipped from UMI.
Note: When I complained about the time required to get the car aligned the shop owner told me to come and get my car the 'blank' out of his shop. He said he didn't like whiners about the work he does.
