8GTOKLR

iTrader: (6)

Whats the deal? I have spoken to 4 shops and none can align my car. But the dealer can. So I call them and they cant give me a straight anwser on when or how long to get me in. California Love.




2000 6SPD 65,000 MILES. MOD: HYPERTECH, WS6STORE SHORT STICK, FLOWMASTER MUFFLER.

ROCNDAV

iTrader: (100)

I wish there was a simple write up like those on Install university, that we could do our selves. I hate dealing with alignments and shops. They either want an arm and a leg or if I pay the life time alignments, it seems as if they dont actually do it.

D

Josh2021

I've never had a problem with getting an alignment or getting spec I want for that matter. But then agian I go to a shop that deals with race/race preped cars all day.

8GTOKLR

iTrader: (6)

The shops all said there is a special strut tool that guages the caster camber I guess?


2000 6SPD 65,000 MILES. MOD: HYPERTECH, WS6STORE SHORT STICK, FLOWMASTER MUFFLER.

brifri

NO the special tool is to adjust camber and caster. ITs not that hard but must techs think it sucks. and most dont like fbodys.

I was trained at HUNTER ENG., and we got hands on training with are own cars. With the best alignment machine DSP 600 with the red flashing lights.
So me and my buddy 22"rims lowered on 2000 yukon. Got the best alignment for free. At our shop we cant go bigger the 18" i think. But the 22" were no problem at hunter.

They will align your car for free if you schedule appointment and have tight frontend parts. If there is one close to you. Chicago,kansascity,stl. other areas I dont know.

ROCNDAV

iTrader: (100)

That explains why I get the run around. Mother F'rs dont tell you that when they are selling you a lifetime alignment program.

Why do they do it for free? I wish there was one in Los Angeles, or at least a good High Performance shop that does alignments.

The bastards tell me that their printer is out of paper when I ask for a print out. I am so sick of them. My new GSD3 tire (that they installed) is wearing unevenly on the inside. I told them to check the alignment and balance. THey said it was fine and that it "might" be my tire pressure. Wouldn't they have cheacked the pressure and tell me for certain? The answer would be BS anyway because all tires register within .5 pound of each other. THen they tell me not to trust a digital pressure guage . Of course they keep my car all friggin day long, and tell me this as they are closing, as I have to take it back, as I cant be without it...

<anger vent mode off>


David

brifri

Lifetime alignment Never heard of it. As soon as customer leaves he could hit a curb and then warranty it, no way. tires maybe for a year free replacement(if not abused or neglected), prorated after.

They will do it for free cause they get hands on experiance with the teacher demonstrating. watching over.

You should always get printout if you pay 60-80 dollars it better be straight and have proof, unless you have bad parts or bent frame/rear end. Some times inner edge wear is from SPORTIVE WEAR. meaning pushing through corners/aggresive driving.
Granted we have sporty cars dont mean we drive like ******** though. there is green cobra non s/c running around St. peters that comes in to my shop the we call him sportive wear runs KDWSs though. Hear him drive by all the time NON CATs just like the black SS w/blackZR1s. LS1 sounds louder, but raspier.

8GTOKLR

iTrader: (6)

All the mom and pop places like Midas, PepBoys cant afford this dam tool ! what a pisser




83775 GM F Body Camber Caster Tool
[83775] $33.99

This tool allows for fine, accurate, easy adjustments of camber or caster on GM "F" body vehicles. No extra parts or cutting/grinding needed.
APPLICATIONS:
Adjust front camber/caster on 1993 & up:
Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Trans Am.
Adjust rear toe on 1978-1992:
Buick Riviera, Cadillac Eldorado, Seville, Oldsmobile Toronado.

ROCNDAV

iTrader: (100)

Whose PN and price is that? Where are you located in LA county? do you know of a good shop that does F bodies?

David

8GTOKLR

iTrader: (6)

Hey Dave

Here is the link for the tool. My mechanic is not in town so he didnt know anyone of the top. So I took my car to the dealer this morning. GM finished in an hour! 50bucks

http://www.prosuspension.com/product...0342222b98dadb


2000 6SPD 65,000 MILES. MOD: HYPERTECH, WS6STORE SHORT STICK, FLOWMASTER MUFFLER.

ROCNDAV

iTrader: (100)

My local GM dealer, O'Donnell Chevrolet in San Gabriel, doesnt do wheel alignments

When I do my LS1 swap, I want to try and get everything as closes as possible, since I am swapping out K members, upper and lower A arms.

Where is your Mechanic out of? I wish there were more performance places in San Gabriel Valley.

D

ACW

How about http://www.allpar.com/fix/alignment.html ?

ROCNDAV

iTrader: (100)

Thanks.

D

brifri

That particular tool sucks I mean it works ok at least the first couple times then the threads are getting hard to turn due to bending.

My buddy at work has that one he has bought 2 or 3. then bought the MATCO one for 150 and it is twice as thick and dosent bend or get hard to turn. He gave me the old little one since i have two fbodies.

But he is the alignment guy so i just use his tools since my Snap on box is on other side of our shop.

When i got the alignment at hunter it was still in the red meaning not within spec. but only 1/10th of a degree. neg. caster. It was out of adjustment. meaning the rear A arm bolt (slot) cant be moved anymore.

pimpmaro

It doesn't take any special tools to get a perfect alignment on an F-body. Just find someone who not only knows what they're doing, but actually gives a damn. There's also a very good reason I always wander back into the shop when they get around to aligning my car. They tend to do a better job on the car if the owner is there, especially if the owner demonstrates that he actually knows wtf he's talking about.

ROCNDAV

iTrader: (100)

Yeah, it really pisses me off how most people just dont give a damn about their work anymore. I'm not just talking about technicians, Im even talking about the guy at the counter at a fast food restaraunt.

I was at a Pepboys once and a lady went up to an employee and asked for a certain item, without thinkng he replied "we dont carry those". As she walked away I told her what aisle and where in it the item could be found.

D

brifri

I agree Evertime a customer asks a question a try to be helpful as I can to explain things. or be nice. and show them in the shop.

Your right about watching techs while working on their cars. Theres 2 M5s that we do tires on and one has Denin exhaust/dual CarbonFiber Intake. and the stock one the owner drives into the shop. That dosent happen often. But usually some folks watch through the glass or walk right up to us but we are use to it.

And really i could due it with a Prybar but the tool makes it easier.

SLP4CamaroSS

iTrader: (16)

its funny but sears can do it

Foxxtron

iTrader: (1)

Yes, funny you mentioned that because I went to Sears to get my car aligned and they didn't give me the runaround that the dealers did. If I had an aftermarket design, then they would not offer to align. I didn't ask for the specs afterwards so I can't tell you whether they can give a printout or not. I mean give me a break, If one is a GM dealer with a GM Goodwrench service shop, why the resistance?

I noticed some of the people in this thread are in SoCal as well as I am, and what surprises me that dealerships in this highly populous area of North America have a hard time offering alignment service for an OEM equipped vehicle. Heck even in my native Winnipeg, MB, I had no problem with any of the dealers offering to align my OEM suspension vehicle.

2000TransAmWS6

iTrader: (12)

for our cars there is basically no way to adjust the caster, which to me is not a big deal because it didn't make a noticable difference in the way my car drove. i lowered my car alittle more than 1.5 inch and i had to adjust the camber all the way in for it to be correct.

i did mine myself at school (UTI) and it really wasn't that hard. as someone else up here said, if you can find someone who knows what they're doing, the job is not too hard.