Alignment question

mlody

New Member
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
I got a quote on a suspension work (replace shocks and springs) for $150, but that does not include alignment work. They told me it is recommended to do alignment after about 500 miles because suspension has to settle down before to make an accurate alignment. Is that true? Will me car be drivable without doing alignment? Should I get back to them and do the alignment (~$75) or shops like sears auto or just tires will be able to do the same for less. I am just concern that those shops do not deal that much with such suspension setups and might not be the best choice to align my car after lowering it.
 

imazn

New Member
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
it doesnt really matter, you can either do your alignment right afterward or in a couple days, but just dont wait too long. your car will be driveable, but sometimes your toe will be all out of wack making it hard to drive.

you can always look in the yellow pages to find a shop that specializes in alignment. 75 is a good price but i got mine done for 105. but the shop i went to is a hardcore alignment shop.
 


mlody

New Member
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
Imazn,

I have one more question to you. I finally made a purchase – I got Eibach pro-kit and kyb non adjustable. I should be getting them this week. After I put them, and take my car to a alignment shop, are there any options doing the alignment? I mean, a street setup, a track setup etc. I would like to have the longest tire thread life, plus maximum comfort. Any thoughts on that? I am also thinking about taking my car to a specialized shop that is only doing alignments – they quote me $105 as well. What should I be looking for after they do the job?
 

imazn

New Member
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
if is a specialized shop you can jsut tell them what you want in your alignment. just tell them what you jsut told me (longest tire thread life plus maximum comfort) they should know what to do. you probably wont need camber kit but if you do they'll tell you that too.
 


caddy

I found Waldo
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
That's right, the basic charge does not include the possibility of camber kits. They'll be able to calculate your current setting with the manufacturers setting. On top of that, there is a small degree of allowance. This will be fine if your just streeting your car. If after installing your suspension and doing the basic allignment it fall within this allowance area, you will not need camber bolts. Although if you are picky or want to do autox, a specialty shop is recommended. Usually if your going 1.5" or more, expect extra time for extra suspension hardware. Unfortunately it's hard to tell if they do a proper job without an alignment machine. Obvious things to look for in a proper job are pulling, vibration or tire wear.
 

M706

somethingmorethannothing
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
are you guys sayin that if you drop your suspension you don't need a camber kit?
 

imazn

New Member
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
it really depends on the drop. if you use springs like h&r oe which only drop around .75, i highly doubt you would need camber kits. camber kits are usually needed for anything over 1.5 of a drop. but this does not always happen, but usually happens. like a said, an alignment shop will tell you if you need camber kits or not.
 

mlody

New Member
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
imazn,

so based on your oppinion, should I invest $ into a camber kit or I will be ok with Pro-Kit cause I am still not sure about that?

thanks
 

imazn

New Member
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
i cant realy tell you. why dont you get an alignment first and see what the people tell you then go from there.
 


Top