Wow...it's amazing what a good alignment can do

Post by **Legacy777** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:14 am

I just got the car aligned yesterday.

I must say I'm pretty impressed with the results. All we messed with was the front. The rear was pretty much still in check from the previous alignment.

camber was a little tweaked in the front and toe was messed up....which I'm a little curious as to why....possibly from the steering rack bushing install....who knows.

Anyway I've got around 1 degree of neg camber in the front -0.9 to be exact give or take. The rear has around the same. Toe is zero in the front....rear toe is a little squirly 0.12 deg on the left & 0.02 on the right. Still within spec, but not really optimal....oh well.

I really wanna do the trans & AWD swap because I will replace all the bushings or suspension componants so new bushings are there, and add the ability to adjust more in the rear.

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:58 am

did you do the allignment yourself? I wanna know how! the starion alignment is all kinds of screwed up.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:05 am

Fresh alignments kick ass. There's nothing like improving the handling of a car by just moving a few suspension components around.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:21 am

you have to have an alignment rack to do an alignment. it's not worth it. take it to firestone, pay the $138, and get your lifetime, then just drop it by on your lunch hour every few thousand miles

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:42 am

i guess thats better than my method:

pulling to the left? drive the right side in to a curb.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:59 am

hahaha. that worked for me for many months.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 7:01 am

You can do an alignment without a rack... it's just very approximate. Basically, you can just use a tape measure to measure toe, and then adjust it. Toe's normally adjusted by a threaded sleeve in the tie rod or somesuch. Camber can be measured with a protractor and a plumb bob, and is adjusted by turning the cammed upper strut-to-hub bolt after loosening the nut. It varies car to car but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Caster isn't adjustable on most cars.

Scott, if you have any type of service manual for your Starion, look through it for alignment instructions; it probably has some info.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 7:16 am

My old Sube GLs would align themselves (except the time I rammed those uncovered RR tracks @ 50mph). The cars would pull for a few weeks, but before I could bring it in, they would miraculously start tracking straight. Very strange and they both did it.

Steve

Post by **Legacy777** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 2:47 pm

I took it to a shop around here that does quite a few alignments for the performance guys, and will set the alignment to your specs.

I'll pay someone to do it rather then me mess it up.....since I don't have the right tools.

totech · Post by **totech** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:13 pm

evolutionmovement wrote:My old Sube GLs would align themselves (except the time I rammed those uncovered RR tracks @ 50mph). The cars would pull for a few weeks, but before I could bring it in, they would miraculously start tracking straight. Very strange and they both did it.

Steve

Naa- you just got used to it

That is what I thought too....

magnux · Post by **magnux** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:52 pm

Legacy777 wrote: I'll pay someone to do it rather then me mess it up.....since I don't have the right tools.

Bah, you always have the right tools to mess it up.

rallysam · Post by **rallysam** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 2:48 pm

vrg3 wrote:You can do an alignment without a rack... it's just very approximate. Basically, you can just use a tape measure to measure toe, and then adjust it. Toe's normally adjusted by a threaded sleeve in the tie rod or somesuch. Camber can be measured with a protractor and a plumb bob, and is adjusted by turning the cammed upper strut-to-hub bolt after loosening the nut. It varies car to car but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Caster isn't adjustable on most cars.

Scott, if you have any type of service manual for your Starion, look through it for alignment instructions; it probably has some info.

For most people, just take it to a shop. As for the procedure above, been there, done that. For most people, it's more trouble than the cost of getting someone else to do it. (edit - note: camber has to be measured with the wheel on the ground. Every time it's adjusted, you need the car jacked, the wheel off, and a breaker bar with a 5 foot pipe on the handle.)

legacy92ej22t · Post by **legacy92ej22t** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 3:52 pm

Gotta love a good alignment and it's worth the money IMO especially since I don't run cheap tires.

You know what I hate though is when they align the wheels and leave the streering wheel all crooked

I've had a couple of places do this to my work vehicles. I think they should align the steering wheel too as part of the service.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 11:58 pm

they're supposed to. if that ever happens to you, tell them to fix it.

boostjunkie · Post by **boostjunkie** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 12:03 am

Or you could just pop the wheel off and put it back straight.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 12:12 am

A shop once aligned my car with the wheel cocked to the side and it was really twitchy when cornering. Dangerously so at high speeds.

On our cars I don't think you're supposed to align the steering wheel. You just aim it straight and adjust both tie rods to get symmetrical toe. On some cars (like at least some VWs) you're only supposed to adjust one of the tie rods, which could result in the steering wheel needing adjustment.

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 2:29 am

"aim it straight and adjust both tie rods to get symmetrical toe"
Thats right, I was talking with the guys when I got my performance alignment and they mentioned it.

Dr.Outback · Post by **Dr.Outback** » Wed Jan 28, 2004 3:47 am

I smacked my turbo's LF wheel face into a curb at about 10mph while playing in the snow. And of course it threw out my alignment. So my boss suggested I go to Slim Brewer's on 2060 Lincoln Highway East here in Lancaster PA. WOW what a difference. The car drove fine before I hit the curb and needed an alignment. But now it drives so much better, the improved directional stability is really noticable on the highway. I don't mean to advertise this guy but a good alignment tech is hard to find. So I wanted to share. He only charged me $85. His number is 717-295-9440.

legacy92ej22t · Post by **legacy92ej22t** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:44 pm

$85 seems a little high to me, I wouldn't pay much over $50 personally.

boostjunkie wrote:Or you could just pop the wheel off and put it back straight.

Yes but wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to.

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Sat Jan 31, 2004 12:43 am

85 is a great price if he did it well, how many digits does he match too?

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Wow...it's amazing what a good alignment can do

Wow...it's amazing what a good alignment can do