Fr33way™

iTrader: (23)

I was wondering what is actually adjusted during an alignment.

When I bought the car, I asked if it had been aligned when he put the suspension back on and he told me that he (and a friend I imagine) used rulers (his words) to align the car. The alignment was near if not perfect when I drove the car from Nashville back to Atlanta and up untill the point when I had to replace my axles.

I am interested in learning how to do this because of the D2s and the ride-height adjustability among other things.

Any of you guys align your cars yourselves?

Vlasic

iTrader: (13)

I could be wrong but you shouldnt have to be aligning your car everytime you change your ride height.

The fact that two guys did a near perfect alignment with some rulers sounds pretty unbelievable.

SEmy2K2go

iTrader: (10)

>

wcasskicker

iTrader: (2)

You have to do alignment with the computerized machine like Tim mentioned above. The process is a bit complicated. You have to adjust your toe and camber. Tie rod ends and strut bolts (oval one) are where you do the adjustments but you need the alignment computer to do it correctly. It's better leave to the mechanic to do it. Price range between $80 ~ $150

nadeemp8

iTrader: (5)

You can go to a local firestone and pick up a lifetime alignment on special for $99 and go back as much as you'd like and they'll align it with their Hunter machines....

Vlasic

iTrader: (13)

Damn, where do you go to get alignments? They are about $40 here, maybe they are just cheaper out here.

As for that firestone lifetime alignment thing. It may be different other places, but here firestone doesnt sell lifetime alignments to lowered cars.

looslip

iTrader: (3)

When I went to hook this up, they said that they couldn't take any wheels larger than 17". I was kinda bummed about that but maybe its different at other Firestones.

Vlasic

iTrader: (13)

The south city firestone on el camino where matt use to work can do cars with 18" wheels. I got an alignment done there a while back.

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

wrong and wrong.
your alignment changes with ride height. so any time you adjust anything on the coilovers, you must realign the car. minimum toe should be checked, but camber you can usually let go as long as it's not too crazy.

and yes, you can check the toe with a couple of tape measures. racers have been doing it for years.. do some research before you randomly guess at crap like that.

Nickel

hey my dad told me i had to do that with my car. what those it do?
fix your stering or something

86maxima96

iTrader: (10)

i know i should probably just call and ask, but if i got a lifetime alignment somewhere, would that be valid nationwide at all of that companies locations? also, what is a good price? i think the best i had found was around $60-80. not sure. but maybe lifetime would be best if i plan to work with the suspension some more.

Fr33way™

iTrader: (23)

I think I will end up taking it in.

The rulers thing was not like something I made up, that's why I quoted it.

This was a guy who swapped Turbo SR's in Sentra's every other weekend so I do not doubt that he knew what to do. How long it took? I do not know, but I drove the car home from Nashville (around 300miles) and let go of the wheel multiple times.

The MAIN reason I NEED it done is because I just did both axles, it would just be HANDY due to the adjustablility of my suspension.

looslip

iTrader: (3)

ah good to know. Thanks Ian.