i took my car into midas earlier today to get my alignment checked/fixed. when i asked them how bad my alignment was, they couldn't answer my question. when i asked them for a printing of the reading, they hesitated at first and then eventually went to their machine to print it out. they wound up giving me two pages and pointed out that the "before measurements" page was blank because their machine wasn't printing properly.

the second page has a bunch of numbers on it and i don't know what any of the numbers mean. i'm wondering if anyone can tell me if the numbers mean anything and if my alignment is "back to normal". obviously, it'd be easier for me to solve by just driving but it's dark out and i can't see my steering wheel too well. thanks in advance.

FRONT spec. tol.
left camber: blank .75
right camber: -.25 .75
cross camber: blank .75
left caster: 2.75 .75
right caster: 2.75 .75
cross caster: blank .75
total toe: .10 .10
left sai: 14.25 .75
right sai: 14.25 .75
cross sai: blank blank

REAR
left camber: -1.00 .75
right camber: -1.00 .75
cross camber: blank blank
total toe: .09 .35
thrust angle: blank blank

i hope it's not too hard to read.

 

took auto tech in high school and the only machine i worked on was the aligment.

just by reading the numbers, its hard to tell because its not sure what is supposed to be the norm and if those are adjustments made or final readings.

basically, im useless.... sorry...

 

I hate those places. I took my 03 Qx4 to a Goodyear place down the street from me and the salesman was trying to sell me a 4 wheel alignment for $99.00. I knew I only needed a 2 wheel alignment. In the future maybe check out a Pep boys or someone like that, that is not commission based.

 

i know i should've done some research beforehand but it was last minute. usually, i take it to a nearby merlin's because i know the manager and he gives me a decent discount. but i didn't know they didn't do alignments there so the next closest place was midas (well, national tires and batteries was closer).

so those numbers don't tell anything?
if it matters, the first page says "before measurements" at the top of the page and the second page says "view or edit the specifications. recall specifications, show secondary specifications, mount sensors" at the bottom. hope that helps a little.

 

I have the original specs for our alignments. I carry the spec sheet with me in my glove box. Our tow is off a little on our cars, and no alignment shop outside the Infiniti/nissan dealer knows the correct specs. Everytime I went to my shop they were always off to the left or to the right. After giving them my spec sheet, my alignment is always correct.

I created a post about this a year ago here is the link with the correct specs..

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....ighlight=specs

 

thanks, leeI35.
i guess after reading your thread and reading the numbers i posted, my alignment looks okay (unless i'm reading it wrong).

 

sounds like something to be added to the FAQs. And since Devon has the FSM for 4th gen, maybe he could add that too?

 

That is a good idea. I'll add this and the A32 specs from my FSM to the FAQ.

 

Yea, your alignment looks fine. Most important one, i guess, is the cross caster, because nobody can actually align it on an I30!
i recently hit the curb which i didn't see under the snow, so my wheels got rather screwed. My total toe in fron was 0.69 inches, while the normal is within 0.1 inch!! the mechanic aligned it, but the problem is my Cross Carter is off by -2.3 degrees... and they cannot align it... neither can the dealer and they sent me to a body shop to possibly straighten the frame.... sounds horrible to me, but does anybody have any idea on what to do with it? and how much can it cost? i know for sure that it is not a suspension problem.

 

How do you noobs find these ancient threads...

 

is there any problem with it? aren't you "pro" guys always sending new people to "search the forum carefully" when you are just too lazy to type an answer to a question?? and now, when we find an anicent thread that has some answers you ain't comforatble with it as well??

 

LOL...2 years 5 months later...

I hope the OP's heart can rest as ease now, knowing his alignment is fine...

 

We "pros" tell you new people to search for answers to questions you may have that are common issues that have been discussed tons of times on here.

It seems like you had a burning desire to answer a question that was asked 2+ years ago.

And to answer your question, go to a shop local to you that does frame work, and get a quote on how much it would cost to straighten the frame on your car. Shop prices are not universal.

 

They didn't want to give you the "before" list because it's probably exactly the same as the "after"

Maximas and I30s have only one adjustment. Toe in and Toe out. The rest is fixed. You cannot adjust camber or caster. Rear is non adjustable at all.

The only times you will really need an alignment is if you hit something, you change a steering/suspension part (like a control arm or tie rod end) or if something hit your car and somehow bent something, OR if you mess around with your rack or control arms.

If your caster and/or camber is off then the only way to fix it is finding the affected suspension part and replacing it, or getting the frame straightened.

So Midas may have charged you for an alignment by putting your car on the rack. And then did nothing because it was already within spec.

And how could a printer print an 'after' sheet but not a 'before' sheet. Nice excuse for a bunch of dic*heads.

 

You can adjust the front camber very slightly at the strut-knuckle bolts, or throw in some camber bolts and do it that way.

Also as parts wear out, your alignment will go out. Obviously you wouldn't be doing an alignment with worn parts, but that's a given.