I need to have a 4 wheel alignment because I replaced my T/A bushings and added stainless shims and replaced my OEM power steering with a Steeroids power rack & pinion.

I made an appointment with the closest alignment shop. All was fine until I handed the owner the Steeroids spec sheet. He got all huffy and refused to do the align. Strike 1.

I made an appointment with the second closest garage, but that owner declined to do the align when I showed up because he thought his Hunter sensor heads would mess up my knockoff wheel rims. I'm glad he was honest. Strike 2.

On to the next full service garage. Align to the Steeroids specs?...no problem. Their new Hunter aligner heads have curved outside points that slip between the rim and bead so no buggered up wheels. I brought my own, new front and rear alignment shims. Again, no problem. I asked if it was possible to assist the tech, if needed. No problem. So far, so good.

I was warned that the price might be higher than quoted since many 42 year old vehicles are rusted badly and require more time to finish. I assured him that EVERY suspension part was like new and EVERY fastener was coated with never-sieze. No air chisels or hot torches needed.

Now here comes the rub. The 50-something-year-old tech starts on the rear first. While he holds a wrench to the head of the T/A pivot bolt, he asks me to loosen the outboard castle nut with a 3/8 ratchet, long extension and universal socket. No problem, that's what I'm here for! The socket keeps slipping and yet I know I didn't tighten the bejeesus out of those fasteners in my own garage. I take a look at the universal socket and it's a 17mm. I say it's supposed to be 11/16". Get this, he says he only has metric tools...he's not going to invest in SAE/inch tools because no newer cars use those fasteners!!!

The next 3 hours was more of the same; jerking around trying to get into a tight spot and not having the correct tools to do the job. Not to mention the chain-smoking Marlboros, snack breaks, pee breaks, and the frequent stopping to tell tales of other cars that were far harder to align than mine. And then there was the wasted time to do everything over when he mistook a hyphen on the spec sheet for a negative sign. Strike frickin' 3.

Total cost for labor--$240. Assault on my sanity--beyond words.

I'll post a driving analysis of the R&P once I get some miles under my belt.

 

probably not tightened properly. check alignment after a couple rides. may have to bring it back to them to redo.♠

 

My alignment guy of 25 years retired awhile back. It took me awhile to find another quality alignment shop, they're out there, you just have to look. This new place is a 4x4 place, has all the latest Hunter equipment, a tech who is a hot rodder AND owns SAE tools! Good luck. I feel your frustration.

 

Please do not take offense. I sympathize with the events surrounding your high-dollar alignment efforts.

But, there are two things that others can learn from this situation:

1) instead of letting your 'fingers do the walking', call around to some car clubs or ask at car shows for recommendations of good alignment shops in the area...specifically those who work on Corvettes;

2) NEVER...never, never, never ask a mechanic/shop if you can help with the work. They don't want your help [many would refuse because of liability issues] and they will slow down their work/stall for hours in order to jack up the time spent on your job...just so they can charge you big buck$ in labor time for annoying them.

Lessons learned from years of "hard knocks" experience...

 

You're right - most mechanics don't want your help. Unfortunately when it comes to Corvettes, most of them need it. Finding a mechanic who is knowledgeable about C3 Corvettes nowadays is not common. I have a C2 and a C3 and the only way I have had competent service performed is to do it myself, or to stand over the technician and explain to him the design of the C3 Corvette. Good mechanics respect my knowledge and are willing to learn and share their knowledge. I have also run across those who are more concerned about appearing to know everything than they are about doing the job correctly. If you look around long enough you will find the good ones. They are out there, but you can do a lot of looking before you find one.

 

Well said.

 

No need to go to any shop for an alignment. Get more accurate results with some string and a level. There are lots of 'do it yourself' alignment instructions out there. It takes more time but I personally enjoy dialing her in exactly where I want it. Those alignment machines are designed to get cars in and out quickly and within a wide but acceptable range. All you need is some strings carefully run down the sides in parallel to set toe..... and a level modified to sit against the rim to measure camber/caster, and some feeler gauges. By going through the procedure on level ground, running it around the block then re-checking a few times will get you better results and it will be done right.

 

FWIW 8 hard vinyl tiles (the commercial type) and a bit of grease make for a decent set of "poor-man's" floating turntables.

 

This is what I use








Wheel alignment is basic geometry, not a black art. You don't need some $50,000 machine with lasers, LED lights and computer graphics to get accurate alignment.

These tools new will cost around $1000, they can be picked up for much less used or if you belong to a local club you could buy them between several of you.

I've used these tools to set up suspension on exotic road cars and full blown race cars.

The Hunter systems are great but only because they allow bubba to set up your chassis without really knowing what they're doing.

 

If I needed to set the alignment frequently on my car, maybe I could justify $1000 for alignment equipment. Most of us do an alignment once every 5 years or so (at 1000 miles/year, not much changes...unless you hit a big pothole dead-center).

So, I'll probably just ask around for a good shop that works on vintage cars and go there for convenience and cost. But, the info you provided is very interesting, and I'm sure several folks would consider doing so.

 

In the DC region I always used D&R brake and alignment in Kensington Maryland....always came out perfect.....

here in Florida, I use myself and my own garage....could not find anyone who knew how or wanted to do a decent job....

So I do my own, it's really not all that hard....

 

Try not to skim read, I said $1000 NEW, that's if you went into your local tool supplier and just said 'get me this'.

I just had a quick look on Ebay and you can actually buy all those tools NEW for $660, and that's without looking that hard.

If you keep an eye on craigslist or know of any tire shops shutting down you might be able to get them way cheaper, then remember the OP paid $240 for one visit to the alignment 'specialist'.

I think there is a lot of snobbery over whether your car has been on one of these Star Trek alignment machines, or been done with a mirror and a spirit level. Having had my work post checked by insurance companies after accident repair damage I can tell you that these antique tools in knowledgeable hands are just as accurate.

 

Sorry, "skim" reading is all that I do. I doubt many folks have the opportunity to buy that stuff used, but still in good condition. Anyway, just a lot of trouble IF you can find a good shop in your area. But, like I said, thanks for the info. (Man... are you touchy...)

 

I'm not touchy, it's just if someone skims to your post it looks like I'm suggesting everyone pay out $1000, which is not what I said at all.


I suppose whether it's worth investing depends on how often you overhaul, modify or tweak your car.

If you're happy to wash it on a Sunday and go 10 miles to your local cruise once a month, then investing in any tools is questionable.

If you ever repair, upgrade or tune your own suspension/steering, then having your own alignment tools suddenly becomes much more cost effective.

 

I just hate when someone gives me a good excuse to buy more toys,I mean tools.If I can't find a good place around here I may just get me a set.

 

Everyone's heard the old adage, "If you want it done right, do it yourself." And over the 39 years that I've owned this Vette I've done just that. But some things are beyond my capabilities or budget. One was balancing the new steel flywheel/pressure plate. So I took it to a machine shop with the proper equipment and for $65 I was well satisfied.

Same goes for investing in trammel bars and caster/camber gauges. It just never came to mind to DIY the 4 wheel alignment for something that needs done once in a blue moon.

Am I the only one who thinks a general auto tech is sufficient with ONLY metric tools? If I tried that with my employer, I'd be laughed off the premises. I'm not saying every tech needs $60K tied up in tools/tool storage like me. But this tech saying he did not have a single fractional tool in his box just blew my mind. And he's been a mechanic for 30 odd years. What did he use at the start of his career? A Crescent wrench and ball peen hammer?

Perhaps he's saving the $$$ for proper tools to get surgery to remove the cataract from his right eye? I could not see his pupil. So I'm assuming that growth over the cornea to be a cataract.

 

Like I said before, it depends on how much work you do on the car. I like to check mine after any component is replaced on the suspension or steering or if I happen to accidentally hit a big hole in the road.




20 years ago maybe, but the cost of reasonable quality hand tools is so low now, there's no excuse to not have at least basic imperial and metric tools.

 

$240

My local shop charged me $99 for a 4 wheel alighnment on my 80' with the full VBP Performance Plus suspension and VBP's advanced street alignment specs.

 

been reading this with some interest and have a few opinions to add. first anybody that can do an alignment with strings and a level and get to within 1/100 of a degree is superman. 1/100 of a degree is what the newer alignment machines are capable of.also the newer machines do not upset the stance of the car as the older ones did.
second, how many of you guys out there are willing to let the customer "help" when working for them,i can use a computer so i can "help" my insurance agent ,after all i know more about my stuff than he does right? apply that to almost anything. its my money, my whatever ,so you should welcome my "help" with open arms right? again how many of you are willing to do this for a paying customer?
third "star wars" alignment machines are only as good as the person using it.......its an awful lot like anything else. how about a scalpel, an average guy could carve up some baloney , but somebody that knew what they were doing could give you a new heart. same thing. believe me i'm not defending any idiots out there claiming to be mechanics because there are a lot of them. just asking you guys to put yourself in the other guys shoes for a minute or two.

 

FYI, stringing shouldn't be confused with caveman tech. Done properly it's plenty precise enough even for the track, so I'd wager it is more than sufficient a method for any road car. As with most anything else, the real question comes down to the competence of the one doing the work.