Losing Alignment From Jacking Off the Floor?
01-08-2019, 08:43 PM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
Losing Alignment From Jacking Off the Floor?
I had a 4-wheel alignment after replacing ball joints and tie rods plus rear strut rods. Then I replaced my steering gear box. I also had rear wheels off the floor for something else.
Took the car in for alignment check after the steering gear box. Left front and both rears were out of alignment.
Is it common for alignment to be affected by raising the car off the wheels?
Took the car in for alignment check after the steering gear box. Left front and both rears were out of alignment.
Is it common for alignment to be affected by raising the car off the wheels?
01-08-2019, 09:02 PM
#2
Team Owner
I had a 4-wheel alignment after replacing ball joints and tie rods plus rear strut rods. Then I replaced my steering gear box. I also had rear wheels off the floor for something else.
Took the car in for alignment check after the steering gear box. Left front and both rears were out of alignment.
Is it common for alignment to be affected by raising the car off the wheels?
Took the car in for alignment check after the steering gear box. Left front and both rears were out of alignment.
Is it common for alignment to be affected by raising the car off the wheels?
The front, the ball joint change should not have changed anything, unless a different brand with a slightly different size! Usually a very small variation! The tie rods, should be able to be spin to get you back! Easy to do at homegirls guys used to doing 1/16 increment adjustments and why I like using a shower rod. Ideally, you should have laid the old rod on the ground and turned your new to match the length of the old, then install!
Last edited by TCracingCA; 01-08-2019 at 09:03 PM.
01-08-2019, 09:36 PM
#3
Dementer sole survivor
Member Since: Oct 2015
Location: YUPPY HELL Westford MASS
Posts: 16,532
Received 6,393 Likes
on
3,964 Posts
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
If it was aligned before jacking it up off the floor it would have stayed aligned apon lowering it and rolling it a few feet to let it settle. If this is the same company that did it the first time, they owe you another alignment or a better job. Either they didn't do it right the first time or they are trying to sell you a second alignment. I bought equipment and am teaching myself how to do a alignment myself. I had to do the rear when I first got the car. After I install the new front suspension I will learn to do the front. I dont trust too many shops around my neck of the woods. Too many liars and dead beats in this part of the country.
The one mechanic I do trust doesnt do alignments
The one mechanic I do trust doesnt do alignments
Last edited by Rescue Rogers; 01-08-2019 at 09:37 PM.
The following 2 users liked this post by Rescue Rogers:
73racevette (01-09-2019),
Metalhead140 (01-09-2019)
01-08-2019, 09:51 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
Member Since: May 2003
Location: Fernandina Beach FL
Posts: 8,487
Received 3,223 Likes
on
1,734 Posts
2023 Restomod of the Year finalist
2020 C3 of the Year Winner - Modified
If it was aligned before jacking it up off the floor it would have stayed aligned apon lowering it and rolling it a few feet to let it settle. If this is the same company that did it the first time, they owe you another alignment or a better job. Either they didn't do it right the first time or they are trying to sell you a second alignment. I bought equipment and am teaching myself how to do a alignment myself. I had to do the rear when I first got the car. After I install the new front suspension I will learn to do the front. I dont trust too many shops around my neck of the woods. Too many liars and dead beats in this part of the country.
The one mechanic I do trust doesnt do alignments
The one mechanic I do trust doesnt do alignments
HOWEVER- the rear can be affected by a worn rear spring and weight. You are suppose to have the alignment done with a 1/2 tank of gas- if empty when it was aligned the first time and full (or vise versa) when you brought it back in- then it could be possible be 'out' of alignment.
Richard
01-08-2019, 10:54 PM
#5
I like the "jacking off the floor." 
01-09-2019, 07:58 AM
#7
Melting Slicks
Are you saying the alignment was off by a lot of degrees/inches, or a just a few? If different from the first time, how much? Do you have the print out of where it was set the first time vs now? I can align a Corvette to my exact specs, take it off the alignment rack, drive it around the parking lot and recheck the settings and some will be off from where I set them. I attribute this to a- the car is not in the exact same location as before, and b- the heads are in a different location on the wheels. Contrary to what the manufacturer and their reps say, I have yet to use an alignment machine that is 100% repeatable. And I use a Hunter Hawkeye.
The following users liked this post:
Metalhead140 (01-09-2019)
01-09-2019, 09:41 AM
#8
Drifting
01-09-2019, 11:23 AM
#9
Old Pro Solo Guy
The gearbox change could easily effect the front centerline. Ie: both left and right to would be off, but in the same direction. Total should be ok. Rear should not change. At least not much, after it is rolled and settled. Any other Major changes I would attribute to sloppy measurements or sales tactics. I have been doing my own alignments at home for 30 years on multiple cars. They don't change very much at all over time. Even over 100k miles. When it does you have a part wearing out that should be replaced before the car is realigned. The rest is BS sales tactics.
01-10-2019, 07:22 AM
#11
Tech Contributor
Interesting. I agree a car in alignment should not change by being on jack stands or a hoist- unless the suspension is changed by servicing something or an extremely worn car - in which case you would have some serious driving issues.
Now the gear box replacement could show up as the root cause IF the box was swapped for another or had the gears replaced. Do you know what was done to your box or if it's even your original box? Many times once installed the steering wheel is not indexed correctly, the toe is still correct though and a simple understanding on what happened can resolve the problem. If you dropped the car off someplace and told them to replace the box and they don't understand the difference between true and high center they might have tried to compensate for the steering wheel issue, which should have been a simple tie rod tube adjustment on each side to center the wheel. That would keep the toe correct but who knows if that happened?
If that was mine car I would want to know where high lash is - if the rebuilder even marked it and once that is known see if it's at 12 o'clock with the wheels straight ahead. Now it is strictly my guess here, but some rebuilders may not know what or where high center is. Is the box tight on center- no play?
Now the gear box replacement could show up as the root cause IF the box was swapped for another or had the gears replaced. Do you know what was done to your box or if it's even your original box? Many times once installed the steering wheel is not indexed correctly, the toe is still correct though and a simple understanding on what happened can resolve the problem. If you dropped the car off someplace and told them to replace the box and they don't understand the difference between true and high center they might have tried to compensate for the steering wheel issue, which should have been a simple tie rod tube adjustment on each side to center the wheel. That would keep the toe correct but who knows if that happened?
If that was mine car I would want to know where high lash is - if the rebuilder even marked it and once that is known see if it's at 12 o'clock with the wheels straight ahead. Now it is strictly my guess here, but some rebuilders may not know what or where high center is. Is the box tight on center- no play?
Last edited by GTR1999; 01-10-2019 at 07:25 AM.
01-10-2019, 01:03 PM
#12
Former Vendor
Member Since: Aug 2006
Location: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
Posts: 76,656
Received 1,813 Likes
on
1,458 Posts
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I had a 4-wheel alignment after replacing ball joints and tie rods plus rear strut rods. Then I replaced my steering gear box. I also had rear wheels off the floor for something else.
Took the car in for alignment check after the steering gear box. Left front and both rears were out of alignment.
Is it common for alignment to be affected by raising the car off the wheels?
Took the car in for alignment check after the steering gear box. Left front and both rears were out of alignment.
Is it common for alignment to be affected by raising the car off the wheels?
When you lift a c2 or a c3 off the ground the weigh of the spring will allow the top of the rear wheels to come outward and the bottom inward. When you sit the car back on the ground and look behind it it will still be pigeon towed until you drive the car out of the garage, I think this might be what you are seeing, and if you pull the car out of the garage and then look the wheels should be straight again. If not then possibly they left something loose such as the camber bolts.
Willcox