dealer alignment
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 954
Likes: 21
From: White Oak, GA
dealer alignment
I called my local chevy dealer to schedule an alignment for my '97.
The service manager told me that he couldn't do a 4 wheel alignment on my car... he said no one could because it is impossible to do a 4 wheel alignment on a rear-drive car. I thought maybe I was using the wrong terminology, so I said I just wanted to set the camber and castor on the rears as well as the front. The fellow said "no can do."
I know I paid for a 4 wheel alignment a few years ago, and I have an Ecklers catalogue that shows the proper castor/camber settings front and rear for different track applications.
Does this guy know what he is talking about? Would you take your car to this shop?
The service manager told me that he couldn't do a 4 wheel alignment on my car... he said no one could because it is impossible to do a 4 wheel alignment on a rear-drive car. I thought maybe I was using the wrong terminology, so I said I just wanted to set the camber and castor on the rears as well as the front. The fellow said "no can do."
I know I paid for a 4 wheel alignment a few years ago, and I have an Ecklers catalogue that shows the proper castor/camber settings front and rear for different track applications.
Does this guy know what he is talking about? Would you take your car to this shop?
Pro
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 733
Likes: 0
From: Rapid City SD
The dealer is full of 
:
I wouldn't even think of letting him work on my car unless it was an absolute last resort.
I'd try and find a good tire place that specialized in high performance tires etc. If they don't do the alignment they might have a good idea who does.
Good luck
:I wouldn't even think of letting him work on my car unless it was an absolute last resort.
I'd try and find a good tire place that specialized in high performance tires etc. If they don't do the alignment they might have a good idea who does.
Good luck
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,251
Likes: 4
Originally Posted by C5inWV
I called my local chevy dealer to schedule an alignment for my '97.
The service manager told me that he couldn't do a 4 wheel alignment on my car... he said no one could because it is impossible to do a 4 wheel alignment on a rear-drive car. I thought maybe I was using the wrong terminology, so I said I just wanted to set the camber and castor on the rears as well as the front. The fellow said "no can do."
I know I paid for a 4 wheel alignment a few years ago, and I have an Ecklers catalogue that shows the proper castor/camber settings front and rear for different track applications.
Does this guy know what he is talking about? Would you take your car to this shop?
The service manager told me that he couldn't do a 4 wheel alignment on my car... he said no one could because it is impossible to do a 4 wheel alignment on a rear-drive car. I thought maybe I was using the wrong terminology, so I said I just wanted to set the camber and castor on the rears as well as the front. The fellow said "no can do."
I know I paid for a 4 wheel alignment a few years ago, and I have an Ecklers catalogue that shows the proper castor/camber settings front and rear for different track applications.
Does this guy know what he is talking about? Would you take your car to this shop?
I just had my local Firestone service center in Naperville align all 4 wheels and stood there while he did it. They are a great bunch of guys there. Your service guy obviously has no clue. Besides that, it will come home with another problem as dealers are well known for doing. Oh, I almost forgot $64 plus tax.
Earlier that day I walked out of NTB tire center because they quoted $70 and then came back and said it was a "special" and the price would be $100, what ever the hell that means. To me, it means Corvette tax. So I told them to forget it and drove away. :mad
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,251
Likes: 4
Originally Posted by TT_Vert
where in naperville? IM in need of an alignment myself
dav
dav
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Talk to some of the guys in your local Solo II group. Real racers will know the best shops. The guys in my group told me about a place that regularly aligns Formula Ford race cars, and superlow street cars.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,284
Likes: 3
From: NW Chicago, IL/Clearwater Beach, FL
Originally Posted by TT_Vert
where in naperville? IM in need of an alignment myself
dav
dav
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 7,179
Likes: 2
From: Charlotte, NC
In all fareness maybe this service manager is not familiar with the car.. most service managers never worked on cars.. the techs might be skilled.. but either way I agree if the manager has no clue about simple things like the alignment of a vette.. then I would run.. RUN RUN FAR and HARD find a nice independent shop that can accomodate your needs..
-Rick
-Rick
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 920
Likes: 2
From: Rogers, AR, USA
In defense of the dealer, most likely, what he should have said is that a four wheel alignment couldn't be done with their type of equipment, but the idiot should have known that with the proper equipment, it can be done. The dealer where I purchased my C5 had laser alignment equipment, but didn't have the equipment to do a proper 4 wheel alignment on a rear drive car with a limited slip diffferential. The problem comes with "zeroing" each head unit after it is mounted on the wheel. Each wheel must be turned individually to zero that laser head and with limited slip, you can't turn just one rear wheel by hand and if you jack up the whole rear end, both wheels turn and that screws up the settings in the alignment equipment. At least they knew why they couldn't properly do the alignment.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 920
Likes: 2
From: Rogers, AR, USA
There is no rear castor. Actually there is no front castor until you turn the wheels right or left, then you get castor. The castor increases as the wheels are turned, but I think the setting is done when the wheel is setting at a 20 degree angle. Since the rear wheels don't turn right or left, there is no rear castor setting.
Last edited by alanh; Aug 1, 2004 at 06:12 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 954
Likes: 21
From: White Oak, GA
Originally Posted by Ls1Rat
how do you measure rear caster ?
rear camber and toe make sense but rear caster ?
rear camber and toe make sense but rear caster ?
You're right... the Ecklers ad only states caster values for the front.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
The instructions in my alignment tool says the wheel has to be turned while the camber device is attached to the wheel. Caster is a measurement of a kind of camber change that occurs while the wheels is turned. Please note that it's different from roll or bump steer. I can't really explain how lots of caster (good) can exist with 0 toe, 0 roll steer, and 0 bump steer....but maybe that's not possible seeing as how that would be very nearly the perfect suspension.
Eugene
Eugene
