Alignment question

A

AndyT

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Hey everyone! So a few weeks ago, after doing the front end work, and coil conversion, I got an alignment done. Before the alignment, you could see both rear wheels were toed in, the leading edge on the wheel was pointed towards the inside of the car. I just noticed today, a few weeks later, the rear wheels are still toed in. My steering wheel is pretty much right on, but the rear wheels are still messed up. Did I just get screwed, or is it not adjustable, or whats going on back there to make the wheels track like they are? :confused:
 
Toe Link compensators are probably shot.. It's a piece that's fitted inside the rear LCA... No longer available and nobody has come up with a fix as far as we know.. You can try to cross the bushings with another vehicle and have them pressed in...good
Luck
 
Oh what was that? That just how it is, and its fine? Good, just what I wanted to hear! lol
 
4a46d526.jpg


It fits with the LCA in the forward bolt hole and to the frame
 
Sapperfire said:
Toe Link compensators are probably shot.. It's a piece that's fitted inside the rear LCA... No longer available and nobody has come up with a fix as far as we know.. You can try to cross the bushings with another vehicle and have them pressed in...good
Luck
Click to expand...

Huh?

They're installed on the outside of the LCA, between the side of the LCA and the forward mounting bolt.

Moog K8594.

Andy, What does the sheet that you got with your alignment say about the rear toe in? The toe links are there to control excessive toe changes while braking or accelerating due to the soft LCA bushings, but are not adjustable. The rear LCA bolts adjust the toe.
 
The rear specs are:
Camber LR: -0.4 RR: -0.3
Toe LR: 0.08 RR: -0.13
Total Toe: -0.05
Thrust Angle: 0.11

And I had to stand at the counter and argue with the guy to give me the damn print out, and even then, he made a black and white copy and handed me that.
 
AndyT said:
The rear specs are:
Camber LR: -0.4 RR: -0.3
Toe LR: 0.08 RR: -0.13
Total Toe: -0.05
Thrust Angle: 0.11

And I had to stand at the counter and argue with the guy to give me the damn print out, and even then, he made a black and white copy and handed me that.
Click to expand...

I'd take the car to someone else if it was me. According to that the LR is toe in and the RR is toe out, and they thought that the average was ok.

Here are the factory specs:

Alignment.jpg
 
Hmm.... good to know factory specs anyway.

So I now have an appointment to get it checked out at another Firestone closer to where we live. I went with Firestone in the first place because I have a credit card through them, so that makes things a little easier. But, its covered so either way, I should be all set. Even when I had my Alero, after I put tires on it I brought it there for an alignment, and had to bring it back twice. Guess I should have known better.
 
When you get it redone.
Get a before and after print out of the specs.
Any shop should give you these.
Its common practice at good shops.
Ask before they start.

Take the sheet to the shop that worked on your car, ask for the manager.
Demand a refund.
You will get one.

Matter of fact any shop that does alignment on your car should give you the specs to prove they did anything to your car.
 
Yeah, I'll make sure I ask for a before and after tomorrow. Thanks guys, I'll report back tomorrow afternoon.
 
A lot of shops have alignment machines that are out of wack and the techs don't know how and when to compensate for it. If you get a chance to shop around try focusing on shop that has a Hunter Four Wheel Alignment Machine. Be sure they are comfortable aligning 4 wheel independent suspension cars. Also note that some machines have specs stored for the Mark Vlll that are different than those DLF posted from the shop manual. I prefer staying to the shop manual specs.
 
Can I walk into the shop with those specific specs, and ask them to align to those numbers as opposed to what's stored in the machine?
 
when it comes to allignments i will only take mine to Karl Flammer Ford, they know what they are doing, they use hunter machines and they are only 10 bucks more than the guys who need to try to allign 3 times. like tire kingdom and tires plus, they blow.
 
BAD97LSC said:
when it comes to allignments i will only take mine to Karl Flammer Ford, they know what they are doing, they use hunter machines and they are only 10 bucks more than the guys who need to try to allign 3 times. like tire kingdom and tires plus, they blow.
Click to expand...

Alright, so are you suggesting I drive 1,323 miles from where I am to the dealership to get this rig aligned? :shifty:
 
True, plus he said he would do my blend door, and buff it for me too. Now that I think about it....
 
AndyT said:
Can I walk into the shop with those specific specs, and ask them to align to those numbers as opposed to what's stored in the machine?
Click to expand...

That is exactly what did, after I noted a difference in the stored spec vs what I had.
 
So, after going in for my 11AM appointment, my car not getting on the rack until 12:10, and being out the door by about 1, I don't think we made much progress at all. I went out and talked to the guy and he said the front end was out, which it was slightly, but the rear was still in spec. Here are the new rear end specs:

LR camber: -0.7
LR toe: 0.07
RR camber: -0.1
RR toe: -0.08
Total toe: -0.01
 
If anything, that's worse. Now the camber is messed up as well.
 
That's awesome. I love that fact that I'm paying people to further :q:q:q:q up my car, rather then fix it. Well, I've run out of patience, and money. So at this point, it is what it is.
 
have any kind of warranty?
i do, and i've been back twice.

take it back and make em fix it.
 
I do have a warranty, and this was my second time back. I had to argue with the service writer, as he tried to charge me for this re alignment. The problem now is according to them, its in spec.
 
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