masphx

Hi,
Haven't been to this forum for about a year but that time has come around again when the car needs a big tune up.
My 2000 V-6 Camero over the last three months has been more and more wanting to go right. About three years ago I had a front wheel alignment done on it and im sure its over due to have another( i have heard that every yr. I should get one, plz tell me if this is true).
Some things I would like to know.......
- The tires have no effect on the wheel alignment??(the person fixing the alignment will beable to do so even if the tires are not perfect)
- I have heard of several different ways of measuring and fixing the alignment problem( which is the best and which sould I try to stay away from and why?)
- is a total alignment worth it on all four wheels?
Thx for looking and helping.
I'm hoping to get the car aligned this wed. for a drive to Phoenix about two hours away.
Thx
Mason

hotrod_chevyz

1: The tires are very important when it come to alignment. As long as they are the same size and have about th same wear you should be okay to do an alignment.

2: I align mine using a good old fashoned tape measure. Ive taken several cars to be computer aligned, and after they wear the front tires out way faster than they are supposed to, i get to measuring some of them and find them way off. You need to have some experiance working on cars, or the results might not be so good (home alignment).

I wouldnt worry about rear alignment unless the car has taken some damage to the back end or hit a curb really hard with a rear tire.

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goldz28

If you need an alignment you should take it to a place that does alignments. I would not try it at home.

Mr. Luos

4 wheel alignment is the only alignment done to mine.
Keeps that rearend centered and avoids wearing the rear tires too quickly.

Is your car dropped??
Suspension mods??
If so, that changes the alignment specs.

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1999 Pontiac Trans Am WS.6 #1747
Stock'ish'

masphx

The car has no mods to the wheels or suspension.
I did hit a curve a few years back but never got a rearwheel alignment. It hit hard, had to replace the rim.
I'm not doing this myself so If I took it to a place would they beable to tell if I will need one in the back also. Better yet, is there a way I could tell??
I have a coupon for 50% off at one place but only for a front wheel so it would really have to be worth it to get a rearwheel also.
Thx
Mason

wrightz28

That is what's been killing your fronts!

You must make sure the rear end is proper before even thinking about the front, especially on a RWD car (thrust angle). Also aligining parts out of order can make it worse than it was originally, you must go by caster (non-adjsutable nowadays), camber, toe. If you start out of that order, everything will offset itself. Yes there are some backyard ways of doing it, as I do so myself without having the luxery of throwing it on rack myelf anymore, but I will set it "straight", feel it out, and then take it in to be double checked when replaceing suspension/steering components.

Tires, worn components, and improper ride height are what throw factory spec alignments out of whack. Yes, a alignment rack program such as Hunters or J-beams, take into account some spring sag and have a minimum spec to work with, but if the link geometry, springs sagging massively, or the tire/rim combo is entirely different from stock and offseting height, the tech can only do what he can until you shell the cash to set it right. I had refused cars that I could not work with and the owner neglected to repair/correct.

You should check your tire wear pattern each time you rotate them as part of routine maintnance. Provided there are no wear issues, it would be beneficial to have it checked atleast every other year. Most often you won't even notice it is off as it slowly drifts out of whack. Obviously if you feel a dramataic change after hitting a pot hole or something, get it in right away.

hotrod_chevyz

I was actually talking about the crown vic, park ave, and ZX2. ive always aligned the firebird myself. All of my RWD's have different tires front to back so rotations out.

So where are the adjustments on the back of a f-body (stock)?

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wrightz28

Oddly enough to the conversation, never done one , I replaced the front end on my maro set it up and took it in. Normally tho, eliptical bolt sets are used and some RWD as well as most FWD have rear tie rods.

hotrod_chevyz

I thought the only way to make them adjustable was to add shims or buy aftermarket parts. I could be wrong tho. Im no expert ive just built and parted out a bunch of these things. if anybody knows how to do the rear adjustments post it up.

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wrightz28

Shims were normally used on the control arms for SLA (short long arm) setups on the fronts.

hotrod_chevyz

Ive seen shims used in many places, on quite a few different makes and models of vehicles. For the most part they get used for minor corrections on vehicles that have been wrecked. Probably somthing you could consider one of the many "look out for's" when purchasing a used vehicle. Shops charge out the ass to put em in too if they feel they are needed to get a vehicle aligned right.

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masphx

Ok,
so it seems like I should do a front and back wheel alignement on the car at the same time.
What should the price be for this service?
Does anyone know a good place in Phoenix,AZ on Tucson?
I might replace all four tires soon, after the holidays if I do. Should I still get the car aligned? I guess the question I have is will the tires undo the alignemnet if the are not totally balanced and have equal treadware.
Thx for your help
Mason

hotrod_chevyz

Pep Boys does a good job usually. One of these should be a service center.

(602) 269-6771
2502 W Van Buren St, Phoenix

(602) 231-0147
2424 E McDowell Rd, Phoenix

(602) 243-5135
5813 S Central Ave, Phoenix



Pep boys online has a place you can sign up for printable coupons to be sent to your email. When you go up there they will tell you if your tires are good enough to balance the car on.

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