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View Full Version : No one wants to align me... :(



02TafWhtSi
08-19-2003, 07:33 PM
Well, after trips to both my local Honda dealer and STS Tire neither will agree to align my EP. Both said exactly the same thing: since my suspension is aftermarket (Mugen) they will not be able to bring it back to spec. My main concern is my steering wheel angle - it sits a quarter turn to the right when traveling straight. Other than that the car doesn't pull or drive funny - just the steering wheel is crooked. So does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? Any national (or local) chains that can do this? Thanks guys.

ALCT
08-19-2003, 07:52 PM
a friend of mine had his aftermarket susp. set installed at a Mavis Discount Tire Shop in CT, they also did the alignment without giving him any BS, I am not sure if there are Mavis stores in NJ but Meineke is another option.

glw
08-19-2003, 07:55 PM
my local sears auto did a great job. i don't have the mugen kit, but i asked them to put mine out of factory spec and all i had to do was sign a form and it was done.

6 month warranty on the alignment, too :)

VIZHUNZ02SI
08-19-2003, 07:57 PM
Originally posted by ALCT
a friend of mine had his aftermarket susp. set installed at a Mavis Discount Tire Shop in CT, they also did the alignment without giving him any BS, I am not sure if there are Mavis stores in NJ but Meineke is another option. well theres a shop from my house and i must say dam they did a hell of a job alignin my ep for 60 bucks my steering is tight if i twicth da wheel im in da next lane ya know

alex_mathews
08-19-2003, 08:01 PM
If you don't think that a shop in Millington (exit 36 off Rt. 78) is too far, there is a shop I know that does 4 wheel alignments.

http://www.longhillauto.com

I designed the website, so I know the owner pretty well. Give them a call and see what they say.

silver ep
08-19-2003, 09:28 PM
Shit man that blows. The Honda dealer I took my car too did the alignment and even adjusted the ride height of my KWs for me. Hope you can find someone to help you out!

Silvershadow
08-20-2003, 12:04 AM
They're feeding you BS.What you need done is one of the easiest things to do.You could adj. the tie rod yourself.

Burgh
08-20-2003, 07:30 AM
It all comes down to legal issues. They're all afraid of screwing with your car b/c of the aftermarket parts. Just call around to find a place that'll do it. You may have to go to a performance shop.

Si_Nutt
08-20-2003, 09:25 AM
Sorry to hear that dude, Luckily for me I have a local shop that specializes in lowered and autocross specific alignments. Matter of fact that's where my car is as we speak. They just called and said it was done, no problems. I would find out where the autocross people go to get their custom alignments, might take a little research, but it will be worth it. Try searching for SCCA and your town's name. Good luck:D

02TafWhtSi
08-20-2003, 03:51 PM
Thanks for the input guys. My friend at work had some aftermarket alignment work done at a Sears nearby so I'll give them a call. Oh and Silvershadow, how would I go about adjusting the tierod? PM me if its a long explanation. Thanks :)

madbrain
08-20-2003, 04:10 PM
My friend at work had some aftermarket alignment work done at a Sears nearby so I'll give them a call.


Yeah, check out Sears they have a lifetime option. I had my lowered Mazda done there with no problem.

tony speed
08-20-2003, 08:32 PM
i got a lifetime alignment from firestone...they just told me to align and rotate more often so they could get closer to spec. Heck, I can give you the specs from the manual and you can tell them how to set it. Spec has some leeway in how you can set it. Give or take x minutes etc....

bobdobbs
08-21-2003, 12:09 AM
Wow, what a crock. A suspension shop should still do their best, even if they can't get it perfect. Don't you have any ricer shops in your area that do this? There's a bunch of them out here that do good work, but that's Cali.

2k3vbpEP
08-21-2003, 07:56 PM
Just ask around and find a race shop that specializes in auto cross and road racing, they will give you a more performance oriented alignment anyways (more front caster and more rear camber etc. to rotate the car better). In Nor cal we have 2 shops, Roger Kraus Racing, and custom allignment

02TafWhtSi
08-22-2003, 03:40 PM
Originally posted by 2k3vbpEP
Just ask around and find a race shop that specializes in auto cross and road racing, they will give you a more performance oriented alignment anyways (more front caster and more rear camber etc. to rotate the car better). In Nor cal we have 2 shops, Roger Kraus Racing, and custom allignment

Sounds great but I don't know of any speed shops around here that have their own alignment machines. The only ones that do are the national chain types (Strauss, STS, etc...) and Honda dealers.

*UPDATE*

I have ordered the rear SPC camber kit from Showstoppers and Sears Auto Center has agreed to align me once I have the kit. So, it seems like there is light at the end of the tunnel....

madbrain
08-26-2003, 01:58 PM
Told Ya...