Topic: Good Place for Alignment (north county SD prefered)

[Ruination Fan]

Just installed the upgraded Calmini steering with bearings, now I need to get my alignment done. Its somewhat there but still off. Just dont have the time to get to at work anytime soon, so was wondering if anyone here has had any good experiences with places with non OEM steering installed. Thanks

[Bobby B.]

Not SD, but if you can make it either to Long Beach or Culver City, I've got two good places.

[Ruination Fan]

If they know what they're doing it may be worth the field trip. Think they'll have issues with the calmini set up? I can just see most places yelling "run away" when they see the center link portion with tie rod ends and adjustable. Thanks Bobby B!

[Paul]

I took my modified suspension to the local Sears.

They didn't run away but were limited taking measurements and making one adjustment which was provided.

[xtoolbox]

The "Firestone" lifetime alignment deal ($129) was pretty good to me when I was IFS.   Lifetime ended up being about 3x times a year eventually because they where "sick" of me bringing in the truck, but it does say that in the fine print, so that was ok.  I ended up with about 12+ alignments over a ~ 3 year period.  

[Bobby B.]

Several Firestone's wouldn't touch my truck with a ten foot pole.

The place in Long Beach I've gone to is called Performance Plus in Signal Hill on Cherry (just off the 405).  The only thing that gave them a slight issue is that my IA bushings at the time were shot, so there was some slop that they couldn't tune out (not there fault).  Basically that meant that when they were trying to make sure the wheel was straight at all times (like when the road is crowned and the wheel is turned slightly to compensate) it drove them nuts.  Bear in mind that my setup is probably the worst case scenario, and they did that, and it held up.  I haven't gone there in a while, but they've done custom stuff there for a while.

I'll have to look up the name of the Culver City place.  It's old and dumpy, but they've done me right in the past (w/axle work/swapage on a full size).

[FrankB]

This may be way off base, and may not even work on a Gen1 truck, but I'll put it out here anyway.

When Greg at PRG installed the new front coilovers and UCAs on my Gen2 truck, he did an alignment in his driveway with a crescent wrench and a tape measure. He then had me take it for a fast drive over the unpaved road (with some bumps etc) behind his house, and made a few more adjustments. That alignment was about perfect, and held up for a very long time.

I've heard that the actual procedure is not all that difficult, and I wish I had paid a lot more attention to what he was doing at the time.  I've also heard that the procedure is laid out someplace online, but I don't know where.

Something to think about.

[Soylent Yellow]

I'm too pretty to think.

[Ruination Fan]

I'm too pretty to think.

So I have heard, thank god youre web cam isn't going right now. Otherwise there may be some Chihuahua style leg humping going on

[Ruination Fan]

I did the tape measure approach (1/8" toe in rule of thumb). Think I lay play around with it a bit more and see how it goes. Any idea what the center link measurement should be at center to center of the tie rods?

[Ghost65]

I have had two great experiences with the Firestone shop in Oceanside, the store that is in the parking lot of the Westfield Mall.

I bought a standard alignment for $70, knocked it out off roading six weeks later, took it in, and a tech named Jonathan did the alignment in an hour AND didn't charge me for it.  He said to come back and buy the lifetime deal, which I will do when I get my next set of tires.

I thougth that was a great service and a sure way to secure a customer. 

[Ruination Fan]

I actually hit up Trueline Wheel Alignment Brake Service down in El Cajon area.....they did a great job. They are pretty recommended by people in the desert racing community, and actually race (or raced) themselves. Great family owned shop and would recommend them. And they have a coupon for $49.99 alignment.