Had an alignment done today. I have the Helix camber plates. Recently installed.
Bear in mind I haven't messed with alignment specs in 30 years and things have changed a bit but I'm thinking my before and after settings, especially camber are crap. Toe I'm not sure of because this readout is in degrees and I'm used to fractions positive and negative.

I seriously need help because, like a dope, I trusted the morons and didn't read the specs until I got home.

They told me the camber plates wouldn't go any further. I asked for -1.5 camber and 3/32nds toe out. Why the he!! would they leave my right side camber at -2.1??
Here's the scanned in before and after specs.

Heeeeelp!!

 

Looks like they didn't even try. Did your target alignment specs make it onto the work order so the tech saw it? (The time-stamp on the right-hand sheet says it's the final, and includes a front toe change that is not on the first sheet.)

The front toe is close to 0, rather than your requested toe-out.
And there is a full 1 degree camber difference side-to-side in the front, and that is just unacceptable when you have adjustable camber plates.

 

Yep, right on the work order which I have a copy of. I just wasn't and still am not sure what the toe reading equates to. In or out and how far from 3/32nds is it?

Thanks for the feedback

 

The printouts you received are a bit confusing because there's a "before" and an "actual" (assuming this is means after) on each page. After staring at them for a couple of minutes, it looks to me as if only your front toe was adjusted. Camber was not touched, nor was rear toe. Did they simply forget to finish? My alignment shop usually meets my specs down to +/-0.05.

As for the fractions, 1/8 = 0.125, 1/16 = 0.0625, 1/32 = 0.03125. So you have about 1/32 front toe in rather than 3/32 toe out.

 

I had assumed those were the readings. In being positive and out being negative. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

the find another shop. You could have gotten that close by eye!

Also, make sure that they put weights in the driver seat, and do all the alignment stuff with the weight in the car. You're unweighted specs will look funny, but who cares, you're in the car when it's driven.

Matt

 

Hey, that's a good idea! I've only heard of using weights in conjunction with corner balancing. I suppose 180 in the driver's seat would be good for a couple tenths of camber change. I doubt, however, if the average alignment shop has suitable weights, as the average customer is not demanding this level of precision. Might need to bring your own...

 

I wouldn't use them for anything more complicated than stock alligment on something like a Taurus.

MAtt

 

Went to the dealer today. Pi$$ed all over the SA and got my money back.
Going to a real tuner shop next. Today was my last day of warranty so I don't have to be PC with the incompetents there any more.

Can't wait for my MINIUSA call.

How was the service Mr Customer?

It SUCKED !!! One armed monkeys with crrescent wrenches could have done better!!

 

five then?

Matt

 

On a scale from 1 - 100....yes

 

every time I get a dealer service, somebody comes over to say there will be a survey and if everything isn't a five to come talk to them. I always find myself thinking "Hmm, how can this person even ask this when the don't return calls, I can't get rational answers from the service techs or manager, and someone wanted to charge $200 to machine two frigging brake rotors!" I just smile and fill out the form with the truth.

Don't the auto companies know that the dealers skew the results?

Matt

 

Yes they do.
Even more asinine is my dealer used to coerce you to give them all 5 before you even saw your car!!!

They got so tired of me I somehow magically stopped getting cals from MINIUSA about how I liked my service.

Told them today I will not be buying the Traveller I was planning on getting.

Probably going to be a WRX wagon. Blah and dependable and pretty easy to push to 300hp

 

Jst an end note.

Got a proper alignment done today. Car feels great and I can't wait to drive it in the event this weekend.

 

I went thru the same thing when the dealer forgot to install the JCW plugs, Injectors and ECU re-map. They were very upset with my survey The truth has a way of improving things, lies do not.

 

No more circle track for you?

On a different note.....

Dealer.... the gasket on the rear window of my sun roof has slowly been seperating for the last 2 years. Nope it doesen't leak... YET, but it will. Will BMW fix it? Nada, "it's just cosmetic", well just cosmetic this .... They say they need to replace the whole roof, yes all of it, front & rear glass. I guess the days of replacing just a $4 gasket has been replaced with a $1500 job. What are they thinking? Oh, the thinking part..... forget thinking. I like my SA, he's a good guy, he says he has done what he can & I believe him. But, jeeeessss, when the gasket in my roof fails, so goes the interior.....

 

Just got my car back from an alignment as well.. i went and got the car squared since i put in new camber caster plate and will be adjusting from there. To say my car was off is an understate ment but i expected it.

Front caster was (L) 5% (R) 4.7%, Camber (L) -1.8% (R) -1.5% and a toe in of 30/32" also the Rear was at Camber (L) -1.9% (R) -2.2 with toe in of 1/16"

Now Front caster is (L) 4.7% (R)4.7%, Camber (L) -1.5% (R) -1.5% and ZERO toe with the Rear adj to Camber (L) -1.5% and (R) -1.5% and Zero toe

If your asking why i went to Zero toe in/out instead of the 1/16 toe out in the front Like most. It mainly form of habit for chassis tuning for me. On a new car i Perfer to have it Square get all my center line base measurements. to use as references. That way i dont have to string it as often and i can make adjustment on either end from what i see on film and what i feel inside the car. Also gives me an idea of how badly the chassie is tweaked. Which mine is.. with the Front Driver side Shock mount Mushrooming.(damn those HigHspeed cloverleafs). So now its time to bring out the Tweak board and adjust those cross wieghts.