View Poll Results: How often do you get an alignment?
Once a year, regardless of miles
2
6.06%
Whenever it pulls
11
33.33%
Whenever I buy new tires
10
30.30%
Other, leave a comment
10
30.30%
Voters: 33. You may not vote on this poll
How often do you get an alignment?
03-06-18, 01:05 PM
#16
Lexus Fanatic
Heck, it's often bad enough even around D.C.
03-06-18, 01:36 PM
#17
Lexus Champion
I agree something doesn't sound right there. I've lived in the Chicago area for 43 years, and a couple of other Midwestern markets before that driving both personal and company cars, and no frequent alignment issues (fingers crossed).
03-06-18, 04:27 PM
#18
Lexus Fanatic
03-07-18, 07:44 AM
#19
Dunno....I know after alignment #1, the left rear was just out of spec at -1.9. But then after #2, the left was in spec and now the right was out of spec. I wish I could try doing it myself (it can't be rocket science), I would like to convince myself it's the techs, and not the car. Many seem to say as the car wears and springs sag etc., there is a tendency for the rear to exhibit more negative camber.
I will say this from what I see. If you roll in with a BMW, pay $140, and every setting is green to begin with, they still adjust such that all the settings are in the middle of each range. I have found this to not be the case with the lifetime alignment. Green means no need to adjust. That's the myth of the lifetime alignment lol But since we have them, I'll use them, don't really lose anything but the drop off and pickup time...
I will say this from what I see. If you roll in with a BMW, pay $140, and every setting is green to begin with, they still adjust such that all the settings are in the middle of each range. I have found this to not be the case with the lifetime alignment. Green means no need to adjust. That's the myth of the lifetime alignment lol But since we have them, I'll use them, don't really lose anything but the drop off and pickup time...
There is no way your rear was out of spec by -1.9 thats an insane amount of camber on a stock car, I lowered my ls430 3.5 inches in the front and the camber was only off by -1.7 and ls430's have very little front camber adjustment. If it was off that much then your shock collapsed and you should probably get that fixed.
03-07-18, 07:53 AM
#21
Lexus Fanatic
You know alignments are actually pretty difficult do to correctly right? And the techs are correct as your car wears you will get negative camber due to gravity. I dont know what state you live in but I get my aligments done at a race shop in NY and thats $150 and takes about an hour. Normal aligments should only cost $60-$90 any more and your getting bent over with a handful of sand.
There is no way your rear was out of spec by -1.9 thats an insane amount of camber on a stock car, I lowered my ls430 3.5 inches in the front and the camber was only off by -1.7 and ls430's have very little front camber adjustment. If it was off that much then your shock collapsed and you should probably get that fixed.
There is no way your rear was out of spec by -1.9 thats an insane amount of camber on a stock car, I lowered my ls430 3.5 inches in the front and the camber was only off by -1.7 and ls430's have very little front camber adjustment. If it was off that much then your shock collapsed and you should probably get that fixed.
Man I was driving on Haverford Ave. yest. there are some gigantic I don't even know what to call them. this honda CR-V starts wavering like a person deking on a penalty shot, and then speeds up through the hole in the road. I couldn't help but think lucky your car must be leased. If anything, common sense would say slow down when you are going to hit something. I'm not driving my LS430 through that, I used the other side of the Ave. and avoided the hole.
03-07-18, 09:22 AM
#23
When I had the alignment done last year after hitting the curb (no, I wasn't drinking; it was ice) I was impressed by the technology used by the Les Schwab tire place. Up on the rack, a couple of reflectors attached to the wheels, couple of seconds of moving things around, everything read by a laser, then--Bingo!--the computer spits out a graphical analysis. Pretty cool, and a far cry from the way it was done decades ago.
03-07-18, 10:18 AM
#24
Lexus Fanatic
When I had the alignment done last year after hitting the curb (no, I wasn't drinking; it was ice) I was impressed by the technology used by the Les Schwab tire place. Up on the rack, a couple of reflectors attached to the wheels, couple of seconds of moving things around, everything read by a laser, then--Bingo!--the computer spits out a graphical analysis. Pretty cool, and a far cry from the way it was done decades ago.
03-07-18, 01:06 PM
#25
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
03-07-18, 02:44 PM
#26
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
i think the last time i got an alignment was over a decade ago when my 2gs had coilovers, custom rims/tires, etc. since then, nope.
03-07-18, 03:29 PM
#28
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
info directly from the Hunter website....
https://www.hunter.com/alignment-sys...heel-alignment
Proper wheel alignment is extremely important to protect tire investment and tire life, maximize fuel economy and stop safely in wet weather conditions. Proper wheel alignment helps vehicles hold the road better and feel more stable.
If your vehicle has an off-center steering wheel, pulls to one side while driving on a straight and level road, has uneven tire wear or doesn’t hold the road well, chances are you may be due for wheel alignment service.
Learn more about the benefits of wheel alignment performed by Hunter Engineering wheel aligners. click here.
https://www.hunter.com/alignment-sys...heel-alignment
The Benefits of Wheel Alignment
Proper wheel alignment is extremely important to protect tire investment and tire life, maximize fuel economy and stop safely in wet weather conditions. Proper wheel alignment helps vehicles hold the road better and feel more stable.
Fuel Economy Benefits of Wheel Alignment
Proper wheel alignment also maximizes fuel economy. Vehicles with wheel alignment conditions can suffer a decrease in fuel efficiency by up to 7%. For a vehicle owner who drives 15,000 miles per year and gets an average of 25 miles per gallon at $3.50 per gallon, proper wheel alignment adds up to $150 annual fuel cost savings.Proper Alignment Protects a Vehicle Owner’s Investment
Every inch a vehicle is out of alignment is equivalent to dragging the tire sideways at 100 feet per mile! Not only does this create dangerous driving conditions, but it also places unnecessary wear on tires that can be avoided by proper wheel alignment.Other Wheel Alignment Benefits for Safety
One of the benefits of wheel alignment is maintaining tread life and reducing unnecessary tread wear over time. Remaining tire tread has a direct impact on stopping distance on wet surfaces, which can cause serious problems when traveling over 60 mph.How Often Should You Get an Alignment?
Most manufacturers don’t outline a maintenance schedule for wheel alignment, however, most mechanics recommend this service be completed once every 2-3 years.If your vehicle has an off-center steering wheel, pulls to one side while driving on a straight and level road, has uneven tire wear or doesn’t hold the road well, chances are you may be due for wheel alignment service.
Benefits of a Wheel Alignment System with Steering System Reset
As vehicle manufacturers equip more vehicles with on-board driver-assist systems, such as electronic stability control, parking assist, traction control and more, an increasing number of manufacturers now require a steering system reset during alignment service. It is important to have an alignment system that can reset all alignment-related sensors during alignment service.Learn more about the benefits of wheel alignment performed by Hunter Engineering wheel aligners. click here.
03-07-18, 04:36 PM
#29
Lexus Fanatic
As far as the front wheels dragging the vehicle sideways, manufacturers rarely specify a perfectly parallel-alignment of the front wheels. Often there is a very small amount of toe-in specified, to help keep the vehicle steady, and no tend to drift back and forth out of one's lanes specially in crosswinds. Sometimes a small amount of negative camber will also be recommended, to help keep as much tread as possible on the outer tires firmly-planted in corners.
Last edited by mmarshall; 03-07-18 at 04:40 PM.
