Finding an alignment shop

[TX87R10]

My $175/ea Cooper Cobra's are done after 1.5 years and like 5k miles. Wore down to the belt on one side with probably 90% tread on the other side fo the tire.

When I bought them I was referred to a shop to get an alignment but I couldn't find one in town to do it. I've been asking around again because I'm at the point I may just go buy the cheapest walmart tire and expect it to last a year instead of finding a shop to do alignments, which seems impossible.

No one wants to work on an '87 trucks alignment. Any suggestions? Anyone in the DFW area have any recommendations?

 

[Bextreme04]

You are in DFW and NO ONE wants to do an alignment on a truck? That seems really weird... its the same(or at least similar enough) suspension and steering system used on most trucks, even modern ones. Parts are still readily available, I don't get it.... there must be plenty of business for it.

 

[SirRobyn0]

The reason no one wants to align older rigs like ours is the camber and caster is adjustable by adding or subtracting shims. By the 80's vehicles were getting away from that and by the 90's that method was gone. So newer vehicles typically either have eccentrics or are simply non-adjustable. So not only are our trucks considered a pain in the butt to align by some, most guys working in alignment shops haven't a clue how to use the shim method to make the changes needed. We do a lot of older rigs at the shop, but we do not have an alignment machine. There is one shop in the area that will shims, and we simply take it to them and pay them what they want....

Cliff notes: Try to find a alignment shop with an old guy working at it.

 

[Ricko1966]

I hate talking about alignments, I hate doing alignments,only 2 shops I liked doing them because if something took extra time,like it probably will on an old truck ,I got paid for the extra time. Most shops low ball alignments,hoping to get by with setting toe and shipping it. Or selling camber bolts,ball joints etc. to make money,which the customer always says no,my brother can do that for me. Just set it down,Ill bring it back next week.I've wasted so much time on the alignment rack it's not funny. That being said it is easy enough for you to check camber and if it's good or close you can set toe and you're good. Caster doesn't wear tires,camber does,toe is most common tire wear angle You can actually set you're camber and toe easy,once you get everything cleaned up and freed up.

 

[idahovette]

@SirRobyn0 .. I'm the old guy you're looking for. Kept my alignment machine and all of my old shims.....NEVER toss old shims, you can use them for EVERYTHING. Shimmed cars are about the only thing I work on anymore........unless it's an old cam adjusted mopar....... A lot of the shops around used to "set the toe and let'er go"...............I don't HAVE to work on the new sh!t unless it's mine....or my kids.......or my Grandkids.......lol

 

[SirRobyn0]

I hate talking about alignments, I hate doing alignments,only 2 shops I liked doing them because if something took extra time,like it probably will on an old truck ,I got paid for the extra time. Most shops low ball alignments,hoping to get by with setting toe and shipping it. Or selling camber bolts,ball joints etc. to make money,which the customer always says no,my brother can do that just set it down.I've wasted so much time on the alignment rack it's not funny. That being said it is easy enough for you to check camber and if it's good or close you can set toe and you're good. Caster doesn't wear tires,camber does,toe is most common tire wear angle You can actually set you're camber and toe easy,once you get everything cleaned up and freed up.

Right and if your a tech working at tire store getting paid probably .8 for an alignment there is no way your gonna want to mess with shims. At least back when shims were more common we'd get 1.5 for those alignments.

 

[SirRobyn0]

@SirRobyn0 .. I'm the old guy you're looking for. Kept my alignment machine and all of my old shims.....NEVER toss old shims, you can use them for EVERYTHING. Shimmed cars are about the only thing I work on anymore........unless it's an old cam adjusted mopar....... A lot of the shops around used to "set the toe and let'er go"...............I don't HAVE to work on the new sh!t unless it's mine....or my kids.......or my Grandkids.......lol

I'm getting closer to that ever day. Unfortunately for Patrick, you're a little bit of a far drive for an alignment lol

 

[Keith Seymore]

.. I'm the old guy you're looking for. Kept my alignment machine and all of my old shims.....NEVER toss old shims, you can use them for EVERYTHING. Shimmed cars are about the only thing I work on anymore........unless it's an old cam adjusted mopar....... A lot of the shops around used to "set the toe and let'er go"...............I don't HAVE to work on the new sh!t unless it's mine....or my kids.......or my Grandkids.......lol

(Keith starts planning a trip to Weiser, Idaho....)

K

 

[ReefkoiC10]

I align mine in my garage with tape measures and a camber gauge. I had it done at a shop in Colorado Springs thats been around forever and aligns many show cars muscle cars etc. and they did a poor job with camber. It’s not that hard, when I aligned cars at firestone in the 90’s we had the laser machine and computer but that just made it faster. Most shops just want to “toe it and blow it” anyway and thats super easy w a tape measure why pay $120 or more for that I say

 

[TotalyHucked]

Like these other guys have said, find a shop that's been around a long time that has an old guy working, that's the only way it'll get done correctly. I had to take mine to 4-5 shops before I found one that would touch it. Turns out it was right around the corner from work with a couple cranky old hot rodders that loved my truck lol

 

[TX87R10]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone, unfortunately all of the old guy shops are even giving up around here, presumably because they have so much more business from newer vehicles and it's easier.

I'm going to reach out to a few shops about 30 miles south in Waxahachie but I hate driving my poor truck that far round trip.

If anyone has any links to manually doing it I would really appreciate it, it's bad enough that I bet I could eyeball it and see an improvment

 

[89Suburban]

I use one of these and do it myself.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LG1TMTZ/

 

[Ricko1966]

Double post

 

[Ricko1966]

DIY Wheel Alignment Calculator - Toe, Camber, Caster - StrikeEngine

DIY wheel alignment calculators. Add your measurments and the tools will give you the numbers in degrees. Print off the calculators if you need a checklist.

strikeengine.com

Read all of it,watch the videos if you don't it won't make sense because of how they laid out their site. GM g body forums has a good one also I'll try to find it.

 

[Ricko1966]

Front End Alignment

Turbo Regal Performance Recipes

www.gnttype.org

Found it this says you need a gauge from racers supply or somewhere,a digital angle finder app on your phone and a little math will do it.