Give them a card with the specs you want.

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

I have given this advice many times.

Do not go to any of the big name tire places or shops for an alignment on our cars. Look in the yellow pages for "Frame and Alignment" or "Steering and Axle". I don't know why but the old school shops often seem to have initials in the names like B & C Frame or something. Drive by it, I bet it is in an older garage and their are at least 3-5 classic cars in the shop and in the lot.

These guys will align your car right. Most "technicians" these days have not seen a 4 cam bolt alignment set up, much less torsion bars.

For fun tell him how you are appalled at the quality of Ball Joints these days, and get ready for a 20 minute speech on bad overseas parts with no quality control and his quest to find a decent suplier.

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My Swinger gets the Highlight Valet Parking spot over the German sports cars on the Sunset Strip. I love my Mopar.

I hate trying to find alignment shops. I recently moved, and went to 4 different shops before I found one that had a clue... one of the shops I stopped at (and promptly left) told me that basic alignment only did camber and toe, and ride height and caster adjustment costs extra (to the tune of $165 for an alignment)! WTF?! Another said they'd do it, but it'd take a full day to get the shims right, and they wouldn't warranty the work... *sigh*

Believe it or not, I finally ended up at a firestone to do the work - the guy showed me the specs on the computer before and after the adjustments, let me observe through the window while they did the work, gave a 3 month warranty, and charged $65 for the whole ordeal.

My rule of thumb is to call ahead of time, and tell them what you want done. If they say anything about shims, or extra cost for such and such, go somewhere else. I also won't use anywhere that refuses to do an alignment to custom specs or won't warranty their work. It's a hassle, but usually when I do find a shop that can do all of the above, they're pretty stand-up folks.

My cars are all early 70s mopars, btw. I've got offset bushings in one, stock stuff on another - hence while the shops willingness to do custom specs is important to me.

I have had trouble finding new people a few times here, and there is no shortage of shops in this area. Good shops are few and far between. I am now using a guy who rents space at a larger shop called B&I frame. He is real good and owns several perfect classic and performance cars. No computerized system and he knows what will work with any setup. So no arguing about setting it up to work right. Remember many of these cars never came with radials or sway bars, so stock specs may or not be the way to go. Still for me it means taking time off work to get over there. So I broke down and bought a fastrax gauge with the toe attachment. I needed to align Our Swinger in rural Washington after a partial suspension rebuild and decided it would save me some cash since I have to do it again soon when I do the lower bushings. Now I can play with settings some as I change things too. By the third use it will pay for itself. It may not be something everyone wants to get into but is an option as well. You do need a level surface to work on or understand how to compensate if it is not.

anytime you adj ride hight need to be on dirt/ grass or skids from alinment rack so the bottoms of tire can move then pulled forward to level ground hmmm caster camber and toe all alinment racks come with Quick alin this is what thay should use to make your adjustments.Camber set @ 0 means stright up and down toe set @ 0 means tires poiting forward not duck walk or pigen toed.caster set 0.25 more than driverside this will makeup for road lean to right.Autos with power stearing need positive caster like front forks on bikes look mom no hands.Autos with manual need little negative like front wheel on shopping cart this makes it easer to drive. CASTER the differance between upper and lower ball joint positive upper behind lower and negative lower behind upper will not affect tireware but can create a pull if set more than 0.40 than other side hope this helps all Mr.Twister alinment tech from way back.

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'72 Duster /6 with turbo build up
'03 Ram 2500 4x4 w/HEMI 5sp 4:10 posi
My Twister Page

FWIW - I worked in Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge dealerships in the mid-'60s.

Because of my racing participation - which continues today - I was given all the performance and suspension work....including alignments. I have probably broken more rusted cam bolts than most people have seen.

I currently have an older John Bean Acraliner rack, and I use Bear magnetic guages. I do a lot of race car work - sometimes at the owner's shop on a level floor - and a few local street rods with non-stock suspensions.

Since I don't rely on a databank stored in a computer to tell me whether or not a particular car is "in-spec", I can align ANYTHING I can fit on my rack and can get specifications. for.

And, I can usually do something with those vehicles whose specs. are hard to find.

I have done and STILL do four-wheel race car alignments with string.

Most of today's computerized alignment machines are sold for their ability to bring someone up to speed fast....a true convenience for the tire, quickie oil change and wallet flush operations that pay near-minimum wage to an ever-changing staff.

Much of the sales literature in trade publications talks about taking someone who has NEVER done an alignment and having them taking alignment readings within an hour of starting.

It is also sold on the premise that the operator really does NOT need to know anything about alignment since the computer will state whether or not the car on the rack is "in-spec" or not.

In most cities, there is, indeed, an old, dark place that has specialized in alignment and, perhaps, frame work for years. THEY are truly the place to go.

The people there not only understand WHAT they are doing, but WHY they are doing it.

Bob Paulin