Hi,

For the purpose of this question I am talking about front wheels. I have an A-body with upgraded shocks and just changed all the bushes.

Can I go to a standard generic mechanic and ask for a wheel alignment and get it done. Or does something get done differently?

When I had the RWC done the mechanic suggested I go to a specific place to get an alignment done as if I took it to a normal shop it wouldn't last more than 6 months. I went to a normal shop to get tires down on my other car and the fella looked at me like I was an idiot when I said what I had been told.

Thoughts? Thank-you!

A normal shop as in a tire shop? For the $80 or so they charge for an alignment it better last more than 6 months. They should use some kind of special equipment to do the alignment.

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'73 Scamp (the girlfriend): 225ci super/6 2BBL conversion (Almost done!)
'90 Subaru, wagon (the wife): H4-cyl 2.2L

1977 Mercedes-Benz 300D, 5cyl diesel(For sale!)

The mechanic I got the RWC at said when I get new tires and get an alignment that a normal tire shop or mechanic will just chuck it on the machine and they'll call it done. He said instead take it to someone who knows what they are doing. The question I want answered is is there a difference between doing a wheel alignment on a A-body/old car compared to a new car or is it a similar process that I could expect anyone at a shop to do?

One would think that an alignment would be fairly mundane run of the mill job… My experience has been the opposite, if there is something under the car that does not look like a McPherson strut arrangement, or a GM double wishbone, it might as well have come from Mars.

I have lugged my FSM to the technician open to alignment page, and these guys still can’t do it right. How hard is it to first level up the ride height, and then set camber & caster? It’s hard apparently, damn close to imposable, because on several occasions the car came back with the front suspension 1.5 inches out of whack.

If a shop tells you it’s no problem they do Old Corvettes and Mustangs, or I guess down your way, old Holden’s & Falcons all the time, run away, they have no clue about Chrysler’s torsion bar suspension.

You have to find some one that has been in the biz for 25 years minimum so that they would have had to line up grandma’s old VC a few times when first on the job. The other service I now perform, in addition to providing FSM, prior to dropping the car off, is set the ride high for them. Also I empty the trunk, and fill the fuel tank per FSM.

Ask Chrysler old car guys whom they use, or recommend.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I tried to get my Scamp aligned at Big O' Tires years ago and they let my car run out of the shop and hit some guys plastic bumper....I asked them if they've ever heard of a wheel chock and they said "A what?"........Yeah, if they don't know what that is then I'm sure alignments are for rocket scientists.

_________________
'73 Scamp (the girlfriend): 225ci super/6 2BBL conversion (Almost done!)
'90 Subaru, wagon (the wife): H4-cyl 2.2L

1977 Mercedes-Benz 300D, 5cyl diesel(For sale!)