If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings
Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings
After a busy winter and the associated pot holes afterward, I decided to have my car's alignment checked at a shop I have used in the past, on my current car and on previous ones. The guy is no 'McDonalds' aligner(just "get em in the green"), and accommodates specific customer needs, as long as not too 'out there'. But two weeks ago was different: While he did maintain the negative thrust angle I asked him to achieve last year, he claims his Hunter rig would 'not let him proceed to the next step of the alignment if he did not get the toe spot on' My request was simple: 0.03° of front toe-in on a 2010 Honda Accord that specifies 0° front toe, but a range of 0.08° in or out. Another aligner I have used says he does race setups and can accommodate custom settings. So what's up with the first gy? |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings
On 06/11/2021 03:18 AM, Chris K-Man wrote:
> Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings > > After a busy winter and the associated pot holes afterward, > I decided to have my car's alignment checked at a shop I > have used in the past, on my current car and on previous ones. > > The guy is no 'McDonalds' aligner(just "get em in the green"), > and accommodates specific customer needs, as long as not > too 'out there'. > > But two weeks ago was different: While he did maintain the > negative thrust angle I asked him to achieve last year, he > claims his Hunter rig would 'not let him proceed to the next > step of the alignment if he did not get the toe spot on' > > My request was simple: 0.03° of front toe-in on a 2010 Honda > Accord that specifies 0° front toe, but a range of 0.08° in > or out. Another aligner I have used says he does race setups and can accommodate > custom settings. > > So what's up with the first gy? My guess: he relies on the machine. The second guy knows how to do it by hand. A local 'race prep' guy said he could align our 1970 Dodge pickup, which needed it badly. He didn't do it right and we could see scuffing on the new tires. He might have even made it worse. I took it to another guy who did it by hand with hand tools and it was like getting a new steering system. He was surprised when I called them 'water pump pliers'. He didn't know anybody else who called Channellocks that. I wish I knew why I learned that name for them. It was really hard to find people who would even claim to be able to align our old truck. Those were the only two within 20 miles. -- Cheers, Bev Hmph. I used to have snow tires. Never again. They melted in the spring. I won't even start going on about my wood stove. -- websurf1 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings
Chris K-Man wrote:
> Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings > > After a busy winter and the associated pot holes afterward, > I decided to have my car's alignment checked at a shop I > have used in the past, on my current car and on previous ones. > > The guy is no 'McDonalds' aligner(just "get em in the green"), > and accommodates specific customer needs, as long as not > too 'out there'. > > But two weeks ago was different: While he did maintain the > negative thrust angle I asked him to achieve last year, he > claims his Hunter rig would 'not let him proceed to the next > step of the alignment if he did not get the toe spot on' > > My request was simple: 0.03° of front toe-in on a 2010 Honda > Accord that specifies 0° front toe, but a range of 0.08° in > or out. Another aligner I have used says he does race setups and can accommodate > custom settings. > > So what's up with the first gy? If it's a newer machine, some are really locked in to the settings. It's possible to override it on most of them but if the shop has it locked so billy bob can't totally screw up by going way out of spec it can be a real pain to unlock them. -- Steve W. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings
On Friday, June 11, 2021 at 1:34:59 PM UTC-4, Steve W. wrote:
> Chris K-Man wrote: > > Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings > > > > After a busy winter and the associated pot holes afterward, > > I decided to have my car's alignment checked at a shop I > > have used in the past, on my current car and on previous ones. > > > > The guy is no 'McDonalds' aligner(just "get em in the green"), > > and accommodates specific customer needs, as long as not > > too 'out there'. > > > > But two weeks ago was different: While he did maintain the > > negative thrust angle I asked him to achieve last year, he > > claims his Hunter rig would 'not let him proceed to the next > > step of the alignment if he did not get the toe spot on' > > > > My request was simple: 0.03° of front toe-in on a 2010 Honda > > Accord that specifies 0° front toe, but a range of 0.08° in > > or out. Another aligner I have used says he does race setups and can accommodate > > custom settings. > > > > So what's up with the first gy? > If it's a newer machine, some are really locked in to the settings. It's > possible to override it on most of them but if the shop has it locked so > billy bob can't totally screw up by going way out of spec it can be a > real pain to unlock them. > > > -- > Steve W. ________ That's a possibility. And again the odd thing about it is that guy #1 was able to dial in the negative thrust angle I requested(my Accord has a leftward drift, more noticeable on highways) that cannot be explained by my alignment results, nor by any bent parts, dragging brakes, unequal tire pressures, etc. So the negative thrust angle counters that, and I'm not always having to nudge the steering wheel rightward to stay out of the lane to my left! Now all I need is a touch - juat a bit - of front Toe-in, but still within Honda Specs. Alignment guy #2 says "no problem". |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings
Chris K-Man > wrote:
>But two weeks ago was different: While he did maintain the=20 >negative thrust angle I asked him to achieve last year, he=20 >claims his Hunter rig would 'not let him proceed to the next=20 >step of the alignment if he did not get the toe spot on' He doesn't know how to use his machine. He needs to go through the procedure that the machine says, but then after setting the toe with the machine, go back and reset the toe by hand without telling the machine, then let the machine go through the rest of the procedure. It's a pain in the neck but that's how it goes when you're using a system with a user interface designed for idiots. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings
On Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 2:25:42 PM UTC-4, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Chris K-Man > wrote: > >But two weeks ago was different: While he did maintain the=20 > >negative thrust angle I asked him to achieve last year, he=20 > >claims his Hunter rig would 'not let him proceed to the next=20 > >step of the alignment if he did not get the toe spot on' > He doesn't know how to use his machine. > > He needs to go through the procedure that the machine says, but then > after setting the toe with the machine, go back and reset the toe by > hand without telling the machine, then let the machine go through the > rest of the procedure. > > It's a pain in the neck but that's how it goes when you're using a > system with a user interface designed for idiots. > --scott > -- > "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." _______ But that same rig allowed him to dial in the thrust angle I asked him to. So why toe in that I wanted? |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Local Mechanic's Aligner Machine 'Insists'On Spec Settings
On Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 2:25:42 PM UTC-4, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Chris K-Man > wrote: > >But two weeks ago was different: While he did maintain the=20 > >negative thrust angle I asked him to achieve last year, he=20 > >claims his Hunter rig would 'not let him proceed to the next=20 > >step of the alignment if he did not get the toe spot on' > He doesn't know how to use his machine. > > He needs to go through the procedure that the machine says, but then > after setting the toe with the machine, go back and reset the toe by > hand without telling the machine, then let the machine go through the > rest of the procedure. > > It's a pain in the neck but that's how it goes when you're using a > system with a user interface designed for idiots. > --scott > -- > "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." _______ But that same rig allowed him to dial in the thrust angle I requested. Why not front the toe-in I also asked for? |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
GTR vs GTR Spec Nismo vs GTR Spec-V | Sal | Corvette | 0 | July 22nd 09 04:56 AM |
GTR vs GTR Spec Nismo vs GTR Spec-V | Sal | Dodge | 0 | July 22nd 09 04:56 AM |
Dodge 1924 Turing 4dr sdn Blk spec-info.jpg (1/1)-C:\Documents and Settings\Owner.YOUR-BD627BBF84\My Documents\Mopar shw Oct 6 07 pt 1 of 2-168133-164 | doby | Car Show Photos | 0 | October 30th 07 06:35 AM |
Service: Jeep dealer vs. local mechanic | Firebird | Jeep | 3 | March 29th 06 01:48 AM |
Local Mechanic needed - Bowie, Md | Belgarath | BMW | 6 | October 26th 04 08:58 AM |