• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Alignment

S

solomon7

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Portland OR
Can anyone recommend a good 4x4 alignment shop that isn't super taxed in the Portland area?
Hopefully they would ideally test it and if it's fine I'm good.
I'm only lifted 3" but I think that'll affect specs frome stock so I don't really want to go to LesSchwab.
Dunno if other shops do free alignment tests but thaIt's originally why I went to Les Schwab.
Since then...I don't really trust them fully since I had my Honda aligned at Firestone, and took it in to LesSchwab a week later to get tested (bored and a little OCD lol) and they said it "REALLY needed an alignment, WAY out of spec". BS.

Any good place that'll test me and, then, if needed, charge me for an alignment but do it right ?

Only thing adjustable is the TB really and TR/DL.
 
Firestone. Lifetime alignment is $150 but free for the rest of the time you own your jeep. And if you ever plan on wheeling your jeep you'll need alignments. Plus they have always been fair to me. If I think its out they'll check it out do a free inspection and tell me what's going on and let me decide what to do next. A+ in my book.

Sent from my mind cause I'm so Awesome.
 
They do free checks now? I worked as a tech for Les,Bob Brown and Ron Tonkin. They all charged a basic fee. It takes some time to setup the machine and perform all the runout adjustments and time is money. At that point if the toe was off it would be adjusted for the basic fee of $19.99. I always do it myself on the shop floor with some bear skins (greased sheets of steel) They act as turn plates like the rotary lifts have.

I did not to long ago take mine to Sandy Les Schwab to see what they would say. because I knew my caster was off and I had no base line to correct it myself. I didn't say nothing about working for them in the past or that I was a John Bean and Hunter trained/certified tech. I watched as he did his thing from the door. About 15 min. Later he told me he couldn't do the job correctly that I would need a drop pitman arm and adjustable control arms.(I knew that though) But he did max out what adjustment there was in the drop brackets. It did make my pinion angles wrong and now I have a slight vibration. but what do you do when your to cheap to buy the right stuff.

All said and done he did tell the truth, knew what he was doing and advised the proper parts to make things right.

Also toe, camber and caster are all adjustable on an XJ just if you didn't know.

Dave


Cherokees are for children. Grown ups save and get wranglers. Im tired of being childish.
 
You do it yourself Get a tape measure and go center of the front of the tire and then do the same in the back of the front tire as close to the same height as the front and make the front 1/8 shorter thean in the rear of the tire ,Just a little toe in makes them drive nice
:greensmok
 
muddypunk said:
You do it yourself Get a tape measure and go center of the front of the tire and then do the same in the back of the front tire as close to the same height as the front and make the front 1/8 shorter thean in the rear of the tire ,Just a little toe in makes them drive nice
:greensmok
Click to expand...

Punctuation much?
 
muddypunk said:
You do it yourself Get a tape measure and go center of the front of the tire and then do the same in the back of the front tire as close to the same height as the front and make the front 1/8 shorter thean in the rear of the tire ,Just a little toe in makes them drive nice
:greensmok
Click to expand...

Your correct about the 1/8th toe in. But did you know that most large tires have different sized tread blocks on the tread face?

I jack up one tire at a time then I paint a white stripe down the center of the tire while spinning it. Then I use a jack Stand and something kinda sharp like a scratch all. I have another person spin the tire while I use the jack stand positioned right in front of the center of the tire. I then use it to hold the scratch all in the center kinda like a brace and then scratch a line all the way around the tire. This will cancel out the tire runout. Then measure the back of the tires and the front at the same hight and adjust to toe to 1/8 toe in.

Simple toe adjustment.

Dave


Cherokees are for children. Grown ups save and get wranglers. Im tired of being childish.
 
Camber is set at the factory, it can be adjusted, but if its out it means your axle is bent. :) Correct Dave ?





BoringDave said:
They do free checks now? I worked as a tech for Les,Bob Brown and Ron Tonkin. They all charged a basic fee. It takes some time to setup the machine and perform all the runout adjustments and time is money. At that point if the toe was off it would be adjusted for the basic fee of $19.99. I always do it myself on the shop floor with some bear skins (greased sheets of steel) They act as turn plates like the rotary lifts have.

I did not to long ago take mine to Sandy Les Schwab to see what they would say. because I knew my caster was off and I had no base line to correct it myself. I didn't say nothing about working for them in the past or that I was a John Bean and Hunter trained/certified tech. I watched as he did his thing from the door. About 15 min. Later he told me he couldn't do the job correctly that I would need a drop pitman arm and adjustable control arms.(I knew that though) But he did max out what adjustment there was in the drop brackets. It did make my pinion angles wrong and now I have a slight vibration. but what do you do when your to cheap to buy the right stuff.

All said and done he did tell the truth, knew what he was doing and advised the proper parts to make things right.

Also toe, camber and caster are all adjustable on an XJ just if you didn't know.

Dave


Cherokees are for children. Grown ups save and get wranglers. Im tired of being childish.
Click to expand...
 
I like Sears Auto because I worked there a long time ago and know the training they give their employees. But Toe is the ONLY thing adjustable on an XJ. Camber is only adjusted with offset balljoints (god hope you don't have to go that route) and caster can be set a little but its both side at the same time (using shims in the lower control arm brackets, or adjusting aftermarket control arms which nobody would wanna touch).
 
I used to be a Die-hard believer that it needs to be taken in for alignments..

But once you actually see how its done in the driveway.. its a waste of $100..

I'm trying to get mine dialed in, and plan to take it to a NWC member that works at an alignment shop and see how close i get to spec.
 
NW-ZJ-SCOTT said:
I used to be a Die-hard believer that it needs to be taken in for alignments..

But once you actually see how its done in the driveway.. its a waste of $100..

I'm trying to get mine dialed in, and plan to take it to a NWC member that works at an alignment shop and see how close i get to spec.
Click to expand...

For a daily driver I think its worth it to take it in, since alignment specs can be within hundredths of a degree. But if you do any wheeling, then the first time you take it out, it'll probaly get knocked outta whack just a hair. Especially if you run a stock tie rod like me that seems to have a little different curvature to it everytime I take it out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
Replacing axle leaf spring ubolts questions
2
Replies
31
Views
4K
Anak
Anak
O
Rear Weight Distribution and Shackle Length
2
Replies
25
Views
6K
Black1990jeep
B
S
98 XJ manual ignition problem
2
Replies
20
Views
4K
SurplusFan98
S
Anak
How to Slot the CPS
Replies
2
Views
106
Rob Mayercik
R
S
Torque converter causing low rpm engine lope
Replies
2
Views
2K
lawsoncl
L
Back
Top