Shane

I received a four wheel alignement and ride height adjustments for $93. It was the shops first attemt at doing the 928 and I took Capt. Earls write up with and trained them. He gave me a discount on the price as long as I bring my other shark to him for alignments.

Randy V

Stig - call the local Sears Auto in Chula Vista. They probably have a Hunter DSP 400 machine - most Sears auto centers do - and will do the job for around $100.

Mongo

Sears? hmmm I get the feeling I should be afraid if I take my car there...

Andy

Randy V

Using the Hunter DSP 400 machine, it doesn't matter who does it. Front-end alignments are not rocket science.

Mongo

what about the camber on the front and rear of the car? can they adjust that too?

Andy

Randy V

Call 'em.

Ron_H

The local Sears store here in Cupertino refused to align my car when asked though they have a Hunter DSP400. I presume because it is too low. They said it was a "difficult" vehicle, whatever that is.

Mongo

ok today when i go on break i'm going to call up Sears and see if they can align the 928. Hopefully they don't turn me down.

Andy

Mongo

ok I called Sears and they said it was going to be $89 to align the car. However, according to them, the Hunter DSP 400 is outdated and was replaced with a newer type alignment machine that uses infrared and laser to align the cars now. He didn't give me the name of the machine though.

Andy

mark kibort

wheel works has the hunter machines. make sure they roll the car backward instead of lift, as was mentioned prior, to calabrate the system. Then, its a pretty basic alignment. rear is very basic, as its just setting toe and camber. Front is not rocket science as well. If you watch the guy do it to make sure it isnt jacked up, even a little, you will have a good alignment done. $90 at Wheel Works. The one in San Jose did mine 2 years ago, and it is still within my race spec! and, the car is real low too!
(ie 116mm front and 135mm rear)

mk

Bill51sdr

Stig,

I took the '86 I used to have to Clarence Brown and explained to them about the ride height and the necessity of not lifting the car. I was not able to watch the process, but I did not have any tire wear problems prior to selling the car and it did track better. I've heard both good and bad about them, but have had good luck with them myself. A few of the guys either race their own cars or are enthusiasts, so the will listen to you. By the way, howdy neighbor! I live in Bonita. I now drive a black '89 S4, so give me a wave if you ever see me.

Bill

wds928

Stig:

I can't help for San Diego locations. I had my '94 GTS aligned by Curry's in Sterling Virginia. Full 4 wheel alignment was $343, including ride height. I had them put new Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's on the car at the same time. Great ride so far, no tire wear, but only 1,000 miles so far.

JPTL

Andy,
That was my feeling exactly. But it's kinda like getting a cheap haircut. It's all about the person who's doing the job. Most Sears have the proper machinery, and that's critical. There are some Porsche shops without the Hunter machine that can't align without lifting. You'll pay for them to go through the effort of getting the car settled, re-adjusting, etc. You can't blame them, but why not go to the place with the right machine?

One thing I recommend (with anybody who's going to put a wrench on your car for that matter)....go by the Sears w/out your car. Walk into the bay & see who the 'alignment guy' is. If the guys are a***oles, go elsewhere. This was the case at my local Sears. The more rural Sears are likely to have better mechanics as I found. I talked to the alignment guy (18 yrs. experience). He'd done many Porsches, but only one 928. He was very capable, and had significant knowledge of alignments/geometry, etc. He did say that they are supposed to lift the car to check the components (liability & more work) I said that it couldn't be lifted & I'd give him a waiver on that, and he was okay with it.
Somebody tell me if I'm wrong, but with the proper Hunter machine & it's corresponding software, you don't really need to specifically know 928s...so long as it's never lifted, and the guy knows what he's doing. This machine was very hi-tech & accurate as hell. You could tap the wheels & see the changes on the screen. I believe that it did it all with numerous lazers & infrared. It looks at the paddles & picks up a depth of field.
I'd recommend Sears....so long as you have the right guy running the machine.
Wherever you go.... if you have aftermarket wheels - especially 18" with thin beads, check first to see if they can do the job. Some of the 'calipers' that grab the wheels are limited in their spread & their ability to attach to the wheels.

Mongo

Good to know I have another shark in the pool here I'll be sure to wave if I see you and remember to 'save the flash' See ya around and thanks for the tip with Clarence Brown. I'm going to call them and Sears to compare prices, so far I've heard good things including yours about Clarence.

Andy

DMG

$195.00 Porsche Dealership, Reading, Pa