Just got back from NTB, they did a great job on the alignment, they allowed me to come back and watch the process. They used a hunter dsb600 I think is uses lasers or the neeto flashing lights where there to dumb found me.
It certainly tracks better, and is MUCH smoother.

The entire job cost 109.00 with a one year warranty.....

 

did your car previously tram line over everything? I remember reading car reviews of 928's and read of the tramlining, my car seems to be real sensitive to street imperfections, more so than any other car ive driven, but i do have pretty worn front tires.

 

It did that and the suspension always seemed to be under pressure and it took bumps like there was no more suspension travel

 

I have to ask since you didn't mention it... Did they lift the car?

 

NO they did not. I was with Becca during the entire procedure they used sliding bases and "freaking lasers"

 

I got mine aligned at NTB on the Hunter DSP400. They did a good job without lifting the car. However, I needed to return for another alignment after correcting (raising) the ride height to spec. They didn't charge for the second alignment!

 

How did you measure the ride height?

 

Refer to the workshop manual - 44-2b and 44-3. For the front axle, the measuring point is a flat place under the rear link bearing. On the rear, the measuring point is under the crossmember. Front height should be 180mm +/- 20mm. Rear height is 173mm +/- 10mm. The adjusting nuts can be turned with the type of spanner wrench used to adjust ATV shocks. Correcting the ride height made a big difference in the handling and feel.

 

There's a specific measurement spot on the rear as well:

https://rennlist.com/forums/showpost...4&postcount=11

 

Sharkskin's right on w/ his pix of the measuring points in the thread above.

But the factory specified ride height, per the Technical Specifications booklets for '80-'84 and '85-'89 (both on page 72), is:

FRONT - 190 -20mm, with a maximum difference left to right of 10mm; and

REAR - 173 +10mm with a maximum difference left to right of 10mm.

Note that neither of these specs is plus/minus. One's minus and one's plus.

The '85 - '89 spec book adds "** The height setting values apply to new vehicles. Used vehicles may be up to 10mm lower, i.e. the tolerance may deviate by minus 10mm. This must, however, be the same for both axles."

I read that to say the front can be as low as 160mm and the rear 163mm.

The measuring points are easy to reach by lying down and reaching under and in. There are many ways to measure. After trying pointers and sticks and worrying about not getting them exactly vertical (the points are easy to reach but hard to see at the same time), I used a carpenter's angle finder to take the height and then measured it after I'd removed it. It worked a treat.

When I got my car it was at 124mmF and 128mmR. I figure that's why I wiped an alternator off on the road. I'm lucky I kept my compressor and block.

 

Loaded, you are fortunate to have found a competent shop at any price, but certainly blessed to have paid so little. I have spent to date over $1000 and three sets of tires and still this POS steering is the worst steering P car of any I've owned and probably as bad or worse than most other cars I've owned. Mine tramlines all over the place, will not track in a straight line, and a pebble in the road will re-direct its line of travel. I just returned from a trip to Oregon. I hated it. I would turn my shotgun on it but it would cost too much to fill the holes after I've cooled down. Sooner or later I expect to be busted for reckless driving as it pulls from side to side and into and out of lanes unexpectedly. I hate the steering on this car. Maybe I should take a trip to Texas, and get it fixed. I am seriously considering a trip to Salt Lake City to have Dave Lomas give it a shot. Or buying a Cayman which I tested last week.

 

Ron, was your car ever in an accident that bent the frame? My last alignment was over 3 years ago, my tires have 20,000 miles on them and they still have plenty of miles left, and it drives rock solid - dead straight. I'm just curious as to why your car's alignment would be so far off unless something had happened to it in the past.

 

Does anyone have any resource that tells you WHERE the nearest Hunter DSP400 machine is located?

-Ron, someone recently told me that if one or more of the springs is bent or worn out that it can cause the car to tramline or wander as you've described. I'm certainly not an expert, but if you've aligned the hell out of the car and it is still being a pain in the ***, then you should check out other parts of the suspension. Make sure the steering rack is in place and in good shape- I once had a Nissan airport car that wandered around because of this.

Best of luck!

N!

 

Oh my Good Heavens RON! I am so sorry! MY steering would feel better if I had done this alignment before wearing the edge down on one of my front tires. but it really does drive great. HOLY crap man.

 

Joe, I doubt the car was ever damaged to that extent. In fact, I doubt it was ever hit at all except for minor bumps. It is simply unpredictable. The next item to be replaced is the steering rack, but some people who have inspected it have said the rack was fine and some have said it must be replaced. (scratching head and walking off mumbling vulgar phrases.......)

I have replaced the shocks but not the springs. If it is the springs I would need to remove them to check and may as well get new ones with Bilsteins. There have been close alignments but the wandering trait doesn't go away, and the alignments never last long.