G Man

I e-mailed the local Hunter rep a while back to find shops in my area with the Hunter alignment machine that we need for our 928's. One of the shops he told me to go to is the local Toyata dealer. I go to the dealer and speak with the service manager and tell him of my needs. He tells me that they can't do my car because they only have the software to do Toyota cars. He says that with all of the different kinds of cars out there it is not possible to have the specs for all of them. I would think they would be able to download specs for other vehicles without much difficulty. Guess I will keep looking.

Tony

Go to Sears. Its not rockect science.

Drewster67

I took mine to some High end shop for 180 - NEVER again.

Sears is the place to go and its like 80 bucks. (last I heard)

Big Dave

+1

(6 month warranty, and the job is done in 45 minutes)

AO

FYI... Sears is going to say they can't do it becasue they don't have the pull-down bar. Talk to the tech, and tell him that you're okay with them not lifting the car. Then get the tech to okay them putting in the work order.

dr bob

There's a DIY Alignmnet thread going that builds on the Earl Gilstrom thought process, updated with some alignment pieces that you can make at home with a little simple metalworking. I'm thinking that a few strategicall-placed kits would allow folks to do most of this stuff themselves. Not only does it take the "lifting the car" problem out of the equation, it also allows you the owner to make both sides of the car the same as far as final adjustments. This can be important if you want to drive the car.

We did a little demo/tech session at Sharktoberfest, using a local member's car. This si one that survived a local commercial alignment, and was then subjected to a mini alignmnet clinic at my house a few weeks ago. At Sharktoberfest, the readings said it was toe'd out quite a bit. We initially attributed that to the uneven driveway we were working on. In a later phone call, the owner mentioned that he'd bumped something with the RF wheel, and it has been steering that way since. So it's likely that the readings we saw at Sharktoberfest weren't so far from reality. The car will be here again soon for a little more attention. If there's a moral to the story, it's probably that even the best alignment is not at all permanent. Points to the need to have regular access to at least the camber and toe-in, especially for drivers that aren't stuck here where the ground doesn't freeze and chuck. The pair of laser fixtures I made for the demo cost about $50 for the pair, by the way, making them very affordable for local groups to share. Add a regular carpenter's level and a tape measure and you are good to go. Oh, you'll probably need a few wrenches out of your toolbox if you need to make adjustments.

Big Dave

True. The folks at the service desk initially said no. One of the techs came over and gave them the you-guys-should-go-back-to-working-in-the-shoe-sales-department look and told me he could do the work.

JHowell37

If they can align a Miata or a whole plethora of other cars, then they can align a 928. Don't let others try to tell you otherwise.

Mark

I've had plenty of success with Sears...BUT - WATCH THE TECH!!! Many times, out of habit, they will start to lift the car!

Giovanni

do a search for: alignment hunter

you will find tons of threads with the hunter model number. Most Sears carries that machine but if they don't have it walk away. I got mine done at a Firestone shop.

good luck...

JPTL

+2 on Sears. Make sure that they've got the right Hunter no-lift machine, and get the most experienced tech who knows the machine. If there isn't one, find another Sears.
Generally, the guy will welcome a unique car like a 928. If you b.s. with him a bit and show an interest in the machine, he probably won't have a problem with you hanging out and watching the procedure. This is where you can make sure that he doesn't lift the car.
If your tires have curb-saving sidewalls (protrude beyond the rim of the wheel), the tech will likely have trouble getting the calipers to mount to the rims (think about the arms on a gear puller). If he's patient, he'll get it.

Silver79

I somehow doubt what they told you was true. Even though the shop that I work at only works on certain cars we have the specs for pretty much anything with the alignment rack. It seems that a lot of people have had good luck at Sears on Rennlist so I would probably try that or if you do not want to go that route you could probably do the alignment at home as a couple of people have suggested.

RicerSchnitzzle

After paying for new rims, my local PepBoys won't even change wipers on a Porsche... more than likely thay have had an issue in the past and the money made is not worth the money lost if they screw your car up.

gasmanstl

So it's a Hunter, no-lift machine...somebody mentioned a model number?? It should be here for completeness, if so...but the idea of doing it at home is fascinating. I'd like to know more. How might I read about it?

Rob Edwards

Hunter DSP-400.