Bilal928S4

Please post type of wrench you brought to the shop.
Thanks

Bill Ball

I've had a few places tell me I could not go near the rack while they are doing the alignment. One place said it would make the tech nervous. So, I went elsewhere. The problem with many shops is that they are content if the alignment is anywhere within the spec range. The better shops will ask you where you want it or if you are tracking the car versus mostly highway driving, etc. So, I have ended up taking mine to a shop where the tech is comfortable with me looking over his shoulder and doesn't mind my input. With all the iterations that are required to get it where I want it, it takes about 2 hours, and costs a little over $200 (high labor rates in California).

auzivision

Now I recall why I didn't have my alignment done at Sears. The guy put it on the rack and knew he couldn't get the rear adjusted, so he didn't charge me and gave me a printout that showed I was close to spec. Then AO helped me dial in thew front during a tech session at OCIC.

The guy at Sears was cool with me hanging out with him, but you have to kind of warm up to these guys... like calling them experts and acting like a layman with xerox copies from the manual. The ticket writer is not the guy to start talking tech with, they are usually the gate keeper. First couple of attempts to thwart the gate keeper didn't work... not until the day they were offering free drive through alignment checks and met the real tech.

I too am curious to see/obtain one of these wrenches.

FredR

Kurt,

With wider rubber contact patch you can pull higher lateral loads. Under such conditions the amount of reaction on the sub frame/wheel carrier deflection increases and thus a need to keep the tire as parallel to the deck as possible generally acheived by more camber. With more lateral load more compression, more compression more toe change etc etc- it is quite complicatioed set of reactions and corrections. Try pulling high lateral loads with stock camber settings and see how the shoulder of the tyre scrubs. In simple terms you have the camber more or less right when the shoulder of the tire is not scrubbing.

On the fli side I hae seen a poor driver wreck a 911 tire in no time flat due to shoulder scrubbing although whether more camber would have saved his tire from his stupidity is another matter.

If you have seen any photos of someone cornering their 928 hard on the track if the photo angle is suitable you will see just how much difference there is between the direction of the inboard and outboard wheels.

Anyone who has been on a track with a 928 will tell you just how easily the S4 front end lets go with stock 225 tyres [understeer]- way too under tyred for spirited yet alone track use.

First time I used my 265 tires shod wht Cup Sport tires, the grip as such that with inly 1 degree of camber I was up on the shoulders and the tires were not even troubled. 3 degrees of front camber eliminated that problem and when I fitted the lower front frame brace I was able to reduce the camber to 2 degrees and no shoulder scrub [better braking].

It is a complex subject well beyond most of us and trial and error is the best solution.

Regards

Fred

MjRocket

This is ALL Great information, however im more confused then ever as where to go to get the job done RIGHT/PROPER...As stated it seems sears doesnt have all the right tools to do the job, and I dont know exactly what questions to ask or proper specs im looking for.

The search continues.

Mj

bills928

Since Alignment is the one and only thing that I let a shop do on any of my cars... I perfer going to the Porsche dealer .... They have the right tools and training for these cars. $139.00 at my local dealer.

jheis

I've had my cars done at the local Big O Tires several times.

The spec's for a 928 are in their computer - all they have to do is dial it in.

I make sure to tell them that they can't lift the front end off the ground...

The last time the tech insisted that he had to lift the front end to check the tie rod ends. I said fine - lift it to check the tie rods today and I'll bring it back tomorrow to have it aligned without lifting the front end. They were OK with that. I also have them set the camber at -1.5* front and -1* rear since I autocross. Again, no problem.

$79.95

James

hacker-pschorr

The actual equipment used is far less important than the person doing the alignment.

The best equipment in the world cannot cover up an incompetent person using it.

Does everyone bring along ballast for the alignment? It's fun to sit in a car once the alignment is done and to see the changes from driver weight added to the car


My 928's have been fully lifted for every alignment, no issues, and it souldn't be an issue if the shop knows what they are doing.

In fact, the 928 shop manual clearly describes how to do a proper alignment while lifting the car.

People make mistakes, I can except that.
A few exceptions are key items when left loose on a car are inexcusable. Lug nuts, oil drain plug and anything suspension related are on that list.

Andy Kay

My results after the NTW alignment

85euro928

MJ,
Here are my results from my most recent Sears alignment. Once I replace the adjuster I can go back and have them fix the front camber.

The Fixer

MJ, I am lucky that our local SEARS Auto has a man that has been doing alighnments for 20 years and does a great job at a great price.
My 928 was way out and i noticed a big difference in handling when i left.

Bill Ball

Why do the reports above have camber differences side to side (except rear in the second report). Sometimes rear camber can be hard to get in range due to upper arm bushing deformity. I suppose the same could happen up front as well. I like to see no cross differences in any of the specs unless there is a reason (correcting some kind of pull or drift on crowned roads) or you are running Nascar circle track.

MFranke

Go those that live in the Atlanta area, Butler Tire in Marietta has a tech that has been doing it for 30 years and knows 928s.

dr bob

^^^ What Bill said.

I've argued with alignment guys who claimed that "it's within spec" when the two sides were at opposite limits. Then, rather than adjust the settings to match, you end up with another setting unbalanced to compensate. It's easier to get the car to drive right with the two sides balanced. Before I made a fixture to calculate caster angle, I was fighting myself some on this same issue. I had set both caster adjustments at minimum, and then had to try and compensate with camber, wchich I could measure. It's a constant learning opportunity.

85euro928

In my case the front camber is off because the mechanic couldn't get the eccentric adjusted due to the allen hole being buggered up. I was going to tell him that he was the one who buggered it up last time he aligned the car but figured it wouldn't do me any good. We discussed it and they told me to loosen it up and bring it back. Any suggestions for where I should have them set the camber? Considering the factory range is between -.3 and -.7 the previous suggestion to set it to 2.0 seems extreme.