Proj993

Thanks for your review.

Ride Height
There was a hand-written note on the paperwork showing the ride height to be 335mm for LF and RF, 339mm LR and 337mm RR. I emailed the service manager after I had picked up the car and mentioned that:
"I was expecting to see numbers like: 144 front and 127 rear, which are RoW numbers. I assume your measurements are from a different point on the car than the attached pdf. Is there any way of converting from your measurements to these?"
Here's the response: "My tech took the measurements from axle centerline to the fender. Our goal was to make sure the height difference front to rear was ok which it was. We weren’t going to mess with ride height as long as we were able to get the adjustments we needed. I don’t have a way to convert our measurements."

Bushings & Joints
I had requested that they be checked and they said they all looked OK.

Explanation Regarding the First Attempt
They did not mention anything and I didn't want to bring it up since in my view the manager went above and beyond (I did not deal with him the first time), monitored the work start to finish, did not charge me extra for some additional hours for what can fairly be characterized as an unconventional alignment. They made a serious effort to make things right, which was the best I could hope for.

Sway Bar Dimensions
I'll have access to a caliper some time next week. Should I be able to make the measurements without putting the car on a lift?

Tire Wear
I'll keep an eye.

k722070

none of that is good news
if their goal was front to rear difference they could have just set a level on the door sill to check rake.
this is a sad example of ignorance, incompetence or just laziness.
someone must have been using the shop manual to use that 20+ year old kinematic gauge but couldn't be bothered to turn the page for the instructions on ride height.
you can measure ride height yourself in a few minutes, search 'ride height survey' for pics and info.

there was nothing above and beyond or unconventional, just a standard 993 alignment.
they cost you time and an extra trip. making things right would have been refunding your money and giving you a list of independent shops with 993 experience.
you should seriously question going back to the same place for anything, even an oil change.

search for videos/instructions on checking ball joints/bushings on control arms.
lots on rennlist and jackals-forge.com has tons of pics, comments and instructions
http://www.jackals-forge.com/lotus/9...uspension.html
you should be able to just reach under the car to measure the sway bar in back and get a screwdriver or pry bar to check toe arm play.
the front will be difficult unless you remove the front wheel.

mpruden

What k722070 says is correct here, but I'll put things a bit differently.

It's certainly possible the dealership went above and beyond. Dusting off those factory gauges, actually using them, and then writing the results on the alignment sheet shows they put in more effort for you than they do for most alignments. Despite that extra effort, they got some basic things wrong. Lesson here is that when it comes to 993 alignments (especially with ride height / corner weight adjustments), assume all alignment shops are ignorant (including dealers). You really have to dig to find the shops with a track record of doing these cars. The rear suspension is different than just about anything else on the road.

Kind of embarrassing, but I paid a local Porsche "specialist" shop $800 for an alignment/corner balance once. The car was downright scary to drive. Luckily, I found another shop that's probably aligned hundreds of 993s over the years and they corrected the issue in about an hour and for ~$150.

Proj993

k722070, thanks for the feedback.

mpruden, can you share the name of the good shop?

mpruden

Proj993

Thanks. Are they in Castro Valley?

mpruden

That's the one!

Proj993

k722070, mpruden, based on what you've seen from their output, is it a certainty that the alignment is not done correctly, or a maybe? Are there any road tests I can run to get an indication? The car seems o drive well.

mpruden

k722070

they have a rack and software that spits out the numbers so your current alignment should be good.
my criticism is due to the process and the garbage answers they gave you.
they messed up the first time, which is difficult considering the tools they have.
the 2nd round ended up with a good alignment which should make you question all their answers, excuses and feedback from the first alignment.

the answer to the ride height question is horrible, either the guy is just making it up as he goes along or is clueless when it comes to cars.
no shop would or should measure the ride height as axle to fender.
telling you the bushings and ball joints looked ok is more garbage, they probably forgot or didn't bother.
go lay down behind the front wheel, take a long screwdriver and pry the lower a-arm against the side member near the bushing.
my bet is there is all kinds of movement.
do the same thing to the rear toe control arm, it doesn't wear as quickly as the front a-arm but it does wear out.
all the bushings are 20yr old rubber, you should assume they are toast and be happy/surprised if not.

you could go back to the dealer for other work, it will just be poor work at expensive rates.
they will hand your old car off to the most inexperienced employee for training, all kinds of mistakes will be made.
try an oil change, you will probably get 0w40 because that is what they use in all porsches.

some random independent european car service will likely do the same thing, its not just dealers.
you need to find a shop that has worked on 993s, or start doing the work yourself, which is actually pretty fun.

Proj993

Thanks. I'll look for an independent shop. Since you brought it up, is Mobile 1, 15w-50 good for the 993?

Bill Verburg

yes

Proj993

Thanks.