PV997

It's pretty simple, all you need is a caster/camber gauge, a string alignment kit, and swivel plates for the front wheels. Here's a really good article that explains the process.

https://motoiq.com/Wrench-Tip-How-to...Own-Alignment/

If you are meticulous and measure carefully, alignment can be set just about as precisely as a shop can do it. Better yet, you can easily tweak the settings after a test drive and get things dialed in.

The caster/camber gauge was given to me and it's pretty old, but it's a simple but accurate bubble level device that was probably about $150. You can see a bunch of them here:

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/shop/...4-18-464-31327

The strings are used to set toe and front to rear track (thrust angle). There are professional kits that are pretty expensive (like the link below) but I found an article somewhere that showed how to make them using off-the shelf extruded aluminum fittings for a fraction of the price. That's what I did and it was less than $100. I'll see if I can find the article and post it.

Professional string alignment kit ($475)
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/bgr-bgr200

If you really want to cheap out you can set the strings up on jack stands around the car and only need a couple pieces of extruded tubing from Home Depot.

You need swivel plates for the front wheels to measure caster. For professional versions it can be expensive but it's not required. Just use a couple 12" x 12" x 1/8" aluminum plates from Home Depot with a sheet of thin teflon between them. It works great and is dirt cheap. The back wheels also need to be shimmed up so the car is level, I use stacked up flooring tile, adjust the quantity to get level perfect.

I was skeptical at first but it's amazing how accurate and repeatable this system is, just use care making measurements and double check them (don't use a tape measure like shown in the article but a metal scale with graduations down to 0.01"). There's a lot of math in the article I linked converting string measurements to toe angles but here's an online convertor that makes it easier:

http://samduddell.freehostia.com/toe...Calculator.htm


It's a fairly big deal to get everything set up and working and it's probably not worth it for most folks as alignments aren't that expensive. But if you like to DIY and really want to dig into suspension geometry it's pretty cool.

Edit: BTW, didn't mean to threadjack David Barry, as my comment ended up much longer than I intended. Let us know how it goes and if Porsche is flexible on the pricing. I did google "dynamic alignment" and couldn't really find anything so I suspect it's just marketing jargon.

David Berry

Lots of work that could pay off big!
I will call my advisor at Porsche SW Houston and find out the specifics of the “Dynamic alignment “. I had not been to this dealership for some time for service. Took my cab in for estimate to repair a broken cab top part.
They kept it overnight and presented a list of suggested and needed repairs. Included in the list was 4 new tires and the dynamic alignment, my tires are always worn…. They did find some issues that need attention.

ManoTexas

David Berry, what are issues driving alignment?

David Berry

picked up car from dealership, their inspection stated 4 new tires due to wear. Recommended the alignment. My car eats tires pretty fast. I retired and have more seat time.🤗

ManoTexas

Assume uneven wear. Good to hear more seat time!

Edgy01

Also, make sure you use the proper terminology.

You will want a "4 wheel thrust alignment."

Independents can do it for far less than Porsche.

bheit1

My local dealer agreed to the Tire Rack price for two front tires. I didn't want some clown scratching up my wheels. They also would do an alignment for about
$225. Great, til I got home and the passenger side wheel well was soaked with a greasy liquid. I brought it back and they couldn't find anything wrong - $200 more. About a month later the same thing and I found the source was the freon line near the shock tower. Their "best tech" had grabbed ahold of the aluminum line while
loosening the shock, rupturing the connection seal. To add insult to injury, they wanted $650 more to repair their damage, because of course, they didn't do it. After a call to the general manager and a couple months wait, they reimbursed the $650. I will have to be really desperate before I go back there again.

Petza914

Stories like this are why I take my wheels off myself (especially with PCCBs) and take them to the tire shops, then reinstall them. Imagine the argument over a $5,000 replacement rotor that they "didn't chip or damage" - not playing that game.

The last time I had a car at the dealer, they wrapped a wire or hose around the steering shaft and didn't properly tighten the coupler and routed a belt to the wrong side of a coolant line so the belt cut it. Here are the boroscope shots of the misrouted wire or hose I had to fix - ridiculous.

bheit1

[QUOTE=Petza914;17726182]Stories like this are why I take my wheels off myself (especially with PCCBs) and take them to the tire shops, then reinstall them. Imagine the argument over a $5,000 replacement rotor that they "didn't chip or damage" - not playing that game.

The last time I had a car at the dealer, they wrapped a wire or hose around the steering shaft and didn't properly tighten the coupler and routed a belt to the wrong side of a coolant line so the belt cut it. Here are the boroscope shots of the misrouted wire or hose I had to fix - ridiculous.



Our local PCA club had an all Porsche show last summer. I was talking to a rep from a local high end indy shop and mentioned my adventure with the dealer. He confessed that one of their techs had done the same thing on a Ferrari that cost them a couple grand. At least they didn't try to stick the customer with the bill.

I had my 911 in to a different indy shop to bleed the brakes - just didn't have time to do it myself. What could go wrong? Well, the gorilla they picked scratched the flawless paint on my fender. Won't be going back there again either.

David Berry

I use Discount Tire for my tire purchases. These guys do more tire work than the Porsche dealership ever does. Never had a problem with tire mounting or installation. Would never pay the dealership to do tire work.

steveP911

I recently (December 2021) had a full alignment done at my local Porsche dealership, where I have a good relationship with the service advisor and lead mechanic. They charged me $350. One reason I like taking my car there (normally for OEM/stock items; I have 1-2 "track" shops I use for more track oriented work) is that they let me in the shop to see what's going on and because it makes me feel better connected to Porsche. I watched while the tech worked to get max negative camber up front with limitations of the stock suspension elements. They use a Hunter alignment rack (https://www.hunter.com/alignment-mac...awkeye-elite/; I think that's the one) that is pretty sophisticated. My hat is off to those who can do an alignment in their own garage. I certainly can't. Perhaps the term "dynamic" comes from the rack's ability to float the tires/wheels on rolling caster plates so that the suspension is completely free to move in the road plane? The sensor system is amazing.

My car is a lowered S via a set of Ohlins R&T coilovers, which I like. The tech was able to get 1.5 degrees negative camber in front (1' cross camber) and 3 degrees negative camber in the rear (2' cross camber). Yes, I know the rear camber is too high but it was really an exercise in seeing what the stock suspension bits would allow. I am taking the car to a Porsche indy for a track alignment before the season starts, and I will drive very little on the road until then. Note the small cross camber levels, which I attribute to the rack quality and diligence of the tech. I know the OEM allowance is 20', but the less the better (IMHO), and I think it is an indication of ability and quality on the part of the dealer shop.

Kind of amazed to hear those stories about dealers wrapping hoses around stuff. I could never be convinced to take my car back there. The local Porsche dealership is good for me in certain situations because I know and trust the advisor and lead mechanic. By the way, the lead mechanic always works on my car since he is dedicated to cars at the dealership that see track time. I probably wouldn't go anywhere, dealer or indy, that I couldn't develop a trusting relationship.

Good luck!

Surj-993C2S

May not help OP but I see that Fremont Porsche is having an alignment special ($276) - GTs excluded....

https://www.porschefremont.com/servi...-0-gaNycGzNET0

no affiliation, blah blah...

groovzilla

Local Seattle Tru-Line Frame & Wheel does alignments for $230.
I know of another in Van Nuys Calif. & believe they have shops in other cities.
These guys are great - Been using them since my 356 days 35 years ago.
They have computer printout of final alignment and also do other services like suspension install/etc.

63mercedes

I have a friend with a bentayga speed that eats tires. Bentley of ft lauderdale wants 1300 for an alignment, 500 thats nothing lol. The shop I use down here charges an hour labor so like 150 for an alignment.

Floyd540

Some people overthink this subject. Many years ago when the alignment equipment was purely mechanical and the data specs was maybe in an actual book, great skill and experience was needed for a good alignment. Today all good alignment shops and tire dealers (I said good ones) have new or nearly new computerized systems. Once the wheel sensors are mounted, the computer does all the measuring and displaying the values. All the factory specs for your fancy car are already in the computer. The adjustments for all four wheels are just wrench work while watching the computer screen. There is no shims used like in the old days and these systems are so good you can get a true trust angle of 0.00 with the right guy.. This work takes less than one hour and should cost about $65. If you want something slightly different than whats in the factory specs (within reason) that can be done. Every alignment machine provides a complete printout and good tire stores let you in the pit and the guy doing the work has 30 to 50 years experience and it costs me $65. If you are so special and doing a race car, things are different as you should be in a shop where you matching damper valving and spring rates. For the rest of the world this is a $65 job here in California.