ahhh alignment issues.

[m3f_Kerplunk_810182779a]

OK so i got everything down. Replaced rear right shock and rsm and all those damn bushings.



I had to get my car aligned 5 times . Well my mechanic said he knew a guy that wouldn't charge me much but the guy doesn't seem like he knows what he is doing. My car is still going right when my wheel is straight its annoying. Dude didn't charge me for the other 4 times since they weren't done right.



The last time i got my car aligned i drove 74 miles to a sears auto center and they did a pretty good job.



I think i'll go to the same place, but question is. What makes our cars so much harder to align than say a toyota ?



Or is my mechanics friend just wholly incompetent.



Anyone in brooklyn that knows of a place that can align my car correctly let me know. thanks



mike

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

Our cars are pretty easy to align.. especially the toe angle....

[m3f_SG_M3_d1201712b5]

You only have 1 adjustment in the front, and 2 in the rear. Its not hard at all.

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

You only have 1 adjustment in the front, and 2 in the rear. Its not hard at all.



*nods nods*



So, if they can't get it to align with adjustments, you probably have a componet bent.

[m3f_Kerplunk_810182779a]

hmm do you think before i take it to sears that i should try and find out whats bent ?



What could be bent ? i haven't been in any accidents. Car was driving perfectly fine before the shop. They just replaced bushings and shocks. I was there to test drive the car myself and they are very trusted family friends.

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

Sh1t. You could have anyting bent, from struts, to knuckles, to subframes, to control arms, to tie-rods...



Maybe they just didn't set it right.

[m3f_Kerplunk_810182779a]

damn...didn't set what right ? you mean the bushings ?

[m3f_Kerplunk_810182779a]

i'm guessing wrongly installed bushings and shocks would make it impossible to align ?



ahhhh !!! ok after i got my bushings done i had the car out a day before i heard my shocks go out. ( car was driving pretty good not perfectly aligne dbut not bad) I take it to the shop and get my shocks replaced ( aligned horribly). I took it back they realigned again (first time after replacing shock). Now it is ok but it still doesn't fly straight.



Hoping that info helped lol. Guessing sears is probably going to charge me even if they can't align it right.

[m3f_M3AN_5f4dc0ba80]

i'm guessing wrongly installed bushings and shocks would make it impossible to align ?



ahhhh !!! ok after i got my bushings done i had the car out a day before i heard my shocks go out. ( car was driving pretty good not perfectly aligne dbut not bad) I take it to the shop and get my shocks replaced ( aligned horribly). I took it back they realigned again (first time after replacing shock). Now it is ok but it still doesn't fly straight.



Hoping that info helped lol. Guessing sears is probably going to charge me even if they can't align it right.



It is possible to stuff up alignment when installing any suspension component... I suppose you could put the car on jack stands and loosen all of the suspension components (PITA), let them sag naturally and then do them up again. At least that way you'd know everything was in place... it's unlikely to "fix" the symptoms though, you'll probably still need another alignment.



The point being that it may be impossible to get it aligned if the suspension is bolted up wrong in the first place...

[m3f_Sirius_880bd69485]

Correct me if I am wrong, but when installing suspension componets. arn't you supposed to torque them down while they are unloaded?



Or am I thinking backwards?