Re: Alignment techniques

[AUDIDUDI@delphi.com]

> Is it really that hard to do an alignment *and* get the steering wheel
> pointing straight ahead (i.e. wheel straight = front wheels centered)?!?!

It depends ... ordinarily, No, but if your car is all screwed up because the
previous alignment shop did something stupid (like moving the steering wheel
around on its splines instead of readjusting the tie-rods), then, Yes, it'll
be a bit harder because you've got to re-center the rack before aligning the
car and that takes time.

> Trouble is, it's off by less than one step around the splines on the
> shaft. Too bad, they said. I contend, though, that if you take a little
> care when you do the alignment, you can have the steering wheel centered
> properly. After all, that's how it comes from the factory.

Although many people don't realize it, an non-centered rack can cause all
sorts of weird handling problems due to bumpsteer effects and the lack of
symmetry between the right and left sides of the car.  It's too technical
to explain the reasons why here but the effects of this are very real and
well known to anyone who's ever spent time dialing-in a race car...

If it were me, I would insist that the job be done properly or refuse to pay
... of course, if it were me, I wouldn't have this problem because I do most
everything that needs doing to my cars (including alignments) myself.

                /| | | |\  |   |\  | | |\  |  AudiDudi@delphi.com
               /-| | | | | | = | | | | | | |  Jeffrey Goggin
              /  | |_| |/  |   |/  |_| |/  |  Scottsdale, Arizona