Quote:
Originally posted by mohrds
Most (no flames necessary) shops invest in machenery instead of mastery training since they are excepting a high turnover of people due to low wages. But a machine is useless if you don't know how to properly adjust the alignment.
Doug
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I wish I worked at one of those shops, since we don't have alignment comebacks they figure we don't need a new machine.
It works o.k. but it's a dinosaur. However it must be fairly accurate as the Ford Louisville Truck Plant sends me a new truck once in a while for alignment verification. I can tell you that their machine is pretty fancy-shmancey compared to ours.
Anyway, that's what I was getting at above, you rarely know the condition of the machine or the proficiency of the operator. So, if they're wearing o.k., why risk the alignment?
Here's where the plot thickens though, what are your plans for wheel balancing? Most people get by with the run of the mill balance when their tires are first installed. Then there are those that are more sensitive, or their cars should ride smoother than the average beater. Sometimes the car has a strange situation where a vibration comes and goes at higher speeds. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Hunter Engineering makes a balancer that applies a load (one thousand pounds) roller against the tire as it rotates and checks the tire
and wheel for any out-of-roundness as well as density variations in the tread rubber and finally the balance. If it finds a deficiency other than balance it will advise the operator and tell him(her) how to correct the problem, usually by having the tire rotated on the rim to the prime position and re-checking before final balance. Heckuva machine. Yeah, the balance will cost more but it can find and correct those niggling balance problems that one sometimes has to put up with for the life of the tire(s).
To find out who has such a mchine in your area, go to
http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/product.htm, click on the 'GSP 9700 Vibration Control System' then next to the first picture on the next page will be a locator for shops in your area.
Truth be known, that's where I'm heading as soon as I finish here this morning. I have a problem at high speed where the vibes come and go, generally caused by a tire or two having a tad of run-out and falling in and out of synch with each other. When they're in synch you feel the vibration, etc.
This was a just thought as you could have the tires mounted at the same shop intead of making two trips.
Beav