ok.. screwed b/c i lowered my car.. need help in Rochester NY - 3000GT/Stealth International Message Center

StealthRTman · 07-04-2009, 12:16 PM

I just put on some S Tech springs which lowered the car however, i also put on new tie rod ends and ball joints too. Needless to say, the cars alignment is all out of whack. Simple solution right? Go get the car aligned. I also have tires to have mounted and balanced so I figured I'd do it all at once. Well, made an appointment for today at monro as they said they would mount and balance the tires for $72 and the 4 wheel alignment for $72 and the only place open today on 4th of July. Well, my appointment was at 10am, I got home at 10:45am, why? Because my car is now too low and they can't get it on the lift nor the alignment rack! WTF am I going to do now?? I do not want to spend a shit load of money at one of the other places here in Western NY like Dunn Tire or Kost Tire, even Goodyear Gemini all want like $30 a tire to mount and balance and over $100 for alignment. Does anyone know of any good, REASONABLE place to go here in the Rochester, NY area for mounting/balancing tires and alignment without paying an arm and a leg that can accommodate lowered cars like Corvettes (b/c apparently that is how low it is now according to monro). HELP!!!

EvanH · 07-04-2009, 02:25 PM

How is it to low? How low did those springs make it? Did you take it to a dealer or just a tire place? I actually took mine to a chevy dealer to get mine aligned. They only charged me 80. Even so, get some 2x4's or 2x6's to put under the tires to get it on the rack. Good luck. (I took mine to a chevy dealer because they deal with vettes. and they sit pretty low.)

Alt0id · 07-04-2009, 02:28 PM

People with low ass coilovers still get aligned.

Take it to like a firestone I have never heard of them rejecting someone

keithmac · 07-04-2009, 08:13 PM

I did mine with some string, a digital angle guage and a spirit level. Have a search on here for DIY wheel alignment, it`s not that hard to get good results.

pearlyellow · 07-04-2009, 08:59 PM

Tell the retards at the shop to drive it up on the ramp using boards, 4x6 in front off the tires, I have done this many times. That will clear the lift or ramp, My DD civic was slammed to the floor and the dealership would service it with no problems, think it was a 3in drop, your springs might be 1.5in-1.8in at most.

StealthRTman · 07-04-2009, 09:12 PM

ya i read a few things on some other boards about making gradual step up boards with like sheets of particle board made to about the width of the tire and positioned like steps. good idea, wish i made them before hand and knew i was going to run into this. that would have helped get it on the alignment rack but the actual lift for the tires, would not have mattered. i looked at it, even if they were able to get the swing arms under it, as soon as they raised it, the arm would have smashed the underside of the side skirts. this monro muffler shop had real old equipment and no other place was open today. also, i would be willing to bet that they really didnt want to be there on a holiday so most likely didnt really want to use a floor jack just jack up each corner for the tires and then use some 2x4's or something to get it up on the alignment rack. fuckin douchebags.

does anyone know of an affordable, good place to go around here? like i said, i would really rather not spend $200+ for mounting/balances used tires and getting an alignment. Oh and as far as the alignment goes, I know this has been gone over a billion times on this and other boards but with the S tech springs, will they be able to mostly correct the camber/toe with all stock parts? I mean, if its not perfect, I will live but its got to be corrected at least most of the way, otherwise i will be going thru tires every 5k miles.

wraith · 07-05-2009, 10:07 PM

For the wheels and tires, bring them off the car and put them on yourself to save the money. As for the alignment, your going to have to go somewhere else if the arms are too big to get under the car. Some places just dont want to bother on low cars. The place I go to actually turned away a guy in a lowered Civic, and it could not be any lower then my car that they had on a rack. The place I go to has a rack with fold out ramps but just the slope in the parking lot on that side is a perfect approach. Its called J&L tire in Nyack, but thats too far from Rochester

Maximal · 07-05-2009, 10:34 PM

Don't know of anyplace up there but they should be able to just drive it on 2x4's to get it up onto the lift (or the arms under it) as that's what I have to do on my dad's lift.

As for the alignment rack they should have had some sort of boards there they could have used to raise it a bit and get it up. Sounds to me like they were just being lazy and didn't feel like doing it.

I'd try another Monroe or a place like that if you're trying to keep it cheap. You could always have a cheap place with a decent lift mount your tires and then spend a bit more at a decent alignment place...if they're not willing to pull it on a lift how much time are they gonna take screwing with the alignment on a lowered car?

StealthRTman · 07-06-2009, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maximal

Don't know of anyplace up there but they should be able to just drive it on 2x4's to get it up onto the lift (or the arms under it) as that's what I have to do on my dad's lift.

As for the alignment rack they should have had some sort of boards there they could have used to raise it a bit and get it up. Sounds to me like they were just being lazy and didn't feel like doing it.

I'd try another Monroe or a place like that if you're trying to keep it cheap. You could always have a cheap place with a decent lift mount your tires and then spend a bit more at a decent alignment place...if they're not willing to pull it on a lift how much time are they gonna take screwing with the alignment on a lowered car?

Hey Terry.. ya I think best case is gonna be to find a shop that deals with lowered cars on a regular basis. After all this, you are right about the time they would have spend on the alignment. Probably would have been a shit job. Gonna have to do some calling around to see if I can find a better place to go.

Maximal · 07-06-2009, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StealthRTman

Hey Terry.. ya I think best case is gonna be to find a shop that deals with lowered cars on a regular basis. After all this, you are right about the time they would have spend on the alignment. Probably would have been a shit job. Gonna have to do some calling around to see if I can find a better place to go.

I'd ask around some car people...not sure what the forum people use up there is now...maybe just nyspeed even though that's mostly buffalo there's enough rochester people to know a good shop.