Just wondering who you all go to for alignments in the Portland area. I think last time I went to alignment specialties out in Aloha but I am looking for additional feedback on other local shops. Aloha is quite a drive from North Portland. Thanks!

 

lol at 20min drive being quite the drive.

 

alignment specialties is my vote! They work on cars with modified suspension all the time.

 

imo alignment specialties sucks. les schwab does better work. i had loose suspension pieces and no print out. apparently you have to ask for that before hand. and the car still pulls to the right. if you go there make sure matt doesn't touch your car, get the old guy.

 

Thanks for the positive contribution to this thread. I didn't know I asked how far of a drive it is. But since you made that comment, it is actually about 45 mins. from my house. On the other hand, Les Schwab is 2 minutes from my house.

 

Hmm, Ive done the drive a few times from the Expo Center area and niether took more than 30mins.

The old guy at Alignment Specialties has done special alignments on all types of cars for many years, hes done 3 of my cars and they all turned out well. On the other hand any newbie at Schwab can work his way up to be an alignment guy, even if he has no experience doing alignments other than setting things that way the computer tells him too.

 

Les Schwab. Their big enough that if they screw up, they can have everything fixed, but I guess the point is for them to do it the right way the first time. I've never had problems with them though.

 

So I took the car to Schwab and they let me stand next to the car and watch everything as they were doing it. They got done with the front just fine. Then they get to the back and start making adjustments. The left rear camber bolt just keeps tightening and tightening. The guy brings me under the car so that I can see what is going on. It looks like at some point during my car's life someone had stripped the camber bolt and then attempted to remedy the problem by kind of grinding the threads down and putting some loctite or similar substance on the bolt so that it wouldn't slip out. Now they have to order another bolt which is going to take at least one week. Pretty annoying but at least I won't be driving around with a jimmy rigged bolt holding my suspension together.

The guy at Schwab was actually really helpful. He like the car and said "working on something like this is a treat." He even broke out these plates that he said they usually don't even bother doing for other cars.

 

So I am feeling like an idiot for not just taking the extra time and going out to Alignment Specialties. They got the new bolt and did the alignment. The kid who was doing the alignment was really nice and all, but maybe needs a little more practice. I watched the screen and the front was at close to 1 degree negative and the back was 1.5 degrees negative. Close enough on the camber. Toe was zeroed out all the way around.

So he gets done with the alignment and takes the car for a quick test drive. He gets back and says that he thinks the steering wheel might be a little bit off but he wasn't sure. He thought it may have just been from the road, but also said to just bring it back if there was any problem. So I get in the car and start driving home and within about 10 seconds I can tell that the steering wheel is sitting about 10 degrees right from center. I mean that is itself is really obvious and I just dont see how he could have misstook that for the road. The car also pulls to the left pretty hard. Not super hard, but hard enough that there is no way he should have thought it was online.

I just don't get how someone who does alignments could have thought the car was driving as it should. I mean when I took it in in the first place it drove straight and the steering wheel was straight, I was just getting it worked on because I had installed new springs three weeks ago. Now I get it back and the steering wheel is ****-eyed and it pulls to the left!! lol

Now I have to takeit back there for a third time. They have really only made one error, but three trips to the alignment shop is just way too many!! If they don't figure it out tomorrow then I am going to ask for my money back.

Patterson you can go ahead and say I told you so. haha.

 

I go to Firestone in Tigard. $175 gets you a lifetime alignment, so you can go as many times as you want. Ill go after every track event just to get everything back straight. Heck, you could even go everytime you hit a speed bump They do a great job, and I have never had any issues with early tire wear or just bad work like I did with some other shops. Good luck!

 

Take your car to AnT Tire. They are on North Interstate. So if you are in N Portland, they are real close. They did my Evo, and also every other car I've ever ran on the track.

 

I might have to do that next time. I got the car back and it is ok. It still pulls just a little to the left, but it is managable. Thanks for the tip though.

 

Alignment Specialties

Les Schwab