alignment woes ..offset bushings

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The problem is automakers have been making cars that all alignment mechanics have to do is "set the toe and let it go". Caster and camber adjustments are rare. Adjustments are usually PRESENT, but spot welds have to be drilled, knockouts have to be punched, cams installed, blah blah blah. Who wants to do that when they have 20 more 15 minute alignments behind that problem child to rake in commission on?

The best thing to do in a perfect world is similar to what green1 said. Learn to do it yourself. There is nothing on the front end of a car that is beyond grammar school geometry. Nothing. Summit sells some nice caster/camber gauges. You can ***** about the cost, but three alignments later, they're paid for. Do alignments for friends. At least that way, you can make some money at it and they will have somebody that knows what's goin on.
 
You are experiencing tecs not willing to follow or read directions.
First one must set correct suspension ride height following factory method. If this step is passed over, or done as an afterthought after setting camber, castor the alignment will never be right. You can’t align these casr if one side is higher than the other.

I set the ride height before dropping car off for an alignment, and then I check it after it comes off of rack to see if the tec jacked things around.

Lastly these guys, particularly big box joints, don’t understand that bias ply castor setting don’t work with radial tires and generally won’t dial in need additional positive castor, and blindly turn wrenches until a green number pops up on their screen for year of car. Or their company has a policy to set only year, make, and model stock settings; get it into the green, and get it out the door.

Lastly I don’t think most of these places test drive the car before it is returned to owner.
 
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