Thread: wheel alignment question

i have a question, i am going to get a front wheel alignment on my b13. but i am very skeptical when taking it to a shop because the first thing they will try to do is rip me off. so before i take it to them and have them tell me that i need thousands of new parts and/or repairs. what are the parts that need replacing most of the time when getting an alignment done? i know one could be the bushings for example because they wear out. what other minor or major parts would i need so i can buy them myself and take them with me. i know its a hard question to answer without actually seeing my car's current estate. it pulls to the right a lot though. i need to get this done because my left tire is going bald already. any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

I do alignments all day long in az @ network automotive, if you go to a reputable shop we don't rip people off.

They will rack the car, jack up the front end, shake it down for play if you need inner/outer tie rods they will try to get you to do them before the alignment (you should) If you need struts or anything they will let you know there ahead of time, but not set in stone has to be done before the alignment. Wheel bearings having play, any bushings having play will make it a pain in the ass to get the alignment to hold for the tech, and should be done regardless.

Just make sure all your stuff is tight before you head over.

Pulling right is going to be a caster/camber adjustment, but caster isnt adjustable on our cars, if you have stock suspension they may sell you cam bolts so they can put camber into it, then set the toe.

A lot of shops like to do toe and go stuff, which you need to watch for, get your before/after print out, make sure you have the right split, and everything is within spec.

Caster will pull negative, camber will pull positive, and you toe should be as close to spec as possible, dont know off hand on our cars.

Thanks for that info, it really helps. Also could you give me a price range of what a reputable shop would charge me for the cam bolts? Just so I can have an idea. I live in Las Vegas so I don't think the prices would vary much since we're pretty much neighbors.