Good Victorian alignment places

username · Postby **username** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:41 pm

Well I installed new coilovers on the weekend and now I have some crazy front camber that I desperately need to get rid of (not to mention a rear tire that has a puncture in it).

I called up a alignment 'specialist' in my town and apparently you 'cant adjust the camber in mx5s' which I told him that you can in fact adjust it, there are many DIY topics online regarding it. So my question is, can anyone please recommend some good alignment places in Victoria? Preferably South East. I'm willing to travel a little just to have the confidence that the jobs going to get done right

Cheers

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:52 pm

I like Widetread in Ferntree Gully.

Nice blokes and they're happy for you to supply your own settings. (Let them know beforehand though)

edit:
Bonus is it's near Mt Dandenong for testing purposes

aka_juffa · Postby **aka_juffa** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:54 pm

Bob Jane Morrabbin. Have not had a need to go there for some time, but their aligment guy had experience with MX-5s and did an excellent job on mine.

username · Postby **username** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:20 pm

Cheers guys! I might check out Widetread in Ferntree Gully. They both seem roughly the same distance/time but I do love the Dandenongs :mrgreen:

JRBasia · Postby **JRBasia** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 4:20 pm

+1 to hks and juffa

I have experienced both and can recommend them to anyone.

jorgan92 · Postby **jorgan92** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:28 pm

aka_juffa wrote:Bob Jane Morrabbin. Have not had a need to go there for some time, but their aligment guy had experience with MX-5s and did an excellent job on mine.

NOTED! and just up the road from me too :]

username · Postby **username** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 7:36 pm

Yesterday I booked my car to get an alignment at Widetread today and I explained my situation, the guy said they might have trouble getting a lowered car up on the ramps but they can try anyway. Rocked up and the guy I spoke to on the phone came over and explained it was just too low. They're looking to get a new style of low ramp in the future but for now they couldn't do it. Wasn't too fussed as we was nice and recommended Pedders (just down the road). Went there and explained the situation and they said I was too low as well, but try Bridgstone next door. Explained it all and they said they'd give it a crack. It fitted PERFECTLY on their ramp. Any lower and I would've scrapped. Anyways, they said they had trouble with one of the nuts being stripped or something? I'm not exactly sure what they meant but they managed to get rid of a degree of camber on each wheel except the rear right. Is this something I should worry about? I'm really glad they got rid of all that toe though.

I'm glad these guys worked on my car pretty much straight away (didn't really feel like driving 40 minutes home then back again tomorrow) and they seemed friendly and what not, but they charged $75 for the alignment. Has anyone paid that much before? Is it because its a lowered car? Or is this just a standard price for Bridgstone alignments

Jace · Postby **Jace** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:24 pm

in my last car, i didn't use the long-bolt method for coilover installation and slapped it back together without even thinking about how much i could ƒuck the alignment up. turns out i can ƒuck it up a lot.

since then i've realized you can align it by eye or set up some ground markings and measure toe n stuff.

username · Postby **username** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:30 pm

Jace wrote:in my last car, i didn't use the long-bolt method for coilover installation and slapped it back together without even thinking about how much i could ƒuck the alignment up. turns out i can ƒuck it up a lot.

since then i've realized you can align it by eye or set up some ground markings and measure toe n stuff.

Yeah I looked up how to DIY it but I'm sure Ill just screw it up somehow. Id rather pay for it to be over and done with. But in the past they've only cost me $35-45

I used the long bolt method this time for the coilovers but before that I did it the long and painful way

Duane · Postby **Duane** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:50 pm

I have used a few different places and different machines. They are all only as good as the operator and the time taken.
If you really want to know how good of a job they do, ask if you can take it for a trip around the block and have it rechecked, the good operators will have the same or very close to the same figures. Problem is to be done properly it takes time and they don't charge enough for the service so it is either rushed or the cheap inexperienced labour is used. You get what you pay for and I cannot see how a tire service can do a proper job for $35. Truth is most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference as long as the printout shows them what they want to see.
The best way is to learn how to do it yourself. I purchased a camber gauge and combined with a couple of bits of fishing line, glide plates and some jack stands I can get it set better than any machine, takes me a while though and it helps to have a perfectly level surface.

aka_juffa · Postby **aka_juffa** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:25 pm

username wrote:Yesterday I booked my car to get an alignment at Widetread today and I explained my situation, the guy said they might have trouble getting a lowered car up on the ramps but they can try anyway. Rocked up and the guy I spoke to on the phone came over and explained it was just too low. They're looking to get a new style of low ramp in the future but for now they couldn't do it. Wasn't too fussed as we was nice and recommended Pedders (just down the road). Went there and explained the situation and they said I was too low as well, but try Bridgstone next door. Explained it all and they said they'd give it a crack. It fitted PERFECTLY on their ramp. Any lower and I would've scrapped. Anyways, they said they had trouble with one of the nuts being stripped or something? I'm not exactly sure what they meant but they managed to get rid of a degree of camber on each wheel except the rear right. Is this something I should worry about? I'm really glad they got rid of all that toe though.

I'm glad these guys worked on my car pretty much straight away (didn't really feel like driving 40 minutes home then back again tomorrow) and they seemed friendly and what not, but they charged $75 for the alignment. Has anyone paid that much before? Is it because its a lowered car? Or is this just a standard price for Bridgstone alignments

It has been 2+ years since my last MX-5 four wheel alignment, but that price sounds about right. They may have had to spend extra time due to the stripped nut, and trying to get that extra camber off the rear right.

I had a similar issue with my rear left. Turns out that the upper/inner (I think) long bolt was bent as the rear suspension had taken a big hit some time in the past. New suspension bolt and updated aligment bolts and all was good. A tyre place near work had work for hours on it and could not work out what was wrong. Took it to Bob Jane at Moorabbin.....they spotted it almost right away.

J.

Entice · Postby **Entice** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 12:37 pm

TruTrak (ralf) in north melbourne.
Russel Pilven at essendon tyrepower in niddrie.

Both absolutely brilliant, both heavily involved in motorsport. Both have extensive experience with MX5's.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 12:47 pm

username wrote:Yesterday I booked my car to get an alignment at Widetread today and I explained my situation, the guy said they might have trouble getting a lowered car up on the ramps but they can try anyway. Rocked up and the guy I spoke to on the phone came over and explained it was just too low.

How low are you?

Mine is lowered as well and had no issue at Widetread.

Mine's about 115mm at the pinchwelds, and 100mm at the exhaust

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 1:29 pm

username wrote:...but they charged $75 for the alignment. Has anyone paid that much before? ... Or is this just a standard price for Bridgestone alignments

username wrote:But in the past they've only cost me $35-45

Was the $35-$45 for an MX5?

$75 is a standard price for a front & rear wheel alignment, as opposed to just a front wheel alignment.

username · Postby **username** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:16 pm

Cheers guys. Well I've got a few places to try now

I'm about 85mm from the frame rails, the muffler sits a little lower than that. I did take the front lip off though

And $35-45 is what Ive paid for my Ford EB as what my families paid for their cars