Suspension, Brakes, Tires & Wheels - Alignment question ??

Not sure how to say this and make sense.
I am tring to install my coilovers and shock and struts, and I need to get a alignment next, I talked to local honda dealer, to see how much it will cost me,
he told me NOT to do it there. There machine $ucks and would nt recomend it done there, but didnt offer any where else. It has been awhile since I have seen one done.. Is there a certain TYPE / KIND of machine I should be asking for or looking for ??? I have polished rims and he mentioned some machines mess up the rims edges . HELP ?
Bill

thats odd
a dealer passin up the chance to charge 3 times as much as a tire shop would for a alignment

If it's under warranty...maybe you should take it somewhere else. A tire shop should be able to do it with no problem. Ask if your wheels will be cool before they do it tho.

get a camber kit. I can not stress this enough. I wore through 2 sets of tires in no time before i finally got the camber kit, then magically, these tires have lasted WAY longer, even though theyre a lot softer than my old ones. then, if you can afford it, some tire shops offer a lifetime warranty on some alignments, you can get it aligned every week if you want, as long as you have the car, it costs about 150-170 compared to 60-85 for a single alignment, this is what im going to do the next time around.

Do I need a camber kit if Im only dropping an 1" ?
and then maybe more for car shows and maybe (if I find a positive advantage to lower it too 1.5" )
for auto-X 'ing. ? I dont mind saving for a camber kit but do I NEED one ? Here is another factor
I drive 84 miles a day. 420 mile a week 21840 mile a year. Plus I auto-x 1-3 times ayear and drive sort of aggressively. So I go through 4 - 15" Azenis Sports yearly..
so again do I need a camber kit and what do you recommend ? and how much..
Bill

you dont need a camber kit... the alignment will straighten out your camber. A camber kit lets you adjust your camber angle to whatever you want whenever you want, and will run you around $200. Just get an alignment and you will be alright. It will cost about $30... whoever said its like $85 is crazy.

Hey fellas, im new to the whole honda civic thing, well the car thing in general, im a truck guy and i bought an 89 civic HB for commuting but i want to make it look nice while im driving it for the next few years. heres my thing. i want to lower it with some of those slap on adjutable coilovers that you see all day on ebay(i love ebay and honda **** its like owning a friekin VW bug) anyways i alwys see the cars slammed with super neg camber. i dnt want that, i just want to lower it like an 1" maybe 2". but im not sure if i will need one off those extreme camber kits that are like $80. i just want to put it on and maybe go get it aligned if i cant satisfy myself doing it myself. but is there enough adjustment to do it, and if there is what is the max, and under whatcondition would you need one of those extreme camber alignment kits. thanks alot guys

ORIGINAL: green98lxsedan

thats odd
a dealer passin up the chance to charge 3 times as much as a tire shop would for a alignment


I thought the same thing. But friday I had my oil changed and I asked them how much it would be to mount/balance tires and they said I'd be better off to go to a tire shop and do it as they're like 78/hr labor. I was like ok thanks for being honest.

Anyway, go to a shop and have it aligned there. It'll cost (as stated) like 30 something dollars.

the camber on a civic isnt adjustable stock. if youre only dropping 1", then you can get away without a kit though, actually, the little neg. camber you get from lowering will help a lot in auto-x. and im sorry 2000si, but But friday I had my oil changed HAD?-------^ J/K

Yes I know. I have no time to do it myself. I work 12:30-9pm m-f. Thne I work Saturdays at my old job, and Sunday is my only day off...

I'm NOT spending it laying on the blacktop pavement just to save a dollar or two to change my own oil. ;)

So my 89 civic hb has no camber adjutment what soever? hum that sux, well its a commuter car like i said, i just want it to look nice, i dont want my tires to wear unevenly, id prolly wear em off in a month or to(110 miles a day). Well if what you say is true i guess ill be buying the camber kit along with the adjustable coilovers. thanks guys, and any more input or advice is more than welcome. later

bryan

Your camber can be adjusted from a wheels shop or where ever like for an alignment... without a CAMBER KIT you cant adjust them on the fly whenever you want however you want, but they can still be adjusted

how? theyve always told me they cant adjust the camber, until i tell them i have the kit (which usually confuses the hell out of them)