Direct Tire alignment review (long)
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 34,131
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From: Canton, MA
Direct Tire alignment review (long)
After asking around and not being able to find anyone who could recomend a local alignment shop, I decided to go to Direct Tire in Norwood, Mass.
Direct Tire was immediately ageeable to setting the car to "customer" specs. I wanted to go with the Honda UK specs. They understood that I autocross and let me sit in the car during the alignment. The tech they gave me was a guy named Rudy. He was knowledgable about alignments in general and seemed to know about S2000s.
After Rudy set the car up, he called me out to show me where we were starting. Previously, I had asked the dealer to check the alignment when I bought the car new. when they delivered it they told me the alignment was perfect. It wasn't. Left front camber was -.14 rather than the factory -.67 (or .50 if you are using minutes). The other settings were also off. Rear toe was in about a half inch instead of the factory spec'ed quarter inch.
Rudy went through the angles very quickly and efficiently. He did run into a problem. He told me he could not set the left front caster angle to more than 5.26 degrees. This was disturbing because event the factory setting is supposed to be 6 degrees and I wanted 6.45. Rudy told me he turned the adjuster all the way through the circle. The angle went as low as 3 degrees, but wouldn't go higher that 5.26. I have seen other owners post with this issue, but I don't know what causes it. I wonder if me sitting in the car limits the caster.
Anyway, Rudy gave me a print out showing what we started with and what we ended with. Total price was $99.00. Other than the caster I am at the Honda UK specs with one degree negative camber at each corner in the front and two degrees negative camber at each corner at the rear. The car feels much better balanced left to right, but it is hard to find the limits safely on the street. I will report how it works at the limits after the autocross this coming Sunday.
So far, I am satisfied with the experience. If you need a local, reasonably priced alignment, Rudy at Direct Tire in Norwood seems to be a good choice.
Bill
Direct Tire was immediately ageeable to setting the car to "customer" specs. I wanted to go with the Honda UK specs. They understood that I autocross and let me sit in the car during the alignment. The tech they gave me was a guy named Rudy. He was knowledgable about alignments in general and seemed to know about S2000s.
After Rudy set the car up, he called me out to show me where we were starting. Previously, I had asked the dealer to check the alignment when I bought the car new. when they delivered it they told me the alignment was perfect. It wasn't. Left front camber was -.14 rather than the factory -.67 (or .50 if you are using minutes). The other settings were also off. Rear toe was in about a half inch instead of the factory spec'ed quarter inch.
Rudy went through the angles very quickly and efficiently. He did run into a problem. He told me he could not set the left front caster angle to more than 5.26 degrees. This was disturbing because event the factory setting is supposed to be 6 degrees and I wanted 6.45. Rudy told me he turned the adjuster all the way through the circle. The angle went as low as 3 degrees, but wouldn't go higher that 5.26. I have seen other owners post with this issue, but I don't know what causes it. I wonder if me sitting in the car limits the caster.
Anyway, Rudy gave me a print out showing what we started with and what we ended with. Total price was $99.00. Other than the caster I am at the Honda UK specs with one degree negative camber at each corner in the front and two degrees negative camber at each corner at the rear. The car feels much better balanced left to right, but it is hard to find the limits safely on the street. I will report how it works at the limits after the autocross this coming Sunday.
So far, I am satisfied with the experience. If you need a local, reasonably priced alignment, Rudy at Direct Tire in Norwood seems to be a good choice.
Bill
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 39,285
Likes: 1
From: Franklin MA
sounds good Bill -
geting new tires and rims on thursday so i guess an aligment is next. my questions are did you feel any noticable difference with your new alignment? and i haven't read up on aligments so what settings would you use for spirted street driving?
Thxs
geting new tires and rims on thursday so i guess an aligment is next. my questions are did you feel any noticable difference with your new alignment? and i haven't read up on aligments so what settings would you use for spirted street driving?
Thxs
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Apr 13, 2004 09:14 PM