Alignment shop for aftermarket/specialty applications?
 

I would like to know if anyone can recommend a shop that will do height adjustment and alignment work on cars with aftermarket suspension that require non-factory specs. I want to have my car done with the race tires/rims installed. Nanaimo area is best for me but if it is necessary to drive to Vic, so be it. I also want to be allowed in the shop while the work is being done.;)

simoes automotive. talk to jason or norb, dont know if they will allow you in the shop though.

they setup our cars every time for race events without issue

Thanks Jas! :thumbsup:

i've actually been referred there aswell, i hear good things ^_^

apparently they go the extra mile to do it right, instead of setting toe and away you go ;P

like i said, if you know what you are talking about, you give them your specs and they will dial it in the way you want.

If you arent sure about the specs but have an idea of how/what you want, they will dial it in and work with you.

if you are me, i drop the car off, tell them i what im gonna be doing that weekend and i come back at the end of the day and as long i dont have a broken axle stub, im golden....(inside joke). ;)

not in nanaimo much but in victoria i think tires unlimited is pretty good for alignment.

you have established your discontent for that particular shop. leave it in that thread.

I think it was Fountain tire he didn't like.

+1 for Simoes for alignments. +1 for Tires Unlimited for just randomly driving in whenever you want and getting them to mount tires for a good price.

^^^ Jas qouted the original post. read that... Either way, other thread

I have always had my car setup for auto-x at Victoria Front End and Frame. Give them the specs and they will do it.

Had everything done today at Simoes. Excellent service, great guys to deal with (they were right into what I was after), got the results I was looking for, what more can I say.

can simones automotive do alignments on really low cars? i have a sunfire that u probably can't even fit a pack of cigarettes sideways.

Give them a shot, I cant remember them ever telling me about any car that was too low. had no issues with mine

if they can do NSX's they can do pretty much any low car.

worst case, pull the bumper off your care if you have to, to save the bumper and unless you have a lip or a ridiculously low front bumper, that car can be loaded on a alignment rack without too much of an issue.

i will look into that, thanks everybody.

You must have a different ide of what "good price" means. I bought a pair of P275/40/17s and was needed them mounted on my '98 Cobra rims. They said no problem, and mounted them up, and balanced them. I came back 15 mins later and they charged me $83. I had tires mounted at Tiretrends in Vancouver (same size) and they charged me $15 a wheel. Somehow here they almost triple the price.

So in summary: You pay their effective shop rate of $330/hr.

In summary: Thumbs down for Tires Unlimited.

I have got all my alignment work done at Tires Unlimited for the last 4 or 5 years and they have always kicked ass. Even when I mounted a tire with super uneven tread after an alignment, they spent a good hour figuring out what the problem was and didnt charge me a thing.

+1 Tired Unlimited

+100 Simoes for alignments and any work i dont feel like doing.
+100 for tires unlimited. Never had a scratched rim. always taken care of me. 10 years and counting.

I don't mean to sound like I'm going on a rant against Tires Unlimited, but I have another eperience there when I needed an alignment that is relevant to the OP's question:

I needed an alignment done. I scehduled one well in advance and then brought the car and written instructions to Tires Unlimited. I carefully walked them through the alignment process on my car with the bumpsteer kit and told them to take the time to do it right. They said no problem.

I went to pickup my car a surprisingly short time later, I asked if they had any problems. They told me it was easy because they figured they'd just ignore the whole bumpsteer kit, and said that it just looked fine how I brought it in. So they didn't check for bumpsteer or do anything I asked them to do, after I had explained it when I first called, explained it in detail over the phone, brought in the manufacturers instructions and installation paperwork, walked them through the process in person, verified they understood, left my contact info should they have questions, and reminded the actual tech who worked on the car that this wasn't just a standard alignment.

I'm at a loss as to what more I could have tried. If others have had good luck with that shop, then good for them. Personally, I'm not going back.

give Victoria Spring a try... i like them.. kind of pricey though

+1 for Tires Unlimited... They have fixed a leak in my tires twice completely free, and have never screwed anything up in the 10+ times I've been there. Never had an alignment done there though.

What are people's thoughts on Big-O for alignments?