Alignment Clinic April 21st, 3:00

[weidnerpaul]

Once again Pat Washburn will be holding an Alignment Clinic the Saturday of the first Novice School Class on April 21st.

This clinic will demo several ways to check the alignment on a car, talk about how to change it (non-model specific) and end up with a Q & A session.
Presenters will be
Pat W
Phil E
Jeff (The Alignment Guy)
and hopefully
Ted Blus (Aligned his Miata after the clinic last year)

Time:
3:00 until ???

Location


Here are directions assuming that you can find the Hwy 100/394 intersection (we're all drivers here, right?)

Take Hwy 100 North of 394 to
36th Street East (right) to
Grimes Street North (left) to (If you see France/W Broadway/Hwy 81 Too Far!!!)
Hubbard (one short block of Grimes, it then "dumps" into Hubbard, continue north on Hubbard ~ 1 block to 3730, fireplug in front of house.


No need to post that you're coming, this is informational only...

Paul

[wannabfast]

wanna have jeff bring his scales?

[weidnerpaul]

wanna have jeff bring his scales?

Why? That's not alignment. I think alignment will take up all the time...

We could do a clinic on cornerweighting sometime. Maybe on the second Novice School W/E if there is interest and Jeff & the scales are available.

[Git Er Dun]

My Corvette is drastically in need of alignment. Any way that I could get it aligned there? I would be willing to pay for it if you can fit me in. Otherwise is there a time I can have it aligned before the novice school on Sunday. Saturday would work best for me because I am doing the novice school classroom and then have the rest of the day to do nothing. I would also be more than willing to have the car serve as the test dummy since it is already in need of alignment(the back left tire it toed out way to much because the adjustment slipped). Any help with getting it aligned before Sunday's midway stadium event would be greatly appreciated. PS for the person with the scales. How much would you need to weigh the Vette? I am curious on how much it weighs and how it is ballanced. From the factory it is supposed to be balanced 51% front and 49% rear. Just would be interesting to see if this is true. If it is too much of a hassle forget about my request it is fine.

[weidnerpaul]

My Corvette is drastically in need of alignment. Any way that I could get it aligned there? I would be willing to pay for it if you can fit me in. Otherwise is there a time I can have it aligned before the novice school on Sunday. Saturday would work best for me because I am doing the novice school classroom and then have the rest of the day to do nothing. I would also be more than willing to have the car serve as the test dummy since it is already in need of alignment(the back left tire it toed out way to much because the adjustment slipped). Any help with getting it aligned before Sunday's midway stadium event would be greatly appreciated. PS for the person with the scales. How much would you need to weigh the Vette? I am curious on how much it weighs and how it is ballanced. From the factory it is supposed to be balanced 51% front and 49% rear. Just would be interesting to see if this is true. If it is too much of a hassle forget about my request it is fine.

This is a clinic on how to align your car and understand toe/camber better. It is not hands on aligning of any car - as all cars are adjusted differently it's generic on that aspect. It's more how to measure it and understand it...
[FREE AD]
I get my alignments done by Jeff (The Alignment Guy) as do a lot of the serious AXers in the club.
[/FREE AD]
Please stop by, I guarantee you'll pick up some helpful advice. A home done alignment takes forever the first time - one club member did his Miata after last years class and it took eight hours... As per Pat W - the next couple times you do it you'll cut your time in half each time so by the third alignment you'll be down to 2 hours ;)

[Git Er Dun]

Oh thanks sorry for needing the clarification. Thanks for the good info. I am emailing Jeff now. Anyone know a phone number I can reach him at?

[Git Er Dun]

Well I contacted Jeff and it turns out he is completely booked for the next month. I was really hoping to get the car aligned before the autox school. Anyone know a good place to go to get the car aligned with slight toe and camber for an autox/road race car. I hear there is a place called "Hoover's" in Minneapolis that is pretty good. Anyone know the number or directions of a good place. Also a fellow Vette guy gave me some numbers for a good road race/autox toe and camber set up but was wondering what you guys thought some good camber and toe numbers to use would be. The car is a 87 Corvette Coupe with the Z51 factory racing suspension with gas Bilstein shocks. Thanks for your input guys.

[EWAustin]

If I were in your shoes (which I'm not), I would attend the alignment clinic and learn how to do it yourself. Then set the toe on the wheel you're concerned about and leave the rest for Jeff.

[Darryl]

Courtney Truck Service
4205 62nd Street West
Eden Prairie, MN 55346

952-934-0931

http://www.courtneytruckservice.com/

Several of us in the club use Courtney... The do more work on race cars then trucks... You need to provide them with the alignment numbers... Dave Bahl(s) should be able to help... He has one of those Vette's too... OR search the SCCA forums for the info...

[weidnerpaul]

Well I contacted Jeff and it turns out he is completely booked for the next month. I was really hoping to get the car aligned before the autox school. Anyone know a good place to go to get the car aligned with slight toe and camber for an autox/road race car. I hear there is a place called "Hoover's" in Minneapolis that is pretty good. Anyone know the number or directions of a good place. Also a fellow Vette guy gave me some numbers for a good road race/autox toe and camber set up but was wondering what you guys thought some good camber and toe numbers to use would be. The car is a 87 Corvette Coupe with the Z51 factory racing suspension with gas Bilstein shocks. Thanks for your input guys.

LOL
Hoover IS Jeff's day job.
Go there and you'll still have him work on it, just pay Hoover instead...
Paul

[PeteySi]

You mentioned toe and camber.

By any chance will caster be addressed?

[weidnerpaul]

You mentioned toe and camber.

By any chance will caster be addressed?


Give me the address and a stamp...

Sorry, you left yourself wide open.

Yup, and remember, this is open Q&A all the way thru with some very knowledgeable guys - ask away, caster or whatever ;)

[washburn]

If all else fails, there is always the option of just running it like it is. It won't make much of a difference at Novice School, and you will have a baseline for when you do change it.

[Git Er Dun]

Anyone know Hoover's number or directions?

[SlowSwede]

Anyone know Hoover's number or directions?

Google.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl&q=

See balloon E.

[Tyro]

I'll help Chris out: :D

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&q=hoover&near=minneapolis+mn&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=10&om=1

[SlowSwede]

I'll help Chris out: :D

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&q=hoover&near=minneapolis+mn&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=10&om=1


oops! :D


And for what it's worth, every time I have tried to set something up with Alignment Guy it has fallen through or he doesn't follow up. :?

Do I just go to a place and say, "hey, I want my set up to be agressive."

Before you tell me to come to the alignment clinic...I am out of town. :(

[washburn]

You should tell them exactly what you want. Ideally you would do some research with proven setups, but if we're talking about the Saab there probably are not any proven setups out there. ;)

"Aggresive" doesn't mean anything to anyone who does know what this stuff does, so that probably won't work. (Jeff would know) Just because he can run a machine doesn't qualify him on affects.

Ask if they can increase caster in front.
Ask for maximum negative camber in front.
Ask for 1/16" toe out in front
Ask for zero camber in the back and for zero toe.

These are good starting points for your car. Make sure you or someone sits in teh drivers seat while adjustments are being made.

[austinpike]

Make sure you or someone sits in teh drivers seat while adjustments are being made. Of course a typical shop will look at you like you are nuts if you request this.

Guess I would try the Courtney Truck place if you can't connect w/ Jeff.

[weidnerpaul]

Of course a typical shop will look at you like you are nuts.

Chris is used to this, he's in advertising!
:lol:

Sorry Chris, couldn't resist...

[SlowSwede]

Chris is used to this, he's in advertising!
:lol:

Sorry Chris, couldn't resist...

It's the truth. ;)

[weidnerpaul]

Bump.
Just a reminder about the Alignment Clinic @ 3:00 on Sat.

[mac.man25]

It's in my calendar!

[Jeff (The Alignment Guy)]

Chris says: "And for what it's worth, every time I have tried to set something up with Alignment Guy it has fallen through or he doesn't follow up."

Yup, I had him penciled in for a start time between 12-2:00 on Easter but forgot to email him to confirm... but I never heard from him either, until the above post.

There are a few people who I've not managed to get back to, and I do apologize. I spend 1-2 hours a day returning emails with the goal of getting back to everyone within 24 hours. Things have been busier than I could have hoped this spring. I've set aside much of my personal life, my *own* autosport efforts, booking seven days a week (on top of my full time day gig), to take care of as many customer cars as I can. It's still difficult to keep up.

The good news? I have put in my notice at Hoover. After a trip to Green Bay for a Rockabilly music convention 5/15-21, I will be working full time at home starting May 23d.

Jeff

[ot81to]

The good news? I have put in my notice at Hoover. After a trip to Green Bay for a Rockabilly music convention 5/15-21, I will be working full time at home starting May 23d.

Jeff

That's awesome! Congratulations!

(I'll be scheduling an alignment sometime after May 23rd)

[EWAustin]

The good news? I have put in my notice at Hoover. After a trip to Green Bay for a Rockabilly music convention 5/15-21, I will be working full time at home starting May 23d.

That's GREAT Jeff, Congratulations!!!

I'm gonna need to come see you (twice) this spring, and hopefully once in the fall too.

[73GT]

Hey Jeff congratulations on the step up.


I don't know but there's something just not right with the words Rockabilly and Convention;)


Lee F
FFS

[stoooo]

The good news? I have put in my notice at Hoover. After a trip to Green Bay for a Rockabilly music convention 5/15-21, I will be working full time at home starting May 23d.
Congratulations. I know what a big step it is to strike out on your own. But I'm sure you'll do just fine. And thanks again for all your hard work this week. I'm hoping the lateral link story will become a funny anecdote for you, so that we can share it with others at some point.

Stuart.

[phile]

Hey Jeff congratulations on the step up.


I don't know but there's something just not right with the words Rockabilly and Convention;)


Lee F
FFS

What? You aren't grabbing your Strat and your Vibrochamp and heading out?

[PeteySi]

Congrats from me, too, Jeff!

See your PMs.

[Teddy.B]

I think I'll stop by and say hi.

[weidnerpaul]

I think I'll stop by and say hi.

Great!

See you there.