GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

After installing my Hotchkis springs a couple weeks ago. It was time for my wheel alignment. Alignment results:

Attached files

Does that mean that they were off before, or that they are still off?

i think the rears are not adjustable UNLESS you have an AWD. my XRS isn't adjustable, but i do need to align the front end due to installing the sway bars.

The rear toe setting shouldn't be affected by lowering, as the trailing arm that the hub attaches to basically just moves up and down in a forward-to-back arc.Also, I think there was mention some months ago of a frame shop correcting rear camber and/or toe with a special set of tapered shims between the bearing mount and the hub.

This wouls be true! The Tech at my dealership had to remove the hub to adjust the rears!!!

Thats weird I lowered mine with Ground Control coilovers about 2 inches and my alignment stayed perfect.

really? we marked mine in the front and back so when we put them on, they would match back up perfectly. so far, so good. next time i have it serviced, will have them check out the alignment.

I just had mine aligned yesterday and the rear was fine. The front however was off. I'm glad I got mine done after I blew out that right rear tire though. I think whatever that was threw the alignment out even worse. My steering wheel wasn't off before I did that. All better now though.

Hey Everyone, bringing back an old thread. Since I'm getting my springs and wheels, I'm debating on whether I should wait to intall my wheels until after I get my alignment or not. My concerns are: 1. Do the mechanics use any equipment that touches the wheels? I do not want to end up with any scratches on some brand new wheels due to some careless mechanic.2. I doubt one week (~300 miles) of misalignment would cause much uneven tire wear, but maybe I should leave the 16"s on until it's aligned. Your opinions?Thanks,

Also, how soon after I install my springs should I get the alignment done? I drive about 280 miles a week.Thanks,

I was told that by the dealer that you can only get a front wheel alignment, does it vary by model??

I had a 4-wheel alignment done at my local Pontiac dealership, so I'm sure all 4 are alignable (? lol) Unless they lied to me and only aligned the front two.

Answers, we've got answers...o If the wheel offset is at all different from stock, it could have a slight effect on camber. o No competent shop will mark/damage your wheels. o Therefore it would be best to change the wheels first and make sure your shop is careful.o Re the "when", most people like to get a few hundered miles on the new springs, but realistically, nothing will change significantly unless you didn't get the springs in straight in the first place.o Re rear alignment, lowering springs will not change the rear alignment, (AWD excepted) since the trailing arm suspension moves straight up and down as seen from the rear. It would still be a good idea to check since the car's already on the rack.o If the rear does need to be changed, "crash repair" shims are available for the purpose, but if the dealrer has them, they'd likely be in his body shop.

I waited 4 months for the springs to settle that extra !/4" but I was still on stock tires that I didn't care about and that last little bit of drop wouldn't mean too much anyway. I did the springs before winter and I just put on my summer wheels with alignment.

Thanks for the input everyone! I'm going to go ahead and transform my Vibe Saturday! I'll put the wheels on and make sure when I go to the shop for the alignment that the mechanic is careful, I'll try to watch over them.Thanks,

You buy yourself? WOW! That's a lot to do alone!

HAHA, or I guess I should say WE. Brad (savedbyzero) and I are installing everything Saturday! Thanks Brad! I can't wait!Later,

just got the alignment done today and boy was it off! the rear is off, but like we all know, it's not adjustable, so it'll have to do i guess. the front was really off however, and almost duck toed out. each wheel was slightly pointed out. so the torque steer would make it jerk to the right (very badly since my ditch dive) and then to the left. it rode much better on the way home. i'll have to scan my results in so you can see what all the numbers mean since i don't understand them all....

Quote, originally posted by savedbyzero »You buy yourself? WOW! That's a lot to do alone! not really, i did mine in my driveway by myself, it only took a few hours.it was easy and with no power tools

Quote, originally posted by trdvibe »just got the alignment done today and boy was it off! the rear is off, but like we all know, it's not adjustable, so it'll have to do i guess.l.... Actually, no, Hope: Per a couple of earlier posts in this thread, rear alignment is adjustable via the use of crash repair shims.

Quote, originally posted by MadBill »Actually, no, Hope: Per a couple of earlier posts in this thread, rear alignment is adjustable via the use of crash repair shims.ok, um... what are those? and how would i get the rear fixed then? i mean who would have that? the dealership?

They are a thin tapered shim that goes between the axle flange and the rear hub/bearing assembly. Depending on the "clock" location where the thickest part is positioned, they can be used to correct the toe, camber or a combination of both on a twist axle suspension like a 2WD Vibe. They are typically used for crash repair, when a slightly bent axle doesn't merit costly replacement, and should be available at any good frame shop or perhaps the body shop of a local Toy store. There was a GV post maybe 18 months ago, where someone used them in a situation like yours.Keep us posted!

I've had my springs on since august and still haven't had an alignment!

i got the springs on since last August and then the ditch dive in March and hadn't had the alignment done.... which would be why they were off so much!

yeah, i gotta find a shop who will do a 4 wheel for me...most places won't touch it because "the system doesn't call for it..."

that's what the guy said. he can do the front no prob, but not the rear. so i don't know how to fix the rear alignment.

Well, since it really was crash damage Hope, it's probably worth at least calling a couple of collision repair shops to see if they are familiar with the process.

ya, will it hurt it to NOT have that fixed? cause i'm trying NOT to spend any more money on this car if i can right now! as it is, i spend another $200 this month b/w the battery and alignment. i changed the tires myself but had to pick up a $4 lug since i stripped one.

It depends on how far out the alignment is. As long as the handling isn't too spooky and it's not beyond the specification range by more than say 1/2 degree of camber or 1/4" of toe, it shouldn't have much effect on short term tire wear, since the rear is lightly loaded. If it's much more, the tire wear will soon exceed the alignment cost! BTW, here's the link re shimming the hubs: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=3220 Figured out why I had such a &*%@# of a time finding the thread! Pissedoffgocart spelled "alignment" with two Ls in his title, so the 'search' function missed the thread!

thanks! i'll have to look at the results again... will try and post them later if i get around to scanning them in. lol

Found an outfit that offers these shims (and front camber bolts too):http://www.specprod.com/PROD_DIR/PROD_PASSCAR.HTMLClick on "Pontiac" and "Vibe" then click on the rear caster or camber p.n.s

Used ones like that on a Buds 02 Civic Sir got them from parts store in Cobourg

Well, it's been well over 6 months since I dropped the Vibe, and FINALLY, next week, I'm getting an alignment.I called my dealer for some other service, and was like "will you guys even TOUCH the car since it's been dropped?" He's like "yeah, no problem, but do you realize you have to have all 4 wheels done?" I was like "YES! Thank you for being competent enough to know that!!!!" I've talked to other dealers and they're like "yeah, whatever price for typical 2 wheel..." Idiots.

Funny story. Got the car back from the dealer, they told me "your car doesn't call for a 4 wheel alignment." I'm like "you said on the phone it does?" he's like "yeah, that was the AWD, I was wrong." Oh well.They weren't able to give me a printout either of my alignment results...but they wrote it on the invoice...Says Front End Camber Left -7/8 Right -1 1/8 Total Toe 0.What's that mean then?Here's the invoice if anyone is bored and wants to see how I got financially ASSAULTED with this visit!

Yeah, with the solid rear axle, you don't have to worry about an alingment back there, only with the fully independent setup is that necessary. Not sure what the numbers mean, but man they did get you good in the wallet! If it makes you feel any better, the oil change I had the other day was $49. Your visit was quite expensive, but looks like you got a few things taken care of nonetheless.Think I've had one front end alignment... Sort-of. When I bought new tires last year, I asked them to scope it out to see if anything was out of whack. They didn't find anything out of spec, so it wasn't necessary.

A $49 oil change???How did THAT Happen?

Oh, Mobil One, done at the dealer, and they charged me for 5 quarts. I didn't notice they overcharged me until I was down the road, but you betcha I'll only be paying for 3 qts next go'round!

Hi Mike. The numbers you show are in spec. Although the rear does not require regular alignment checks, the toe and camber can be verified just as on the front and if there is a problem, special shims as per earlier in this thread are available to correct it. That said, given the price your dealer charged, maybe it's just as well he didn't do the rear...