(Upfront disclosure: I'm a mechanical noob, so I apologize in advanced if some of this post seems kindergarten'ish to those of you who are more mechanically experienced/inclined)
Hey everyone,
Up till now I've mostly lurk on these forums to seek reviews, information, and installation guides. However I'm kind of at a loss as to where to get my 4Runner aligned.
I'll be driving across the country from NJ to WA in about a month to make the move to my new duty station, so I definitely want to make sure I have a proper alignment done. I've been putting it off for a while mostly because I still needed to throw a Daystar 1.5" spacer in the rear to take care of the driver's side lean, but now that I got that done with my buddy this morning, I'm looking to get it aligned ASAP (but most importantly; properly). Plus, my new tires have about 3.5k on them and I don't really want to put too much more mileage on them without getting everything back into spec post-lift.
I'm currently running the following on an otherwise stock 2008 SR5 V6:
- Front: OME 884 coils /w OME 90000 shocks
- Rear: ToyTec Superflex coils /w OME 60020 shocks
- Daystar 1.5" spacer mounted on the rear driver-side coil
- 265/70/R17 tires all around
I don't have aftermarket UCA's, but I purposely went with as minimal a lift as possible so I'm hoping I can get my caster to at least 2.5 or so with this setup without having to resort to aftermarket UCA's. I'd honestly just buy them for the sake of being able to get my caster up to 4+, but I don't do my own wrenching and will be moving away from my buddy that helps me with all my car work come this Wednesday (currently stationed in NC, spending 1 month at home in NJ before making my final move out to my new duty station in WA), so it'd just be too much of a hassle to get them put in. I'm also not too keen on paying out the ass to have them put in commercially.
I've been told by a rep over at Toytec that I should be looking to achieve the following alignment specs. Do these sound about right? Keep in mind that my 4Runner is a road-going vehicle that sees no off-road use whatsoever.
Camber: 0 (not quite sure on this one, as I've heard other schools of thought favoring 1 or 2 degrees of negative camber)
Toe: .04
Caster: as much as possible, without upsetting the other 2 parameters
Now, I've read enough to know that the typical Sears/Firestone chop shop isn't the kind of place I want to take my vehicle to because I don't want to deal with the hassle of taking it back in 2-3 times when they tell me they can't get it in spec. A couple places I've called already have told me that they won't even cater the alignment to customer-specified specs; they'll only look up factory specs and get it within acceptable range. While I'm sure the numbers I'm asking for arn't too far out of OEM specs, if at all, I'm looking for the best alignment possible (not just "acceptable"). Problem is, I havn't lived in NJ for years now, and do not know of any alignment shops in the area with a good reputation that I would trust to take their time and do it right the first go-around.
Any recommendations from fellow T4R forum-goers on a quality alignment shop in the tri-state area? I'm honestly willing to drive up to 50 miles to get this done well and proper, as it's quite important to me. I'll also be driving up through the VA, MD, & DC area on my way home to NJ from NC later this week, so anywhere along that route would work too!
Thanks in advanced fellas. Have an excellent weekend everybody!
- Jason
Hey everyone,
Up till now I've mostly lurk on these forums to seek reviews, information, and installation guides. However I'm kind of at a loss as to where to get my 4Runner aligned.
I'll be driving across the country from NJ to WA in about a month to make the move to my new duty station, so I definitely want to make sure I have a proper alignment done. I've been putting it off for a while mostly because I still needed to throw a Daystar 1.5" spacer in the rear to take care of the driver's side lean, but now that I got that done with my buddy this morning, I'm looking to get it aligned ASAP (but most importantly; properly). Plus, my new tires have about 3.5k on them and I don't really want to put too much more mileage on them without getting everything back into spec post-lift.
I'm currently running the following on an otherwise stock 2008 SR5 V6:
- Front: OME 884 coils /w OME 90000 shocks
- Rear: ToyTec Superflex coils /w OME 60020 shocks
- Daystar 1.5" spacer mounted on the rear driver-side coil
- 265/70/R17 tires all around
I don't have aftermarket UCA's, but I purposely went with as minimal a lift as possible so I'm hoping I can get my caster to at least 2.5 or so with this setup without having to resort to aftermarket UCA's. I'd honestly just buy them for the sake of being able to get my caster up to 4+, but I don't do my own wrenching and will be moving away from my buddy that helps me with all my car work come this Wednesday (currently stationed in NC, spending 1 month at home in NJ before making my final move out to my new duty station in WA), so it'd just be too much of a hassle to get them put in. I'm also not too keen on paying out the ass to have them put in commercially.
I've been told by a rep over at Toytec that I should be looking to achieve the following alignment specs. Do these sound about right? Keep in mind that my 4Runner is a road-going vehicle that sees no off-road use whatsoever.
Camber: 0 (not quite sure on this one, as I've heard other schools of thought favoring 1 or 2 degrees of negative camber)
Toe: .04
Caster: as much as possible, without upsetting the other 2 parameters
Now, I've read enough to know that the typical Sears/Firestone chop shop isn't the kind of place I want to take my vehicle to because I don't want to deal with the hassle of taking it back in 2-3 times when they tell me they can't get it in spec. A couple places I've called already have told me that they won't even cater the alignment to customer-specified specs; they'll only look up factory specs and get it within acceptable range. While I'm sure the numbers I'm asking for arn't too far out of OEM specs, if at all, I'm looking for the best alignment possible (not just "acceptable"). Problem is, I havn't lived in NJ for years now, and do not know of any alignment shops in the area with a good reputation that I would trust to take their time and do it right the first go-around.
Any recommendations from fellow T4R forum-goers on a quality alignment shop in the tri-state area? I'm honestly willing to drive up to 50 miles to get this done well and proper, as it's quite important to me. I'll also be driving up through the VA, MD, & DC area on my way home to NJ from NC later this week, so anywhere along that route would work too!
Thanks in advanced fellas. Have an excellent weekend everybody!
- Jason
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