Where to get alignment done in Hawaii

[handysmurf59]

Just finished lowering my E30 with H&R sport springs and Billy sports, but now am having trouble finding some place to get the alignment done. Tried my local shop, Firestone and Sears... All say that special weights are required and they don't have them. So if anyone else knows where to get this done them please let me know. I am here on the island of Oahu.
Jason

[jlevie]

With that combination, you can get away with aligning the car without weighting it to standard ride height. But only front toe is adjustable on a stock suspension (springs & shocks don't count), which you can do yourself. If you don't want to attempt that any BMW dealer will have the weights.

A round of applause for those shops in knowing that a BMW needs to be weighted for an alignment. Lots of places don't seem to know that and happily mess up alignments.

[dvmotorsports]

It's not that shops even know they need to be weighted when you align them. The hunter alignment machines tell you that when you select the vehicle. Anyhow, it's not completely necessary. Better, yes. Required, no.

Anyhow, i just sent a text to my buddy who owns STS808 out in campbell industrial. He doesn't have an alignment rack but he will tell me who does. There is also a place in Waipahu near Maui Off Road and Oahu Krawlers that can do it. But the name escapes me. I'll post when my buddy texts me back.

[dvmotorsports]

Scotty's alignment in Pearl City. And he doesn't snitch about recon.

[jlevie]

Anyhow, it's not completely necessary. Better, yes. Required, no.

I haven't tried it on an E30, but I know from testing that alignment of an E46 or E39 w/o the weights doesn't produce the same alignment as when the weights are in place. In other words, those cars (at least) aren't correctly aligned if the procedure doesn't include weighting the car. That test was done with stock suspensions. If you swap to stiffer springs, the necessity for weighting the car diminishes as the ride height change becomes less with a change in weight.

[handysmurf59]

With that combination, you can get away with aligning the car without weighting it to standard ride height. But only front toe is adjustable on a stock suspension (springs & shocks don't count), which you can do yourself. If you don't want to attempt that any BMW dealer will have the weights.

A round of applause for those shops in knowing that a BMW needs to be weighted for an alignment. Lots of places don't seem to know that and happily mess up alignments.

Jlevie,
Do you know of any good writeup for aligning an E30. I am sure I can get it right, just need a couple of pointers to get me started. I installed the IE fully adj camber plates. Not bad for the money. So toe in and camber looks like all I can do. And thanks for all the great replies.
Jason

[jlevie]

The best way of setting toe is to place the front wheels on toe plates and set up strings along each side of the car parallel as measured from the center of the front and rear wheels. The toe plates eliminate resistance as you adjust toe and the strings allow you to adjust toe while keeping the steering wheel centered. For camber you have to have a camber gauge.

This is how I align my cars. I use two 4x4x8 concrete pavers under each wheel to get the room to get to the adjusters. I've made a couple of aluminum string fixtures that clamp onto the diving boards (I have an 87 & 88) to make it easy to set the strings because the race car gets its alignment checked on average once a month.

[dvmotorsports]

I haven't tried it on an E30, but I know from testing that alignment of an E46 or E39 w/o the weights doesn't produce the same alignment as when the weights are in place. In other words, those cars (at least) aren't correctly aligned if the procedure doesn't include weighting the car. That test was done with stock suspensions. If you swap to stiffer springs, the necessity for weighting the car diminishes as the ride height change becomes less with a change in weight.

You are 100% correct. And the reason BMW says they do this is so that the car is properly aligned for freeway speeds. Or at least that is what they claimed at dealer school.

[handysmurf59]

Thanks for all the help guys! I will be getting her aligned next week.
Jason