Best place for an alignment

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Stein
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Best place for an alignment

Postby Stein » Mon May 22, 2023 2:03 pm

Hi everyone, I am a happy owner of a 2012 R51 Silver edition. I am approaching 90k miles and it's apparent I am in bad need of some suspension work. My steering wheel jerks back and forth over bumps, the truck wanders on the freeway and it's become very unpleasant to drive. While poking around under the truck in noticed the rear sway bar link is broken as well.

I love the truck, but I have to get this sorted out. Everyone seems to recommend a good alignment as the best place to start. So, is my best bet to go the a Nissan dealer to get this done or is a reputable local shop ok for this? I want to make sure it's done right and I get this resolved. Is there anything else I should be doing at the 90k miles mark like transmission fluid flush. Thanks everyone, this forum is awesome


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VStar650CL
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Re: Best place for an alignment

Postby VStar650CL » Mon May 22, 2023 3:26 pm

Getting an alignment while you have worn or broken suspension parts will be worse than useless. The place to start is finding out what's loose or worn and fixing it. When you already know things are broken underneath, alignment is the last step, not the first.

Stein
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Re: Best place for an alignment

Postby Stein » Mon May 22, 2023 4:04 pm

yeah, I guess I didn't choose my wording the best. Obviously I would fix any issues that are causing my problems then have the alignment done and certainly any shop wouldn't do an alignment without fixing any issues first.

So back to the original question. Do I really need to go to a dealer to get a proper 4 wheel alignment for these or can a decent alignment shop get the job done? I'm not sure if these are tricky to get right and I need someone that knows Nissans (like a dealer) or not.

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VStar650CL
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Re: Best place for an alignment

Postby VStar650CL » Mon May 22, 2023 4:22 pm

Anybody with a good machine and proper information should be able to line it up. Nissan dealers use Hunter machines, it isn't like there's anything special about them.

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palmerwmd
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Re: Best place for an alignment

Postby palmerwmd » Mon May 22, 2023 9:46 pm

Stein wrote:
Mon May 22, 2023 4:04 pm
yeah, I guess I didn't choose my wording the best. Obviously I would fix any issues that are causing my problems then have the alignment done and certainly any shop wouldn't do an alignment without fixing any issues first.

So back to the original question. Do I really need to go to a dealer to get a proper 4 wheel alignment for these or can a decent alignment shop get the job done? I'm not sure if these are tricky to get right and I need someone that knows Nissans (like a dealer) or not.
It doesnt have to be the dealer.
but in my experience they tend to be a bit better at these things that a lot of run of the mill places.
Alternatively an independent with a known good repuation in town for alignments could be as good, or better, than any dealer.

But with some independents, including the national chains, it could be hit or miss.

TooMuchControl
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Re: Best place for an alignment

Postby TooMuchControl » Sat May 27, 2023 10:30 am

Make sure you shop.

I get my local Nissan dealer always on an alignment special. They also offer to wash your car afterwards (up here) which is handy.

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ShipFixer
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Re: Best place for an alignment

Postby ShipFixer » Sun May 28, 2023 9:25 pm

Somewhere on the Hunter website, there is a link to find a shop near you with a Hunter alignment machine. That plus Yelp tells me most of what I need to know in a new town.

There is actually a great independent shop in the middle of south east DC, near the Navy Yard, carved out of some old town homes. Looks filthy but they do a great job. Found it with those two clues...

Stein
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Re: Best place for an alignment

Postby Stein » Wed May 31, 2023 5:26 pm

ShipFixer wrote:
Sun May 28, 2023 9:25 pm
Somewhere on the Hunter website, there is a link to find a shop near you with a Hunter alignment machine. That plus Yelp tells me most of what I need to know in a new town.

There is actually a great independent shop in the middle of south east DC, near the Navy Yard, carved out of some old town homes. Looks filthy but they do a great job. Found it with those two clues...
good tip on the Hunter website...appreciate it!


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