Quote:
Originally Posted by BMERDOC
Good luck finding a "fully qualified mechanic". I was a BMW Master for 20 years. Most "qualified" people know "green is good" and "set toe and let it go". Its honestly a joke. Anyone can learn and take their time doing an alignment on their vehicle.
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This is the truth. I've worked in dealerships for over 20 years and I see the majority of alignments are a toe adjust only. It isn't even hard to adjust camber usually, but caster isn't always adjustable. People are just in a hurry and care more about quantity than quality.
I aligned my stock height C1500 years ago at about -.25 camber, +1.5 caster, and toed in a little bit. I could probably add a little more caster, but it drives fine as it is. If I decide to change it, I'll have to go get some shims. The shop I currently work for doesn't have any, even though some of the older vehicles we work on require them for adjustment.
As far as doing an alignment without an alignment machine and rack, I think it could be fairly close, but definitely not perfect. Even slightly off can cause a crooked steering wheel, a pull, or tire wear. The best bet is to find somebody that knows what they are doing and has access to the proper equipment.