FASTRAX alignment kit

[shocksandstrutz]

Does anyone have a set or know how well these work??

I just ordered a pair of them for 130 delivered to my door. I've recently had my two vehicles in for alignments as well as my MIL's and they have all come back worse than they were taken in. Mine being especially the worst, as i took it in with a slight pull to the left and now i have to hold the wheel straight or i will make a left hand turn without a problem.

Thought I would give these a try as I have thrown over 200 dollars down the drain in the last 2 months. I have the patience and the skill to do the work. Thought I would throw some feelers out to the members and see if anyone has any first hand experience or tips/tricks I should know about.

I didn't buy the optional toe kit, but i am going to make my own toe pieces with 2 pieces of aluminum angle that attach to the bottom of the kit.

* I'll post pics when they are delivered this week.

 

[shocksandstrutz]

a hundred views and nothin yet???? aight, well.................

 

[jamesc]

maybe post a link of what it is, I have never heard of them but I am interested in what it is.

is it a diy alignment kit?

 

[volvo92906]

The only alignment kit I have seen like this has been for big trucks... With my experience, they work well. Only, I would much rather use a Hunter drive on. The fact you have had so many alignments done and be worse means you need to find a different shop because that tech has no idea what theyre doing.

 

[sselander]

This review from 2008 does not sound so good ...

Alignment Tools (longacre vs. fastrax) feedback

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=311954

 

[Danglerb]

I know few good mechanics, and seems like all of them know who it is in the area the does the best alignments and they let him do it other then setting ride height and basis toe.

 

[LG63]

I've been shopping these type setups for the last several months and the Fastrax seems to emerge as the most popular and best bang for the buck. I don't mind throwing the dice with my daily drivers at the dealership, but I have a couple older vehicles that I won't trust to some kid with a 1000 ft-lb. impact at the local tire shop.

Where did you find yours for $130

 

[pop pop]

I've never understood why alignments are so difficult for shops to do. Seems simple to set ride height correct, then make adjustments and read the print out, test drive. Back in the day, maybe it wasn't so easy, but now. Sheesh. To the OP, make them show you the before and after print out. If they can't, or it isn't right, don't pay and go somewhere else.

 

[TommyK]

a hundred views and nothin yet???? aight, well.................

This guy likes it.

 

[shocksandstrutz]

The fact you have had so many alignments done and be worse means you need to find a different shop because that tech has no idea what theyre doing.

the alignments are from three different shops, ive never had a problem with spending the money to get things done correctly, but third times a charm and ive spent over 200 just to get them back in worse shape than before. tried to complain and get the before and afters, but dealer said he already unhooked it and couldnt retrieve the info......any case, im going to give these a whirl for a bit and im sure they will pay for themselves after the first time.....i know there will be a learning curve, but there is with everything and after some trial and error, i think it will be a great investment and time well spent.

I won't trust to some kid with a 1000 ft-lb. impact at the local tire shop.

Where did you find yours for $130

i wont trust some guy with an impact either, just had my BIL's car in recently for inner/outer tie rods and ball joints, went to take the wheel off and noticed the 4th lug nut was completely different......hmmmm, some idiot impacted that lug on there and i snapped the thread getting it off.....now the shop has to replace the hubs i put on it last year.

i found them at AUTOPLICITY.COM i was just searching around for them the other day to pull the trigger and noticed these for 66 each.....couldnt pass it up even if i use them once a year or just to check every now and again.

I've never understood why alignments are so difficult for shops to do. Seems simple to set ride height correct, then make adjustments and read the print out, test drive. Back in the day, maybe it wasn't so easy, but now. Sheesh. To the OP, make them show you the before and after print out. If they can't, or it isn't right, don't pay and go somewhere else.

i never understood what was the difficult part about it either. mechanics did it some other way before HUNTER machines....so maybe this is an acceoptable path....but i am not a mechanic by trade, but i know the ins and outs of a vehicle.

 

[LG63]

Shocksandstrutz: Have you tried yours yet? I broke down and bought one ………paid more for it than you paid for two. I just opened the box and glanced over the instructions. Camber measurements seem straightforward, but getting an accurate caster angle would seem to be very dependent on turning the wheel exactly 15 degrees. Turning the wheel “until the angled tip is parallel with the side of the vehicle” doesn’t seem like a very accurate way of obtaining the 15 degree sweep, but maybe it’s not as critical as I’m thinking.

 

[williaty]

I owned the Fastrax kit. It was a flexy piece of **** and I returned it. Now I own the Longacre kit and I think it works quite well. So do my customers, for what it's worth. Yes, I do alignments professionally with a Longacre jig/digital angle gauge for camber/caster, plates and a measuring tape for toe, and a laser for thrust.

Haven't had a single come-back unless they hit something either and I deal with picky SOBs who are racing

 

[shocksandstrutz]

Hey all sorry I havent gotten back to you all yet, after I posted this we listed our house for sale, sold it in 3 days, bought another one that week, we close June 13th on both......as soon as I can get things out of boxes I will post pics and reviews. Sorry about that.

LG: I ordered some and got the wrong part in the mail so i got a refund then found that amazon had the HD ones on a one day sale for 60 each w/ free shipping, so i have the heavy duty ones and modified / changed the lower pin mounts to adapt for wheels 14" - 28"

lsorry its taking so long, but my tiny one car garage is full of boxes and junk and dont have the time or space to do the alignment yet. but ill have an oversized 2 car where we are moving...

 

[Alta_Racer]

What car is it you are trying to align?

 

[shocksandstrutz]

09 nissan sentra?? why do you ask?

 

[czgunner]

Wow, I do alignments weekly.
It's not hard with the electronic equipment now days.
If we ship a car that has issues, we fix it. 3 year, 36k warranty.
I guess not all shops are proud of their work!

 

[SKAutomotive]

Why the hell would he have to replace the hub for a broken stud? Bang that ***** out and pop a new one in. I fix them in 10 minutes all the time.

 

[MG44]

There are a few cars you have to remove the hub to do studs on, I remember doing all studs on the front of a Suzuki XL-7 and the hubs had to come off, and a special $200 socket to remove the hub nut. One and Only Suzuki xl-7 we have had in the shop for any wheel bearing/hub/stud work in 8 years.

 

[Frosthy]

09 nissan sentra?? why do you ask?

Most cars, only toe is adjustable and toe isn't exactly a "pulling angle".

How are you tires? Anything bent in the suspension?

 

[shocksandstrutz]

no, nothing is bent, car pulls hard to the right, tires in the front are decent, balanced right, tires in the rear are older but worn evenly. im waiting to get moved into my new house, buy 4 new tires and align the thing, its just been crazy around here, trying to move with a 2 & 3 year old and my wife is pregnant with the third on the way 3 weeks after our closing date. gotta get my move on


sk - the shop my BIL tookmit too messed up, they are going to fix it, plus i didnt get done fixing the car until 1am, then i work my normal job at 6am, i was doing a favor, tying yo not have to clean up everyone elses shotty work.

all good, he got it fixed for free and a free oil change out of it

 

[Milton Shaw]

Swap the front tires side to side to eliminate a tire pull as your problem. As another poster said not much in nissan to adjust other than toe unless the body has been bent from wreck or near wreck. If moving tires doesn't reverse the pull then check for worn bushings etc causing problems even bent struts are possible.