great alignment tools?

[Outlawmws]

If you are on a hex area, and do this for a living, I'd be either modifying the biggest set of Vise grips I could find with those import tool's jaws posted earlier as a welded in insert.

Or if you are dealing with flats, grind a pipe wrench jaws flat and go for it.

That hex shape notch can be made by cutting a nut in half across the points and welding a couple in the right strategic place on the Vice grip (or pipe wrench for that matter) jaws.


Vice Grip does make a grip for griping Hex shapes, not sure they go big enough for tie rods...

 

[Fishey]

http://www.costplustools.com/Lisle-...medium=CSE&utm_term=LIS54640&utm_campaign=PLA

Tie Rod Rattler... A must have if you work on BMW..

I use this tool more then almost any other specialty tool when doing alignments.

 

[sqaurelizard]

Here near the sea in Ireland I use something similar to what fishey has linked but 75% of the time on bmw s the gas spanner is the only way to go.quick heat then cool quickly couple of goes usually frees most stuff up. The problem with using massive leverage is holding the arm so your not putting un natural load on the joints.