Forgive the noobishness, I'm more of an electronics guy than a mechanical guy.

I'm thinking of doing a PML within the next couple months (before it gets too cold). My alignment is off right now. My question is, should I get an alignment before i crank the t-bars and then another one after? or will the alignment being off not affect the cranking of the t-bars?

Get one after it is all done. Cranking the tbars will most likely move your alignment out of whack!!

If you have one in the area, go for the Firestone Lifetime Alignment. It costs a bit more up front, but gives you a lot more bang for you buck in the long run.

Yes - As long as you need an alignment...you might as well wait and get one after the PML...if you are also replacing the tires when the PML provides the clearance...

If the tires are new enough or at least you need them to last...it might be worth doing the alignment now to avoid out of alignment wear and tear while you are waiting...

Or

It might be worth pushing up the schedule on the $50 PML to save the cost of two alignments, one of which pretty much covers the entire PML cost.



Where in NJ are you?

Hook up with NJAX

www.njax.net

We have mods days where we all help the newbies with maint and mods, etc.

Thanks all.

TJ, I live in Westfield. I see you live in Lawrenceville. I recently moved out of Princeton due to a relocation of my job. I am a member over on the NJAX site, but I find myself only checking that site like once a month.

I just wanted to make sure that the alignment being off now (before the PML) would not skew the measurements before and after the t-bar crank.

I am hoping to get into the whole off-roading scene soon. now that I have more free time I may be able to make it out with you all some time. I have never been off-road, except one time up in Maine. But that was only a path through the woods to get to the cabin on the lake. So I don't think that even counts.

Naw, that's not off roading....come on a run, we have lots of stockers, so you won't be in over your head or anything...there's appropriate trails for all levels of experience and equipment...and the guys in the club know who can do what, and I've never seen them pressure someone to do more than they can...if anything, they're more likely to say "What, are you nuts!?"



The alignment won't affect your lift height...so no, no interference there.

Your lift height really affects your alignment though, so after the lift, its essential to get an alignment.

The alignment is really to correct for the camber change produced by the lift...

When you lift an IFS, the drive train is the same length, but it has to still reach the ground...so it has to take a short cut to still reach...

This makes the tires swing inward as you lift the front end...and the tops of the tires therefore tip more outwards....like this: \ - /

To correct that change in camber, the alignment adjusts the tires to be more like this: I - I than \ - /

That way, the tires outer edges do not wear prematurely, handling is restored, etc.

The PML only lifts the front end about 1.5", so the above illustration is VERY exaggerated...but that's the idea...in real life, you can't really see the changes.

Hope that helps!

All of the information I've gathered on this site has been VERY helpful. I am planning on ordering the Calmini shackles this weekend, unless someone suggests a better alternative. The Calmini's seem to be in the majority of the pml's that i have searched on this site.

Thanks everybody!!!!

For 80 bucks NTB will give you alignments for one year. They told me hardware changes did not effect this so I did an alignment before my PML, again after (major alignment changes), again when I added my 32" tires, and I will take advantage of this again if I can afford the SLR UCAs I am eyeballing before the year is over.