# I miss my old alignment guy

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-miss-my-old-alignment-guy/197704>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [October 22, 2024, 6:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-miss-my-old-alignment-guy/197704 "2024-10-22T06:04:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/christhetirewhisperer/32/34798_2.png) [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTheTireWhisperer)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 12:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-miss-my-old-alignment-guy/197704/21 "2024-10-24T00:27:30Z")

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> [@bing](#):
>
> so had an alignment done with the newest tech. Still didn’t like the  
> handling and seemed dangerous on the freeway especially on a  
> curve in the rain.

> [@Nevada\_545](#):
>
> Sometimes when you ask for a wheel alignment, you get a wheel  
> alignment.

This leads to my “McDonalds alignment” theory:

Get it in the green, one and done!

No, I’m more picky, as a customer, and probably as an aligner.

It’s important to have a basic grasp of what happens toward either side of the green zone for each alignment parameter.

On my Honda, that green zone for the front toe is ± 0.08 degrees, 0 deg nominal.

For me, 0 degrees total toe, or even slightly negative toe out, and that car becomes a curve hungry twitch fest.

So I’d request total toe of +0.04-06 degrees in, and that car tracks like it’s on RAILS.

Suppose a car requires 4 degrees positive caster, + - 0.75 deg.

Mr. Quarter Pounder W Cheese sees that the left caster is positive 3.3 degrees, and the right caster, 4.5! That’s over 1 degree cross caster, and the car will pull to the left. Yet they say nothing to the customer, since both values are “within specs”.

[Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-miss-my-old-alignment-guy/197704.md?page=1)