Tire & Alignment Shop in LA?

aircooled356 · Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:33 pm Post subject: Tire & Alignment Shop in LA?

Just finished a 67 bug for my teenage daughter and am delivering it to her this weekend.
Needs alignment and front tires (currently stock 165's) and they rub do to the stock beam and lowered spindles.
Running 195's in rear no clearance problems there. Any recommendation on a shop that may be of help?

KTPhil · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 8:39 am Post subject:

I can't recommend a specific shop. Last time I had a shop align a VW was at a Big-O Tire store in Santa Clarita. But the guy who did it now works at Tire World in the same area off I-5 in Newhall. Bit even that has been quite a few years.

Best advice I can give is to bring the specs with you, and advise them on how to adjust rear toe. They will not set height and therefore wont adjust rear camber. But your car is probably not in their books even in stock configuration. Make sure everything else is tight, lubed, and adjusted before you go in, including centering your steering box (do you know how?).

carcrazed · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 9:49 am Post subject:

X2 on "bring the specs". I took my '68 Ford to get an alignment....all was good and done in 2 hours. 3 months later, tore my new front tires to shreds. Guy used a 1970 model specs which is totally different. They didn't have the specs available. Long story short...come prepared.
_________________
1965 Herbie Replica. 1776cc dual Kads.
1961 Beetle 33,000 Original Miles

"Just When you think you are getting ahead, you're always wrong."

aircooled356 · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:37 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the tips.
I just printed out the specs. Guess I'll try my luck when I arrive.
Anyone else want to chime in? The tire rub is not good and need to find a lower profile tire to run until I can pull the beam and narrow it.
Here is a pic of the car.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

I'd really like to find someone that knows VW's....

KTPhil · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:38 am Post subject:

L.A. is a big area. Where are you looking?

Also, alignment won't fix tire rubbing. A shop may refuse to work on it with it rubbing for fear of future liability.

aircooled356 · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 12:29 pm Post subject:

Going to be around the Studio City area over this weekend, then heading to Oceanside for a few days.

vs-works · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 8:28 pm Post subject: Alignment Places in Canoga Park

I was referred to two places for alignment in Canoga Park. I HAVE NOT used them, but I talked to them and they seemed to know what they were talking about with air-cooled VW's.

Mike's Frame & Alignment
7716 Deering Ave
Canoga Park, CA
(818) 346-0075
http://www.mikesframeandalignment.com/

Valley Pacific Frame & Suspension, Inc.
7245 Deering Ave
Canoga Park, CA
(818) 340-3949
http://www.valleypacific.com/

They should be relatively close to you in Studio City.

If you use these guys, let us know how it goes. I hope the person that recommended these guys knew what he was talking about.

Good luck!

akear · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 9:45 pm Post subject:

Any feedback on either of these two shops or recommendations for other alignment shops in LA area that wil do our not-in-the-computer cars?

6Kabrio7 · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:04 am Post subject:

This place has been around for decades I took my 67 Dodge Charger to them for alignment years ago when I worked a few doors down from them in Van Nuys they worked on a lot of old cars.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/r-and-k-frame-repair-inc-van-nuys
_________________
67 Convertible July 67 Yukon Yellow
67 Sedan May 67 Zenith blue

moab762 · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 7:59 pm Post subject:

Probably to late here. I don't know if Walmart Automotive does alignments or if I would trust them. But I picked up four Nexen SB802 Tires 165/80R15 for around $56 each. And installation was cheap. I searched around alot for the right tire size for my '67. And this was by far the best deal on good radials.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nexen-SB802-Tire-165-80R15/19473481

ThingBeast · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 1:16 pm Post subject:

Aircooled, pm me if you wish, but I learned how to align my 61 Bug myself after I replaced the entire front end with a narrowed 4" adjustable beam. It's actually very easy if you have a king pin front end. I can walk you thru it.

aircooled356 · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 5:14 pm Post subject:

Never did get the car done in LA. Didn't have enough time to schedule an appointment.
What I did learn was that most alignment shops with the new equipment can't do most old vehicles. They're not listed in their computers.
I even took a copy of the specs with me but if it wasn't listed on their machine they couldn't do it or not willing to do it manually.
Thanks for the offer Thingbeast. I set the toe myself, and got the camber real close. Good enough for now.


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