Wassup guys,

i'm taking the ride for an alignment tomorrow after my final KW V2 adjustment @ EuroRev.
i'm going to this shop called West End alignment in Torrance. Anyone been here?
i've heard this shop is really good (tuner focused) and the owner is the one who works on your car.
he's fully booked for weeks sometimes and i lucked out when i called and he had an opening tomorrow.

Anyways, i was just telling him how my car is lowered with KWs and i want it to be aligned to stock specs.
He told me straight up not to get my hopes up because the camber adjustment in BMWs are not tuner friendly as say S2000 or something.

He sounded straight up and his results really depends on what i want and my combination of wheels/tires/suspension.
But Darrin(owner) admitted he his limited due to the minimal camber movement upfront and in the rear.
Is this true?
or should i go to a different shop.

I'm also thinking of going to Johnson's alignment in Torrance.

 

Great shop, I've been there multiple times.

For what it's worth, Darrin used to be at Johnson's Alignment. He took care of virtually all of the motorsports customers, and was pretty much the reason Johnson's got a good reputation from the track day guys. When he left to start his own shop, most of the track customers followed.

 

I'm not 100% whether the alignment "story" you got is the absolute truth, but what I'd do is just call up KW and find out what they have to say about this.

 

Thanks bro.
Didn't know Darrin used to work at Johnson's.

 

west end comes highly and often recommended on the e90posts Cali sub-forum as well...

I'm pretty sure darrin know to do this as well, but just make sure you get a 4 corner/4 wheel alignment...

 

Thanks Gene.
I've read that Darrin works on import tuners/porches, but i wasnt sure about bimmers.
I just wanted to make sure i'm going to a shop that regularly works on bimmers.

 

I took the advice on the boards and took my M5 to Darrin after the my Eibach's were installed. He's a one man operation, but very professional. He takes his time to make sure your car is right and he won't go to the next customer until your fully satisfied and the car is right.

My alignment was off even prior to getting the springs done and he put it in properly and he even had me sit in my car while he aligned the front end so that it would be up to spec with my weight.

I went to Johnson's a couple years ago with my M3 and they did a good job, but I think I would go back to Darrin again.

Plus, at the price that he and Johnson's charges for an alignment, it's a no brainer. Why go pay some fool $250 or so to "align" your car with a damn machine when Darrin and Johnson's has skilled techs that know what they're doing, doing the job right and by hand.

 

So heres what happened.

WestEnd alignment shop is excellent.
His shop is so freakin clean and he is meticulously detailed.( i wish i took pics )
Hes mainly a tuner suspension guy.
Works on porches and track cars.
He talks me through what he is doing while he works on the suspension.
Hes been in the industry for 24 yrs and races his own track car( another story ).
One thing about Darrin, keep your appointments! if you cancel, atleast call so he can make arrangements.
Once on the rack his time is yours, once off, its a done deal and he stands by work.
I would highly recommend his shop to anyone.

Here's his prices:
4 corner/wheel alignment: $100 flat
coilover balance & alignment: $250
(he balances your ride on electronic scales, centers the suspension, and adjusts the coilovers)
basically, evens the weight distribution on 4 independent scales, then do the 4 corner alignment.

my e60
my rear camber were greater than -2.5 degrees.
He said its excellent for race specs but my tires wont last.
on our cars, its a bottom camber adjustment, which he adjusted to -1.25.
There was a huge difference in stance and this will improve tire wear.
I sat in the car for the front adjustment.

some tips he gave for bimmer owners:
under the strut brace, where the coiloves are bolted on from under the hood, there is a plate that doesnt get used but is common across all bimmers (weird, i know, but he showed it to me) , you can take this out, and this will allow a good alignment guy some more camber movement since the front camber adjustment is limited( small adjustment, but better than nothing).

if you notice the outer side of your tires is not worn but you have inside tire wear and its even between the driver and passenger side, have your tire guy swap the tires on your rims, so the tire wall facing inside is now facing out. Given you have some fairly good tire tread on the center of the unidirectional staggered setup, the added tread on the inside will extend the life of your tires.

apparently your car can be aligned and still be crooked.

Man, this guy has so much knowledge, its ridiculous.

Some history on Darrin:
Was the lead technician at Johnson's alignment for 14 yrs. ( porches and track cars )
Operated his own shop for 12 yrs.( he does all the work himself )
Mainly a tuner suspension guy, porches, all track cars, bimmers, no audis, mostly tuner cars
all his work is done by hand, no laser stuff cuz he says he knows what hes doing, doesnt need a machine to tell him how to do it. LOL
Cash and check only ( not open on weekends )

 

^great write up, thanx for sharing

 

I heard Darrin is the best when it comes to alignments on any car. I've seen West End Alignment mentioned with the highest of praise in many many many many many different car forums.

I was always intimidated to got there since I know nothing about alignment specs and didn't want to sound stupid since I heard he is short with people who don't know what they want or are doing with their car.