Miata performance alignment in MD/DC/VA Area?

[motomoron]

After a month of what seems like full time wrenching my new-to-me NA is back together with ~everything~ done:


- FM Stage 2.5 suspension
- Energy urethane bushings everywhere. No. Rubber. Anymore.
- Clutch-main seal-trans seals
- Wheel bearings
- Raceland header - FM cat/mid pipe/muffler
- FM buterfly brace
- Timing belt service
- Plugs/wires/filters/Redline fluids

The one thing I can't do at home is a real alignment - Camber I can get within a tenth of a degree or thereabouts, but caster and toe? not close enough.

Who can one go to with numbers and sequence (or just numbers if they know Miatas) who can get it on the money, and who will use a torque wrench and not immediately stretch all 8 of my brand new camber bolts?

I'm looking forward to getting back into some fun autocross w/ CDC. It's been awhile!

[Dan133]

Try this guy-

York Automotive
(301) 831-7337
300 S Main St, Mt Airy, MD 21771

Check with Frank Dam but I think York is the one that corner-balanced his car and does suspension work for MeatHead Racing (Spec Miata).

[david.valeri]

Some other options are...

Andrewtech in Gathersburg did mine on the Miata. They can also do corner balancing.

http://www.andrewtechautomotive.com/

PTuning in Manassas did my Integra a couple years ago and were very kind about not charging me for the extra time it took them to bust loose the seized Skunk2 control arms.

http://www.ptuning.com/

Piper Motorsports does a lot of spec Miata work but you will need to be made out of money. I never had them do an alignment, but they were the ones who put the rollbar and seats in my car and they do excellent work.

http://www.pipermotorsport.com/

Both shops offered advice and got the alignment numbers right on the money, but I think the guys at Andrewtech likely know more about Miatas. That is a good number of options fro NoVa to MD. PTuning is the only one of the above that has weekend hours that I know of if that is an issue for you.

[Gonz]

Ed York aligned my miata last month.
He does a lot of Miata work. He'll give you an appointment time, so you don't have to sit around and wait and he'll ask you to sit in the car during the alingment so your weight is accounted for.
His fee is $89 for an alignment. Not sure what it's for corner weighting.

[ferris]

andrewtech aligned my car. They did a great job and will do any custom spec you want and also corner balance the car.

[hepcatz]

PTuning did mine and did a great job, open on Saturdays as well.

[motomoron]

I took the car to Ed York at York Automotive for the alignment. It's a tidy shop, but not ~too~ tidy. Spec Miata racer on the lift getting an engine, neat e30 M3 getting an engine. Ed's a nice guy and knows Miatas inside out from a racer's perspective - he was completely open and willing to discus my suspension, driving habits and objectives for the car and didn't dumb down any aspect of the conversation. I was in the car on the rack for ballast and was entrusted with centering the wheel. The alignment was based of of what minimum rear negative camber could be achieved at my ride height and desired toe setting - this being -2.1 degrees he set the front at -1.5, zero toe.

The car is really, really good. Neutral in general, the car rotates with throttle. Grip is excellent, transitions, steady state turns - all good.

For what it's worth the Flyin Miata stage 2.5 suspension package w/ their chassis rail stiffeners and butterfly brace plus Energy urethane bushings everywhere results in a very streetable car which is poised and solid. That and and a good alignment from York Automotive.

Highest recommendation~!

[flohtingPoint]

I'm extravagantly ignorant when it comes to labor prices and such, but PTuning just quoted me $855 worth of labor (no parts, I have everything needed, just no time) to do my wheel bearings and wheel studs. I dont know if this is cheap or not.

[mla163]

I'm extravagantly ignorant when it comes to labor prices and such, but PTuning just quoted me $855 worth of labor (no parts, I have everything needed, just no time) to do my wheel bearings and wheel studs. I dont know if this is cheap or not.

seems like a lot to me.

[eage8]

I'm extravagantly ignorant when it comes to labor prices and such, but PTuning just quoted me $855 worth of labor (no parts, I have everything needed, just no time) to do my wheel bearings and wheel studs. I dont know if this is cheap or not.

If you assume $80-$100 an hour.. that's more than 8 hours of labor... that's a lot. if you bring me the hubs I'll do it for half that

[flohtingPoint]

I'm extravagantly ignorant when it comes to labor prices and such, but PTuning just quoted me $855 worth of labor (no parts, I have everything needed, just no time) to do my wheel bearings and wheel studs. I dont know if this is cheap or not.

If you assume $80-$100 an hour.. that's more than 8 hours of labor... that's a lot. if you bring me the hubs I'll do it for half that

Pshh, if I had the time this weekend to remove the hubs, I'd do the job myself. The killer here is time, as my weekend is packed and I need the car ready to go. I have time to troubleshoot my braking problem, get the car on a trailer and get it to a shop. The rest of my weekend is going to focus on the MR2 and I have some work related stuff to do.

Anyway, I'm getting extravagantly off topic. My point was that I saw that David and John mentioned PTuning and I had just gotten a rather high quote from them for a job that goes hand in hand. I've never done business with them before (or any shop in this area for that matter, as I'm capable of doing the majority of stuff on my car myself), so I cant speak on anything outside of initial contact. Attached is a copy of my quote.



I did shoot Mike (the gentleman who emailed me the quote) an email explaining that a 9 hour quote might be a bit much for bearings and wheel studs considering the fact that both tasks share the same first part (removing the hubs). Hopefully it was just a preliminary estimate.

[hepcatz]

Yeah I doubt i'd have them do any actual work, just precision alignments which is a fair price and they do good. I hope that was just a guestimate as that is way too high Jim and six hours labor?...

[FamilyTruckster]

I had York Auto align my BMW. Very knowledgeable and good price. It's like a new car.

[Gonz]

I got another Miata alignment from Ed York last Thursday. He even realigned my rattling exhaust free of charge.
Depending where you are located, it's not too far of a drive. About 35 minutes from COlumbia, MD area. But quite a hike from south of the beltway.