Did the alignment shop feed me BS?

[mels95yj]

First post here, so "Howdy". I've spent most of my time here searching and reading.

I recently bought a 2001 Cobra with 11,000 miles on it. Last week, I had to replace the tires, so I bought some KDW's. They told me I needed an alignment, so I took it to the shop this morning. I had asked if they would do a 4-wheel alignment since I've read that it may need adjusting also. When I asked them after they finished, I was told the rear was a solid axle and no adjustments could be made there. Isn't this ?

I just searched and isn't all Cobras IRS after '99? Doesn't this fact make it adjustable? Sorry for the novice questions. I don't know if it needs it, but since I was paying for the front, I was going to go ahead and do the rear. Thanks for your help!

Mel

 

[na svt]

First post here, so "Howdy". I've spent most of my time here searching and reading.

I recently bought a 2001 Cobra with 11,000 miles on it. Last week, I had to replace the tires, so I bought some KDW's. They told me I needed an alignment, so I took it to the shop this morning. I had asked if they would do a 4-wheel alignment since I've read that it may need adjusting also. When I asked them after they finished, I was told the rear was a solid axle and no adjustments could be made there. Isn't this ?

I just searched and isn't all Cobras IRS after '99? Doesn't this fact make it adjustable? Sorry for the novice questions. I don't know if it needs it, but since I was paying for the front, I was going to go ahead and do the rear. Thanks for your help!

Mel

Have you looked for yourself? It is possible that a previous owner replace the IRS with a live axle.

 

[mels95yj]

Well, I knelt down to look, and it looked like IRS to me. I'm going to check better tonight once I take the suit off. I doubt it's been swapped since the car only has 11k miles and everything else is stock.

I've called a local Ford dealer that ended up being cheaper than this place for a 4-wheel alignment and will give me a printout of the specs. I'll probably end up taking it to them just to make sure.

Mel

 

[four six]

I call BS. I'd get my $ back

 

[Dan_Soprano]

The alignment shop you went to is full of poop. Anyway to take a pic under the rear for us to verify?

 

[fastfive_ogt]

Just checked fmcdealer and you are correct there is a camber and toe adjustment in the rear for 01 cobra. Let me know if you want the document on it I can send them to you.

 

[Mike97gt]

make sure you get before and after readouts front and rear. MANY techs scam the rear alignment on 4 wheel alignments..

As far as the shop you went to, I think they just don't know crap about mustangs and never knew the 99+ cobras have a IRS.. the alignment tech probally never looked.

 

[mels95yj]

Well, an update on the situation. I checked under the car and it does have IRS. I called the shop back yesterday morning and told them that basically it was not done correctly. His exact words were, "Hmmm. I thought those were solid axle." So, that means he never even looked. They would not refund my money, and would still charge me to do the rear, but not to redo the front. I told them to forget it that I had found a more knowledable shop, and that they had lost a future customer.

I appreciate everyone's help and advice.

Mel

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

That's too bad man...I can't believe a tech would perform his job that way. You have to have the car on the rack to align it, and it is in the air, so why didn't he look? I can see him thinking it is a solid axle, and some don't know the difference between Cobra's and GT's, but you think the machine would tell him that. You have to enter the type of model the Mustang is....

sorry about your luck....

 

[cobrahissss]

What was wrong with the tire wear that made the shop or you think there was an alignment problem in the first place?