what does someone have to hit to knock the alignment out so badly that the Camber or Caster (whatever) correction requires the motor to be moved within the subframe by Audi and the local alignment shop won't do it? Also tore up the tie rod end. Just wondering.

 

A bolder or a moose!! My friend hit a sliding rock in PA it was the size of a laptop and 6 inches thick he only needed new struts though and a rim the rim was crack all along the inside.

 

well the front end has no camber and caster adjustments that are made to be adjusted every interval. shifting the subframe is the only way to adjust those 2 parameters on the front end and local shops won't do it cuz they don't have the special tool that makes the job so much easier

 

of course I went cheap and didn't get the alignment done at Audi, but I did happen to get two tie rod ends free with my recent purchase of the Blauparts timing belt kit, so, I had a tie rod end to switch out (27.5 turns). It was wearing out the inside of the tire, so I'll just keep rotating and hope to hit a pot hole on the other side this winter so it will line back up.

 

if it's not that far off, i wouldn't pay for it either. however you need your toe to be within spec.

 

when i went to get my alignment done at some tire place, i dont remember the name but it was one of the big companies, they told me that it was so fucked up that my sub frame had to get aligned and that i had to go to an audi dealer to do it. i called bullshit on that and went to ask my audi mechanic where he does his alignments, and so he told me about this guy who is good with audis. got an alignment for only $60 from him and my car doesnt steer to the right by it self anymore and everything seems all good now... i recommend that you go to a small business that actually cares about their customers and doesnt feed you with a lot of bullshit just cuz they dont know how to do an alignment properly...

 

good point, it dawned on me that he just didn't want to give me the $75 special he quoted me.

 

I've learned the hard way that regular mechanics don't even want to look at german cars, I had one quote me over $600 for a repair I had done for $80 just because he wanted me to leave.