Suspension is Severely out of Spec. Fully Adjustable Alignment Procedure!

[@steveb6103]

No bodies going to watch a 2 hour repair video? Who else watched all 4 in a row!

[@MattGluntVideos]

Set it at 1.25x speed. Makes it a bit quicker.

[@tRdoc21]

I watched all 4 this morning! It really captured me because I've got an '04 Tahoe I have been considering doing a lot of this same stuff on. I put in a rebuilt 6.0L and rebuilt the trans, so now I've got another coupla hundred k to look forward to in my "Black Betty".

[@kenm6948]

I watched all four in sequence! This car will last many more worry free miles. I would just recommend that the owner start changing oil more regularly.

[@lisas292]

I watched all 4 in a row too. Love watching these videos, brings back memories of watching and helping my Dad. My one regret was not helping him more, as a girl I was more into sewing and art. But I do love watching. mechanical and woodworking videos.

[@ralph7181]

4

[@erikrunas226]

Great series Ray. You did an amazing amount of work. The only thing I would want is the customer reaction to the finished product.

[@tlstanbro3193]

I hope the customer gets to see your video also

[@albertchavez2693]

Geez i sure wish he was near me i would make him my forever mechanic , he is awesome young talented fella :)

[@roberthartzell7104]

Hello sir, I worked as an automotive technician for 22 years and I truly enjoy your professionalism and overall attitude of truly enjoying what you do, BTW I do believe you are a very talented technician. I loved the challenge of figuring out a problem. I may have to drive the hour south and holler at ya Busted Knuckle Garage member ✌️🇺🇸

[@paulhammack6281]

Why do. You keep showing reruns

[@paulhammack6281]

Stop the reruns

[@Rekuzan]

Note: The reason the Caster spec is asymmetrical is because a lot of auto makers do this up specifically to deal with the effect of road crown. Road crown ensures water runs down into the gutter instead of staying on the road surface, and tends to cause the vehicle to pull slightly to one side. Putting the caster a bit higher on one side helps offset this.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

That is a question I was not able to articulate, and I appreciate the answer!

[@garybomkamp8623]

I am thrilled that we "saved" that old Suburban. The video showed that it handled better on the highway. WE DID GOOD!

[@duncanmcewan1049]

Ahhhh - again, maybe I have watched this series twice ;) I love the attention to detail - very therapeutic to watch :) Also, what I loved about this one is that the owner of a "less than new" and non fancy truck with decent mileage, decided to invest a chunk of change in a new front suspension (and the rest) and all round new rotors/pads, as well as the rear spring upgrade. Makes a change from the "services denied" videos. Nice to see someone willing to repair a decent running truck, rather than scrap and move to a newer one.

[@fmh357]

I can't believe I watched this whole thing. I know how to do all these things and have many times, yet I still found it fascinating. God bless.

[@althomas6496]

I just sold my shop ,retired at 70 I was still completely involved in the physical aspect of the all repairs, mostly Subaru and Ford. Most people don't realize how physically demanding alignments are, my Wife and Daughter gave so much grief that I quit doing wheel alignments a few years ago. It did make my life easier my machine was an 50 year old Visualiner that requires constant calibration. You do a very good job of describing why and how things should be done when alignments are done.

[@badranger2004]

With the taller springs in the rear, I’d strongly advise your customer to get a longer shock absorber in the back, oh and to replace the missing front bump stops

[@sactwnpokr]

Probably would be a good idea to get an longer/adjustable track bar and longer sway bar links.

[@gridlore]

Fascinating! I never really knew what went into a wheel alignment. I learn things everytime I watch Ray's videos.

[@waleyefish9026]

The alignment was the best part of this Video, often done wrong because it's the least practiced procedure.👍👍👍👍

[@PatrickJMele]

Nice to see customers spending their hard earned cash and fixing older model vehicles instead of trading in for newer models....It helps our economy thrive and also us blue collar guys employed and able to take care of our families.

[@steveb6103]

Try to find a new anything that isn't way over the list price!

[@andidede3653]

No doubt he did the right thin. It has low miles, plenty of life left in it, and this repair is a lot cheaper than paying $500 per month or more on a new car or lease.

[@utidjian]

I looked up the average price of a used 2004 Chevy Suburban 1500 5.3 in basic trim and it was $40,400.00. That truck/SUV is 18 years old but in unusually good condition and low miles. It is easily worth spending a few $K to keep it going. The MSRP for a 2022 Suburban is around $50-60K depending on trim and I have no idea what the actual cost would be to actually buy one. If this was a recently sold second hand Suburban it would still need to be fixed and Ray or someone like him would still get that job. Then if the original owner bought a new one (or some other US made vehicle) then it would also help employ all the people that made the new one. But all that taken into consideration.... if prices keep going up and wages are not keeping pace then we will have less money to spend on stuff, new or used. Some people in some places are getting more money, a LOT more money, but it isn't your average blue collar guy. It hasn't been your average blue collar guy making more money for the past 50 years. What he or she makes has not kept up with his productivity.

[@craiglyles4755]

@@utidjian If you think the average price for a nearly 20 year old suburban is 40K then I’ve got10 to sell you for 20K. For a 2004 It’s more like 4-7K depending on options, mileage, and condition. Just found a 2wd listed near me for $6800 that has 125,000 miles and is in better condition than the one in this video.

[@utidjian]

@@castleandcars Thanks Chris. You are correct.

[@donaldfontana1178]

I really liked the alignment segment. I never knew how it all works, and now I have a better understanding of how it's done, great job.

[@edharry3984]

Good Job Ray, Alignment is not easy when drastic change is done. This is a Good Job!

[@madhatter2012]

I am so amazed, not only by your talents , mechanical techniques and complete knowledge of all the components of a vehicle, but also by your ability to articulate what you're doing and why. Then you add your great sense of humor and sarcasm and you end up presenting videos that are both educational and entertaining. It's such a great pleasure to watch you work and enjoy it while you're performing it. you have a new subscriber. Cheers from Maryland.

[@Jester-Riddle]

Great video series Ray. Demystifying Wheel Alignment as a finale was fascinating. I did wonder about the various negative effects of uprating the rear springs, but you even covered that ! Pleased to see your meteoric increase in subscribers to 250K ... and not surprised at all. Keep up the good work.

[@brianbanks3044]

i was an alignment tech for 20 yrs...the best way to do those upper cams are with a 21mm gear wrench XXL on the nut and a 21mm long box end on the bolt head....you gets lots of leverage and easier to adjust everything......the really fun GM models are the express vans where you cannot get onto the cam bolt very easily but I devised a system that even the dealer techs asked how I did them.....I used to set these trucks up with a little positive on each side and about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a degree difference between the left and right caster with the higher caster on the right front...this compensated for the crown of the road and these vehicles drove down the road by themselves......i love watching other guys do what i did for a long time...great video

[@yosemitesam1969]

After using Hunter Alignment for many many years......you do know you can choose another screen to see the actual values changing live, with arrows moving to where you need adjustments to be. Just easier to see if you are in the middle of tolerances. For 7 years my sole job was just wheel alignments using this machine, after new tyres fitted or suspension replacement. Also, you should really clamp the steering wheel in the straight ahead position to make sure everything is true. Great content on the whole vehicle.

[@rickchowsr2532]

Still getting videos from the other day as new today. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@jackroy8889]

thanks for helping me to be a more informed consumer.

[@nao_tomori]

i was an apprentice alignment tech before the shop closed, so alot of this is really bringing me back

[@98ratboy]

Thanks for educating the consumer. I've never seen an alignment performed on a vehicle. More labor-intensive than I thought.

[@garyosborne8906]

Great series of videos. Learned a couple of things but the most important thing I learned is to leave this stuff to the professionals.

[@deanc.5984]

You are truly a car physician, a master of your trade. Next time I go 2 a mechanic, I'll let them take their time & do it right now that I know all what they go through to get it right👏👏👏🍺👍

[@jimclifford1241]

Thanks for the super cool video on how an alignment is done. A DIY shade tree mechanic like me has a general idea how it's done, but never get to actually see it.

[@StackAndPrepper]

Excellent mini-series! I finally got to see the details of how an alignment is done, too. Very educational. Thanks, Ray!

[@alwetsocks1673]

I have the same aligner in my shop. I use " Show Bar Graph " tab it shows Live camber caster and toe readings as well as spec and side to side difference instead of the " Show Measurements " tab. I also use " Jack and Hold " on upper control arm adjustments it takes the weight of the vehicle off of the adjusters making it way easier.

[@jwdataspot]

The playing of Für Elise in the background gives me flashbacks of the original IT movies! Thanks for that. :D

[@XLAND101]

Some advice: Before your initial Caster Sweep. Always lock your Steering Wheel straight and adjust the Toe. (Caster Sweep needs a certain Degree of turn each way to give a true reading. If you are starting with a Tire pointed way out of whack, your readings will also be. (Hence the warning it gave you that you ignored.) Toe will also change your Camber readings.) After your sweep, do your adjustments and set Toe. If Camber and Caster is off, adjust again and set Toe. When done in the correct procedure, Hunter systems give true readings through out the process. The only times I have ever done more than 2 Caster sweeps. (and the second has always been a verification of the one time set of adjustments.) Has been on Higher end European Vehicles. Most of the time, I would set Camber and Toe before I would perform a Sweep personally. I find it hard to believe that the newer systems don't give live readings of Caster when my old late '80's unit did.

[@robertkeyes2654]

Wow that alignment business is akin to black magic to me! Seriously, it does make sense and I have to thank you for sharing this with all of us.

[@davidjackson8787]

I watched all four I enjoy watching Ray work. At my age work is not something I’m going to do. 😂

[@drover338]

I like the attention to detail on the alignment specifications.

[@Pigpen_Jeeper]

GLUED to this vid... I've always wondered how these adjustments need to be made. Since you usually send the vehicle to alignment and cut your videos I'm glad we joined this time!

[@carney26]

I had been doing tyre fitting and wheel alignments for 15 years. Now I had joined the army and still getting emails and phone calls from dealerships such as BMW for a tyre fitter/wheel aligner position for $30 p/hr. Even my army wage still beats it lol

[@nickvoelker7180]

I always wondered about alignment. It's the only automotive work I don't do myself. I was also an electronics mechanic, and we don't dirty ourselves with drivability issues.

[@dougrea8260]

I really like these newer alignment racks. They're so much easier with the lasers and detailed information right at the keyboard. So much better than what I trained on nearly 40 years ago.

[@ralphfolk18]

Great job Rey, I told a mechanic years ago " I want a complete alignment, not just toe" I checked after and he had added and subtracted shims. Older Chevrolet truck , I got much better tire wear than before. Your work is great! They are lucky to have you!

[@brianbanks3044]

we called those alignments, "Toe and go's".....most of your box store alignments are this...GREEN is GOOD, RED is BAD....worst way to teach alignments ever!!!!

[@Kawboy65]

@@brianbanks3044 Still better than the "push, pull, print" jobs that was common in the shop I worked in years ago. 😂

[@mitchellpinion]

Good job like long series get a lot of enjoyment out of them

[@warrantyvoid100]

Thank you for the videos Ray, it seems like you came out of nowhere and now you're up there with South Main, Watch Wes and Ivan in my estimation! I couldn't really give a rat's about the "perfect procedure" some people want, show me how it's done in the real world on real customers' cars that are daily driven.

[@Twin_Flyer]

Very true! I watch the first two you named, but who in Ivan? may have to check that channel out

[@warrantyvoid100]

@@Twin_Flyer Ivan at "Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics"

[@Twin_Flyer]

@@warrantyvoid100 Thanks, Ill check it out!

[@19Ironman63]

I find South Main unwatchable. Guess I like to be entertained too much.

[@marksaunders2500]

Part 4 "CLICK" from uk ray love how u always explain the methodical way of remove inspect and replacement of parts always good av seen so many hurt on springs and top mount bearings etc not understandin forces (they should of watched how you operate for safety!) Alway enjoy your videos cos I learn new ways too thank you for your time. Enjoyed my morning bk to bk with you have a great day today tomorrow always!!!😉👍

[@tRdoc21]

Thanks Ray for all your hard work! I love seeing guys like you who take pride in performing a job and do it right, do it well and do it every day! I just finished all 4 videos in this series, 2 hours or so in length - my wife is giving me the crazy eye, like she can't believe I'm watching some dude wrenching on an old Suburban, but your videos are entertaining and educational at the same time. I've got an '04 Tahoe I'm considering doing a lot of this same work on. I'm a 'white collar' guy, but I think if I can clear space in my garage and grab a few extra tools, you've shown me that me and my 16 y/o son can tackle this as a great project and when we're done my truck will drive a lot better (almost 300k miles on it now!) and we'll have accomplished something as a father/son team we can both be proud of and remember for years to come. Thanks again for making the effort to show us how all this fits together!

[@cayman9873]

My favorite video of all. Very interesting to learn alignment. Love to see more alignment stuff

[@geoffmower8729]

Very informative and educational for us unworthy wanna be mechanics. Good job.👍

[@fred414141]

great rebuild! front suspension done right! thanks for letting us watch. you are truly a master at what you do!

[@LadyEmilyNyx]

Why do I find wheel alignments so fascinating? No idea. But I do.

[@golf25radioman]

I appreciated this video a lot. i have always wanted to know more about how alignment is done. Along with the other elements of this series of videos, it was very informative and entertaining. Thank you for your explanations that go along with the video which help more than you may know for me.

[@robertcourser24]

Started out as a auto mechanic when I was young 17-18 until I was 25. I then learned about heavy Equipment loaders and haul trucks and continued my career for another 20 years working on them I had a accident and ripped my knee in half and crushed my spine in 2012 I enjoy watching your videos I miss my career tremendously keep up the great work and the awesome videos

[@roythearcher]

An excellent series of vids, even for me in the UK where most of the vehicles you work on are totally alien to us!

[@JARCAICO]

Wow. Thanks for sharing. It seemed more complicated than what I thought.

[@bobcarry4820]

Toe in is easy to figure out how it is done. I could never figure out camber and caster. I would never attempt it if I had the set up but I like to know how it works. You did a really good job on the vehicle and teaching me. Thanks again

[@stephenrogers4537]

Okay Raymond it's Round 4😳 it's knockout 🥊time BROTHER 😉🛎👍🏆

[@jonbiloff1264]

Nice video. That truck has a lot of available adjustments. I was used to Honda's that had very little adjustments. The cringe I am feeling seeing an alignment rack...it ended my wrenching career, tore my minicus crawling out from under it. Once all healed up the restrictions pretty much put ended being able to work on cars.

[@craiglyles4755]

Yeah that alignment rack is a POS. John bean makes a great height adjusting leveling rack with no crossbar interference, saves your body being able to work at any height and cuts working time way down. Their computers also have more features than hunter that remove the guesswork , could do one of these in half the time w/o re-sweeping caster so much and compensating heads etc.

[@danieltaylor9164]

At some point I think you should consider teaching. I know it's been brought up before, but you have a great temperament and can relate information quickly, precisely and simply. Also you have experience in the field so you can relate how things work and how to avoid issues that can make the job harder and take longer. Maybe not now during your prime earning years but something to consider as you get older and time takes its toll. Best of luck.

[@jscanlan22]

Very interesting to see what goes into a frontend alignment.

[@magnusstuff]

I'm happy that the customer approved your recommended work, the result was a car that handled great! Great work, Ray! 👍

[@nomebear]

It will bring many miles of reliability and enjoyment. Money well invested.

[@dave6199]

I now can see why some wheel alignment places are better than others...the care factor

[@125sm3]

Thanks for the mini series Ray.

[@thebulltoo2875]

Good owner, getting all the problems repaired. Great job.

[@philoverton8668]

I've just recently had a 4 wheel alignment done on my car and they used a spirit level to make sure the wheel was level and pointing centre and the car is perfect

[@tlstanbro3193]

You are a pretty handy guy to know Tearing the front end out of a truck and a alignment it back awesome good job boss

[@rjm7168]

I enjoyed this series a bunch; probably because I drive a 2004 Suburban 2500, which I've just begun to refurbish and will be adding a bunch of trinkets to. Thx.

[@christophergoodman5107]

VERY AWESOME SERIES, I LOVE THE WAY YOU GOT INDEPTH ON THE ALIGNMENT

[@Scott-bw4og]

First time through an alignment process. I’m getting the hang of it. Love it when it makes sense. Thanks.

[@bbustin1747]

Have a great day Rainman !

[@shadetree6705]

I'd still like to know why, with everything there is on KZbin, racing, rodeo, comedy, etc....do we find ourselves watching? It's a friggin alignment!!! I guess those of us who enjoy this stuff have a little higher octane traveling through our veins than most. Thanks Ray, great job!!!

[@stream7329]

I did alignments for 2 years back in the early 2000's, quit the job for reasons, but I do miss it sometimes. Watching this brought me back to those days, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good stuff, man!

[@Idbuzzpro]

Awesome to follow you on all the parts . This is highly addictive to watch. Greetings from Norway 👍

[@kellyc2425]

That is one SUPER clean 2004!

[@isaiahwelch8066]

Hey Ray! Awesome video, especially the alignment process. Most people have no idea how much a bad alignment can ruin driveability, not to mention tires. Loved watching the alignment work -- and yes, it can be frustrating trying to get the measurements right. But when you get it right, it's well worth it! As others have said, the only thing more I would have liked to see is for you to take the customer for a ride, on your little route, on the interstate, and see the customer's reaction! Awesome series, Ray!

[@richardgarwood6573]

You're very professional, keep the videos coming! Your knowledge as a technician and mechanic combined with the way you approach and explain things is nearly scrupulous

[@amdstrollo3074]

Love your videos man, can watch you for hours at a time!

[@williamdawson3353]

Best alignment walk through.

[@jaysonescoe5799]

Nice series. We have a 00’ Tahoe so this is very helpful! So anybody else have “ Hunter alignment machine ad”. Don’t recall an ad where it was on a video at same interval!!

[@ronsloan7662]

Once again, Ray, great work with attention to detail. Nice that a viewer trusted you with major work on their vehicle. Even luckier for them that they lived close enough for you to do it.

[@lozza9789]

Really great series of videos on this truck. Thanks very much for giving us all a look at what was involved. Commendable amount of work carried out for the owner; they should be over the moon with this result. Keep up the great work Ray, thank you.

[@stelvioc3691]

I was going to ask if you could do a video in more detail about wheel alignment and *click* there it was! Great work as always, looking forward to the next one!

[@sdlangdon7468]

Again, music of the masters! Way cool.

[@tomtke7351]

caster, camber, toe... got it! Also, with a simple cable I connect my cell phone to my TV. Much more enjoyable on TV.

[@grider8344]

I watched the lot, sick with the flu. I love this shit, you are a great mechanic no bs, great stuff. Get a small shop make you tube take it easier. Love ya work.

[@realeyesrealizereallies6828]

Interesting, I kinda knew the basics but this filled in the gaps in me knowledge...Interesting...Nice job.....

[@toddgiambruno]

Great series Ray! Its good to see a customer want to invest in a decent vehicle and make it safe and enjoyable again!

[@rayshutsa6690]

I really enjoyed this series. This series was an incredible amount of work The way you explain toe and camber is and what parts need to be adjusted. 😀🇨🇦

[@Stevie_B_0828]

Very interesting segment, Ray... I was always curious about how an alignment was done. I've been a viewer of yours for a few years now and it never ceases to amaze me the vastness of ur vehicular knowledge. 🤯🤯🤯

[@ILOVEBACONBOY2018]

nice to see people spend money fixing their old rides, lot of these cars will last forever with basic maintenance, f buying brand new cars, SAVE THE OLD ONES!

[@jeffcoker48]

Ive been watching you since the dealership days what brought me to your channel was the dod repair that you were working on. I too have a 2015 denali that keeps breaking valve springs twice now and its frustrating

[@andrewmullen4003]

Good job, thanks for showing the alignment process, always wondered how it all worked, cheers, and yes this side of the pond we call them split pins!!

[@sidneysnottley6414]

Great series - The mysteries of the wheel alignment process have finally been revealed -- Tick that one of my bucket list.👍 Cheers.

[@46fd04]

Ray, when you were adjusting, you had set the camera on top of the tire which was great! The viewers could visually see the movement when you made the adjustment. Awesome.

[@garyslentzii2796]

You are my new car wizard, you show the work involved not just tell us what you did.

[@jayrenner211]

Yup. 100,000 mile suspension replacement on GMCs...worth every penny. DIY can save a lot of $$

[@patch8462]

Like the classical inserts Ray!

[@thatsfunny7729]

Another great series and for a viewer who's lucky enough to live close by! Hopefully you autographed a tie rod or something for him!

[@NormEZ]

I'd drive all the way from California just for you to do an inspection and basic maintenance (and more) because of your thoroughness and how much care you take in doing repairs/maintenance. Great series .

[@mathuetax]

Really nifty how the alignment heads have changed from when I wrenched. I learned on a projector and screen style Hunter Lite-A-Line in Technical College, worked in the field first with a horribly clapped out Hunter S7 Electron-A-Line and shortly afterwards with a new Hunter D111. This style with just reflectors would have saved some heartache for the shops I was at due to the heads falling off and hitting the floor, destroying the innards.

[@kennyman338]

👍👍 spent the rest of my Saturday night watching all 3 parts. Keep it up Ray! "Click"

[@Hugo_Overthere]

You can do your own wheel alignment at home. You have to make a standoff jig backed with a bubble level. Adjust camber by level taken against the wheels. Adjust caster by level taken against the ball joint grease inserts. Adjust tow in by measuring front vs rear tire separation, or by sighting outside front of tires against outside rear of tires. First though, level the car, and get all of the specs, including front vs rear wheel tracks.

[@kenm6948]

This is my absolute favorite automotive repair channel. As compared to some of the other channels out there, I am surprised your subscriptions are not in the millions.

[@jrand2631]

All the channels hit the spot with some people, some more than others, but no channel hit the spot with all people. :)

[@hrogers9325]

Everything as spec. Perfection.

[@nairbudy6403]

Great series. Glad i stumbled on it. I gotta do all this on my Suburban (including the oil pump o-ring…loosing pressure at idle occasionally…240,000mi). Thanks.

[@bigtruck57h25]

"What's that clicking noiazze"- Jonly Bonly Stewart.. Great job Ray, good video series. Greetings from Lake City 🌴😎😁🇺🇸

[@dannylinc6247]

That's great when the numbers come in spec for all your efforts. Your caster bias was possible. And camber was about straight up. Liked it. Good job. Nice aligning machine. One difference was the remote viewer. I didn't see one. They're nice if your in the wheel well or underneath getting one to cooperate, then tightening when it's just right. When I had a "half the car" pit, I had to use that remote. Amazing that they bought all that set of parts. Where I live they would have blamed the technician.