Alignment and balancing
 

I'm just about done with the suspension and other work and will definitely need alignment and wheel balancing. I have done alignment for other cars with local Firestone. They also have a lifetime package which I think is good insurance.

Question is are they equipped for Boxster (or Porsche) alignment? Are these cars different than others? i.e. do they need some kind of specific equipment that only the dealer has?

Same question on wheel balancing. Thanks.

as far as alignment i've only had it adjusted slightly at my local tire shop. nothing special required that i know of.

balance is another story. you want to make sure they do a road force balance, not just a regular balance and that they use the weights that are glued on, not tacked on to the rim. you'll never get it balanced right unless they do those two things - trust me.

So, the road force balance can only be done at the dealer? Or should I make sure Firestone has the equipment and does it?

For the alignment I though the camber needed to be done as well when suspension work is done? Or is that fixed? I did mark the eccentric washers so they will be going back in the same way but not sure how to confirm they are how they need to be. Thanks.

Road Force is the proper name for a balancing machine made by Hunter. When you are calling around to tire shops, ask if they have this particular piece of equipment (the Hunter Road Force balancer). It will cost a bit extra, but it is worth every penny. I think I paid around $100 to balance all 4 wheels, and re-balances are free for the life of the tire.
For an alignment, the shops with the laser/computer alignments do a reasonable job, but there is a significant error margin that those machines allow. As well, if the tech has not worked on a 986/996/987/997, they most likely won't know that front camber can be adjusted at the top strut mounts. If you want an alignment that is dead-on, find a tuning shop that will use Smart Strings or some other string system. Again, you'll pay more, but it is worth it.

I wonder how it was possible for our cars to ride so smoothly when they were new yet the Road Force balancer had not been invented yet? :rolleyes:

Hunter GSP9700 Wheel vibration Control System solves wheel vibration and tire pull problems that balancers and aligners can't fix

Some Discount Tire shops have the Hunter GSP9700.

It really depends on what you want to do with the car: If you are simply going to drive it on the street, then Firestone or some other reputable chain would be fine (and cheaper than the dealer).

However, if you want to get the most out of that new suspension, then an independent tuner can set the car up (especially the camber) for your skill level and where you expect to drive.