I have a slight pull to the right when driving (only noticeable if I let go of the wheel). Feels like an alignment is needed. I would like to have this done professionally by shop that has the right equipment for a 914.

What do I need to know before I start calling around?

And is it possible to do a 4 wheel alignment on a 914 or is it just a front alignment?

I have no clue on this (obviously).

TIA

All 4 wheels need to be aligned

There is no special equipment needed for a 914 but you’ll be much better off if you can find an old school alignment shop.

Too many chain places have techs that can’t do anything other than follow prompts on a computer screen and barely have comprehension of what they are doing. Likewise I’ve had issues getting chains to perform an alignment and simultaneously deliver a steering wheel that is properly centered.

EDIT: rear camber requires shims. You will need to supply your own shims if adjustment of rear camber is desired since shops most likely won’t have the proper shims and you don’t want them using whatever they might have on hand.

I want to focus on this

It is not uncommon to have a slight pull to the right due to road crown when driving on the right side of the road.

You need to do some troubleshooting of your own.

Does it pull left if you’re on the left side of the road crown? Does it pull if you’re on perfectly flat, level surface?

How long does it take to drift out of the lane when you take your hands off the wheel. If it takes only a couple seconds, you have an issue. If it takes 10 seconds or so, I wouldn’t worry.

This will help you figure out whether an alignment is warranted.

4-wheel alignment is possible and, in my book, a requirement.

The equipment is standard, any wheel-based alignment machine/hand alignment devices will work fine.

The experience of the alignment tech is what is important here.

The camber adjusting shims for the rear are "bespoke" and need to be sourced pre-alignment if you are doing the rear.

More important is a suspension inspection to determine what parts have wear and require replacement.

Check it out closely.
Order what it needs.
Install new parts and then have it aligned by an old-school alignment tech (this guy might be hard to find, I believe I've found "my guy" here in the metroplex).

Front suspension uses "normal suspension adjustment techniques" except for ride height which is a simple torsion bar set up.

Rear suspension is where the 914 is different than many systems.
Camber is adjusted with the above-mentioned shims and toe is by twisting the 3 bolt trailing arm mount.

Ride height changes camber so it's critical to first adjust ride height and then start the alignment.
The rear springs tend to sag with age.
Replacements are cheap.
Changing springs down the road MEANS another alignment.
Choose your route accordingly.

Tips for "pre-suspension work"
Those rear mount bolts can get rusted in badly. They point upward (upside down) and the other end of the threaded chassis insert is capped with a plastic cap (if still there)
Get the caps off and dump your choice of penetrant in the holes. I use 50/50 DEXIII and acetone (pimp juice).
Give it some time(works well overnight) and carefully break each bolt loose.
One at a time ONLY. Break lose, spin most of the way out, add more juice, spin back in. You are cleaning up the threads here. Retorque (reduce torque value 10% for wet torque) and move on to the next one.
This is how to verify the alignment shop will not have trouble here.
You want to avoid thread damage on the inserts if possible.
You will have FAR more patience than they will...

Breaking loose, cleaning threads and then re-tightening all the suspension hardware will HELP the alignment shop when you take it there.
Doing this "one at a time" helps keep your current alignment "intact".

SuperHawk is correct regarding "it should ALWAYS drift right" A little tiny bit is what I'm looking for.
If I have a car that drifts LEFT I dead-line it (should not be driven without repair/adjustment).
Drifting left takes you into oncoming traffic.
Drifting left kills customers...

I will do a complete "string, level, light tube" hand alignment on my car, I think I can get very close.
I'll then take it to Zims and have my alignment verified by someone more experienced than me...

I need to bring my car in for alignment. Anybody have a source for the "bespoke" rear alignment shims?

https://914rubber.com/914-trailing-arm-shim-hw-kit

I did have bad luck with one shop. Although highly recommended (including by at least one other 914 owner), they could not do mine. I have a slightly lowered ride height. When they tried to swing the front wheels L to R, the equipment mounted on the stock Fuchs would not clear the fender openings.

bring your own weights to put in the driver seat

I’m confident doing caster / camber / toe 4 wheel alignments in my own garage. Takes some ingenuity and geometry.

I use a smooth, flat & level garage floor (especially side to side level) , 4 post lift, and clear space to walls in front and behind the car. (Lift is optional but very handy for making adjustments without needing to raise & lower the car.) Other tools: Craftsman 24” laser level, (Longacre) caster / camber gage, tape measure, small bungees, masking tape and / or paper, pencil, 4 misc metal hardware store signs, grease, and preferably a pair of “standoffs” … more on them below.

I center steering linkage & steering wheel by eye (looking along the sides) so both front tires are parallel or that any difference’s split equally between sides.

In doing rear toe I measure the distance the laser beam is outboard of some symmetrical chassis or suspension feature near the front wheel that (hopefully) is undisturbed by accident, and make sure they’re equal in the end. All bets are off if there’s damage. Probably more than an alignment is needed?

Using small bungees to hold the level against the wheel / tire, the “standoffs” (my term) hold the level away from the bead area of the rim or sidewall. This’s for clearance so the laser projects onto the walls in both directions. Standoffs must be equal length so the level’s parallel to the wheel / tire direction. I had a machinist at a former employer make 2 cylindrical standoffs about 1” in diameter. On wheels where the rim bead area isn’t flat, I’ve used the tire sidewall (with level contacting the plain sidewall and avoiding any tire markings / lettering). Spread the standoffs as far apart as possible when using them. Depending on the situation, I’ve omitted the standoffs if (body) clearance permits. IMHO today’s tires are controlled to sufficiently close tolerances to not introduce significant error. Hold the level against the standoff or sidewall with bungees. Camber can be done with the level positioned vertically, but a caster gage is required for caster. Put grease between the 2 metal signs under each wheel to serve as slip plates during caster measurement. I set my lift posts & ramps up plumb & level to w/in +/-0.1 deg front-back and sideways with plumb bob and water filled tygon (clear) tube “spider” reaching areas of the 4 posts on the ramps. Took a lot of time finger flicking to get all the air bubbles out. I confirmed the level’s accuracy with a plumb bob. Even so, I noticed how easily the front can slip sideways on the greased plates … beware.

Of course wheel bearing preloads, suspension bushings, ball joints, tie rods, tire psi., etc must all be good and to spec.

Mark the laser dots on the masking tape or paper affixed to the walls. Do the front and then back after turning the level end to end. Also keep the level “level” when placed in both directions. Then measure and record the distances between the front dots and between the rear dots, calculate toe angle and compare to specs. With walls about 20’ apart (measure carefully for best toe accuracy) and reasonable care taking the tape measurements the accuracy is very good. Well within alignment tolerances as I calculated. Probably much better than a “professional” technician. After all, who cares more about getting it right?

I got between 50k - 78k(!!) miles from 3 sets of Goodyear Gatorbacks (220 wear rating) on a car owned from new to 200k+ miles. Done my own alignments for 30 yrs - routine, after ball joint, relay rod, tie rod replacements, etc..

You don't fully understand how correct you are!
I've been around other technicians most of my professional life and I don't like ANYONE else working on my car. I've got stories galore...

With understanding and patience MOST of the forum members could do their own alignments.

You're doing it "Full Monte" with caster sweeps and a bunch of measurements.
I applaud you sir!

That is the "correct" way.

As long as I have a groove in the tire tread that is symmetrical, I can save a bunch of time basing my toe measurements from it.

I'll spin the wheels and watch this groove carefully. The human eye can see variations smaller than .001. You can tell when something is off.

Most performance alignments I've seen tend to maximize caster (might be wrong regarding 914 not enough knowledge yet) and if front caster is adjustable, usually I'll max it.

Camber is taken care of with the level as you posted. I'm very careful to measure off of the outer wheel flange here.

Toe is done with a tape measure or (to be more accurate) a wood "jig" the track width wide with 12" legs. Put a nail through both uprights to allow measuring at horizontal centerline of the tire. Think wide U for the shape 55" wide/12" tall should work.

Use an 8" fluorescent bulb placed against tire horizontally to compare toe side to side quickly. With the length of the bulb multiplying the toe difference it is STUPID easy to see which side you should change. Next time you do one, try it
I'm very careful with my burned out 8' bulb. I use it for multiple things.

It's easier/quicker for me to attain accurate toe and steering wheel centering this way than using a full-on alignment bed.

I've had multiple "quicky hand alignments" taken to alignments shops that have needed little or no adjustment. I don't own an alignment bed and I always say "you should have it aligned on a machine" when I alter alignment settings after repair work.
Some customers actually take the advice and get it done...



I like the use of flat metal signs and grease for your caster sweep plates. Good inexpensive way to get the job done.

Finding flat concrete can be very challenging.
I got lucky...

I'm renting a wealthy man's first "play toy" shop and he spent extra on everything in here. Ultra-flat floors were one of his pet peeves.

There are a couple of old school shops in our town I'd take mine to. Unfortunately for me, by the time I got my BB back together after both the front and rear suspension were off the car for refresh, the shops couldn't work on it in time for our Rennsport road trip. I ended up doing it at home. Set the ride height and then aligned. I used the same number of shims it had in the rear, just bought new. The front camber didn't change so that made things easier. It drove great. I'll just watch tire wear.

Click to view attachment

https://www.ssiauto.com/

This is the shop that did my alignment this last summer. The owner used to own a 914 and the shop was familiar with our cars. The improvement on my car was amazing and it felt perfect. No complaints. The first question they asked when I called was if I had the shims. Most shops I called had no idea about needing shims. I provided them the shims and you are welcome to whichever shim sizes I have left over.