If you ask for it, some will either let you sit inside the car while its being aligned, or will approximate your weight with some form of ballast. It is much easier for them to let you sit inside (esp. if you're like me @260+ lbs), but some shops do get picky about their insurance, thats why it pays to become buddies with the guys at the alignment shop!! My '84 had some severe problems when I first got it and i found a great guy that sorted it all out and when he did the alignments, he'd use the specs for the '93 Cobra and let me sit inside while he did it.

 

Hatchman

Thats what you do for a race car set up, or put enough weight in the seat to represent the driver to get the car suspension to settle. Car loaded settings are more relevant than car empty. Typically though an alignment shop does it empty, and they are going for anywhere in the factory setting tolerance rather than a specific setting, as you might want for track or autocross set up. Sounded like TacoBill's man had him in the car during his set up.

Lets just keep this little secret just between us, okay. He He.

 

Thought I would throw these in. While not a Mustang, you can see how an open coil is supported and located by it's proper matching perch.

Since the first coil rests on the perch it would not be used in calculating spring rate.

 

There you go, a picture is worth a 1000 words.

 

Hey! That looks like my garage!



Yup, my guy had me sit in the driver's seat during the whole alignment process. Whether or not it was necessary, I don't know. But, my alignment guy thought it was pretty important.

 

Got under my car on Saturday to check the rear suspension (it finally stopped raining for a bit). Reached up into the rear spring pocket to see how the cut springs were seating. Couldn't see, but I could feel with my fingertips that the top coil was flattenend with the weight of the car on it and contacting the upper spring perch for about 3/4's of the way around from where the spring was cut.

 

I was over at MRT today (actually went there to check out Motor City Steel, a restoration/performance shop for my '66 and discovered that MRT is in the same building!!!) and looked at some H&R springs there. The top coils on them are the same diameter as the body, and at the very top, are ground flat for about 3/4 of a coil. They are actually ground almost to nothing at the end. Now, I didn't talk to anyone, (had to get home) so they might have been for the SN-95 cars but the display was all 05+ stuff. Anyways, food for thought I guess.