I have put Eibach Pro Kit springs on car and am ready to have alignment checked. I went to one alignment shop that said the tool they use might scratch my 18" Chrome Deep Dish Bullitt style rims..............so I passed and called my Ford dealer. They said the same thing. Has anyone else run into this problem? What type of alignment machine should I be looking for to prevent damage to my rims.

 

Use your original wheels. The width won't matter, will it? It's amazing that this day and age they can't figure out a way to align a car without scratching the wheels.

 

Can you post a close up of where the tire meets the rim?

Edit: They should be able to do it like this (sorry it's a bike tire, but same idea):



The red piece is a plastic hook, almost like a talon. It grabs the edge of the rim where it meets the tire. The sensor should grab on the outside, and compress the rim to hold on. I would guess they are trying to grab the inside and push out to hold on. I hope that makes sense.

 

When I had my alignment done I put the factory wheels back on. Then once it was aligned we put my aftermarket rims on. Best way to do it. The machine attaches to the inside of the rim lip and since the machine is metal it will most likely scratch the rim.

 

Thanks for the input. I am going to mount my stock rims as many of you have suggested. You would think they would have figured this out by now and had a tool or some sort of way to protect the rims.

Thank you all for the prompt replies and great advice.