Launch X631 alignment machine

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I started a new job in May that I’m happy with for the most part. But, the shop’s got this alignment machine. Alleged alignment machine I should perhaps say. It might not be fair to call it a piece of shit. I have tried wiping this machine with toilet paper and there was nothing on the paper for the effort. I will tell you what mine hasn’t done right so far.

So far, it gives you a 90% chance of giving you a crooked steering wheel and it’s always crooked to the left. The heads, somehow, never stay level no matter how tight you cinch the clamps. The numbers will change so drastically just sitting there sometimes. I’ve had to mount and remount heads numerous times to find camber or caster shift a degree or three, realign it, remount the heads because the steering wheel is crooked, and find now it’s off the same number of degrees back in the other direction. The old guy that comes in to do the repair work keep adding steps to make you feel like the machine’s dancing monkey. Some steps help, some steps are specific for how monkeys dance.

Specs! They’re never right & often not even close. I was aligning a Caravan and it told me that front camber was 1.65°. That’s pretty steep for most cars. Old fart gets another phone call. The worst part is that the machine doesn’t allow you to change any of the numbers for yourself. Any Hunter machine lets you tweak any spec you want.

Specs! Now they’re just flat out missing! Once we found the machine was giving us bad specs, we called the old fart up and he says he’s got updated software to throw in. Now we’ve lost entire generations of vehicles that have been around forever. I did an alignment on an 06 F150 that didn’t have any F150 specs in the machine from 2003 through 2010. It did have specs just for a 2004 Lightning F150. But that was it. A coworker had an 04 Suburban the next day. The machine had nothing available for Surburbans from 2000 through 2005 specs.

The software is a pain in dick to use. You have to click four buttons on the screen to get it to print once. As if the first three times isn’t enough, the fourth click is because the machine thinks you’re still not sure about printing the god damn readout. But, click the wrong button once and it wipes out the alignment taking you back to the root menu screen.

I’m really posting this as a warning for you small independent shop owners out there who are considering an alignment machine purchase. My theory with my machine is that somebody “got a deal” on it. I really encourage you to spend your money elsewhere. It’s hard to go wrong with a good Hunter alignment system. I’ve been spoiled with Hunter Hawkeye machines for a couple years prior to this job. But I’ve also suffered some antique Hunter machines that still kick monumental ass compared to this Launch machine.

I’d love to launch it alright. If the day ever comes that we get to kill that machine, we’ll either kill it with fire or redo the scene from Office Space with the printer.

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[Rick]

I feel for you brother. I’ve been spoiled with a Hunter alignment machine. If something is wrong it’s because we missed a step or we put the wrong information in the computer.

Our used car shop has something that looks like it’s from the 80’s. Thankfully I don’t have to deal with it though.

[James O’Hara]

Couple stupid things from my time at pepboys. Is the receiver locked in place and unable to move. I am not talking the reflectors on the car. Have you taken the printer off the alignment computer stand ie constant vibration and sensitive receiver.. Have you checked to make sure the alignment lift is lifting the same every time (we had this problem at our shop before). Just some things that I have seen cause this issue.

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