1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass four wheel alignment

SQUTIEPIE2

MEMBER
1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS
250,000 MILES

For a four wheel alignment do you have to drill out the front strut plate? Do the holes have to be oval on the front and rear camber? Because my car has round holes and the mechanic told us that the holes would have to be ovaled out in order to do the four wheel alignment.

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,871 POSTS

Your mechanic is right but it's not the upper mounting plate. It's one of the two lower strut mounting holes that GM didn't think ahead to make adjustable. When camber adjustment is needed your mechanic has to elongate one hole in each strut. Given the age of the car it is likely that has been done already during a previous alignment. Also, most aftermarket replacement struts already come with one hole elongated.

If you want the best possible alignment your mechanic can also install cam bolts. Those cause very precise changes in camber as the bolt is slowly turned one way or the other. All Chrysler products used to come with those installed at the factory and it made setting each wheel real easy and accurate. You do not NEED those special bolts but without them the mechanic will only be able to get each wheel "close enough". If that's good enough for you, that's okay. As an alignment specialist who always tried to give my customers the best alignment possible, "good enough" isn't good enough.