DIY Front Subframe alignment. Do I have the right idea?

[Charles.waite]

Just stick some iron plumbing pipe in the holes and weld in on. You’ll never have subframe alignment issues again!

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Right, there is nothing in those holes, they are only for alignment purposes. Also no need to loosen any motor mounts.

Thanks for confirming. I guess "step 1" of this process could be simply checking the sub-frame alignment with the lug wrenches. If the pipe passes through all three holes, don't even bother with loosening the sub-frame bolts, it's already aligned!

[old guy]

Thanks for confirming. I guess "step 1" of this process could be simply checking the sub-frame alignment with the lug wrenches. If the pipe passes through all three holes, don't even bother with loosening the sub-frame bolts, it's already aligned!

The whole purpose of aligning the front subframe is to center the camber. So before you do anything to the subframe you need to check your camber on both sides and determine if:

1) You even need to center it.

2) if so, how much does it need to shift?

You can easily check the camber with a level spot of ground, a framing square, a tape measure or calipers and an angle calculator. If you have a set of calipers you can get it really close. Centering the subframe on the body doesn't necessarily center the camber. Get the camber centered and then proceed with the rest of the alignment.

[Silv3r]

Is it possible to move/change the aligment of the front subframe in Audi S5 2009?

I have untightened everything that I could but still was not able to move the subframe :(

My subframe:

Wysłane z mojego SM-G950F przy użyciu Tapatalka

[cleoo]

Youtube: Audi VW Tool 3393 How to align front subframe Audi A4 B7 by Figure It Audi

https://youtu.be/GigBps_Ijz8

This youtube video was pretty handy even though it’s for a B7.

ECSTuning sells the B6/B7 alignment tool 3393 for $35 on ebay.

I used all of the tools below to get the subframe aligned:

The two factory tire irons are a very tight fit into the alignment holes. No wiggle room.

The 3/8” Harbor Freight breaker bar has a tapered end that you can use to move the holes into alignment.





1. Put front wheels on ramps
2. Loosened (6) 18mm subframe bolts
3. Place jack under oil pan with a wood block
4. Aligned the holes using the above tools
5. Torqued front (4) subframe bolts to 55 ft/lbs*
6. Torqued rear (2) subframe bolts to 81 ft/lbs*
* I didn’t replace these with NEW torque to yield bolts otherwise I’d add another 1/4 turn to it.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Thanks for bumping this thread with pics. Here's what I'm unclear about.... I was under the impression that using a couple factory lug wrenches replaces the need for the ECS 3393 tools. Is that correct, or do you need both? (i.e all four centering tools)

[cleoo]

Yeah, you can just use the tire wrenches.

I had bought the 3393 alignment tool after I saw the YT video and then I reread this post and tried the tire irons just to see if they would fit for people to see how they work.

When I just used the 3393 the first time by itself, going by the YT video, the holes didn’t line up properly and were actually at an angle—bad caster.

I redid the alignment a second time, the breaker bar helped a lot to put the holes more in alignment and then I just checked with the 3393 and the tire irons.

Using the tire iron you can definitely see if the holes are perpendicular to the ground. The tolerances are so tight that if it doesn’t fit then you’re alignment is still off.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Yeah, you can just use the tire wrenches.

Using the tire iron you can definitely see if the holes are perpendicular to the ground. The tolerances are so tight that if it doesn’t fit then you’re alignment is still off.

Thanks for the clarification. I'd suggest that the first step - one that you should be able to easily do any time you're under the car doing an oil change - is to check the alignment but simply trying to insert the lug wrenches without loosening anything. If they fit, and are perpendicular to the ground, you're done.

[Kevin C]

The whole purpose of aligning the front subframe is to center the camber. So before you do anything to the subframe you need to check your camber on both sides and determine if:

1) You even need to center it.

2) if so, how much does it need to shift?

You can easily check the camber with a level spot of ground, a framing square, a tape measure or calipers and an angle calculator. If you have a set of calipers you can get it really close. Centering the subframe on the body doesn't necessarily center the camber. Get the camber centered and then proceed with the rest of the alignment.

Important point.... Centering the subframe matters if you had yours out and need to get to a baseline position or you have to even out the camber.

[cleoo]

Not sure how OG set that up. A picture of how to set it up would be helpful to me. I have a different interpretation than what OG would do.

[Spike00513]

Youtube: Audi VW Tool 3393 How to align front subframe Audi A4 B7 by Figure It Audi

https://youtu.be/GigBps_Ijz8

This youtube video was pretty handy even though it’s for a B7.

ECSTuning sells the B6/B7 alignment tool 3393 for $35 on ebay.

I used all of the tools below to get the subframe aligned:

The two factory tire irons are a very tight fit into the alignment holes. No wiggle room.

The 3/8” Harbor Freight breaker bar has a tapered end that you can use to move the holes into alignment.





1. Put front wheels on ramps
2. Loosened (6) 18mm subframe bolts
3. Place jack under oil pan with a wood block
4. Aligned the holes using the above tools
5. Torqued front (4) subframe bolts to 55 ft/lbs*
6. Torqued rear (2) subframe bolts to 81 ft/lbs*
* I didn’t replace these with NEW torque to yield bolts otherwise I’d add another 1/4 turn to it.

how would you know it's centered if you didn't measure camber

[Kevin C]

One scenario. You have dropped your subframe to put in new bushings. You bolt it back up and use the alignment tools ton center it. You take it in and get an alignment at a good shop. The camber is different left to right, they shift the subframe over to even it out. Messing with it after that messes up your alignment. The procedure is outlined in the FSM.

[cleoo]

I still have to take it to an alignment shop.

Before I found this post, I had terrible wear on the inner part of the tire. The alignment shop where I have lifetime alignment couldn’t get the camber corrected and they mentioned something about the subframe being off. So here I am...

[Charles.waite]

Lifetime aignment, so… Firestone? They’re the laziest bastards ever and definitely won’t take the extra 30 minutes to center the subframe because they’re paid by the job not by the hour and 2 the subframe bolts are one time use and they’re never going to have b6/7 subframe bolts in stock.

I have Firestone lifetime alignment on my b7 and I’m not going to use anymore it if only because their work is sloppy and they don’t really make an effort to do it right, just “within spec, barely”