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Thank you!
Got an alignment help me understand
- Thread starter redhat
- Start date
interesting results..
I'll pass this information on, that I really did not believe, until after about 7 or more alignments over the years, and replacing the whole front end of the car..
EVEN SLIGHT BENTS in the rims can cause a OFF CENTER wheel! I had a "drift" or "Bias" pull to the right, that I would have to "correct" by slightly turning into the left... but never had any weird tire wear...
I "knew" a couple of the rims were far from perfect, but never had any "BAD" vibrations or anything...
LONG story short, in an unexpected side effect of newer OEM Kia 17 inch winter rims, is now the rims are "round" the car tracks arrow straight.
One last thing also is the REAR alignment spec can also cause a off center wheel..
These are just my observations over time trying to correct the off center wheel, and the H/K cars are just a little harder to get "perfect", as even from the factory spec there is a super slight right bias pull..
I'll pass this information on, that I really did not believe, until after about 7 or more alignments over the years, and replacing the whole front end of the car..
EVEN SLIGHT BENTS in the rims can cause a OFF CENTER wheel! I had a "drift" or "Bias" pull to the right, that I would have to "correct" by slightly turning into the left... but never had any weird tire wear...
I "knew" a couple of the rims were far from perfect, but never had any "BAD" vibrations or anything...
LONG story short, in an unexpected side effect of newer OEM Kia 17 inch winter rims, is now the rims are "round" the car tracks arrow straight.
One last thing also is the REAR alignment spec can also cause a off center wheel..
These are just my observations over time trying to correct the off center wheel, and the H/K cars are just a little harder to get "perfect", as even from the factory spec there is a super slight right bias pull..
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- Dec 7, 2012
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Got under the Tahoe today to see if my camber/caster adjustments were maxed out.
What I did notice was there was not one wrench mark on any of the bolts or any of the jamb nuts of the tie rods.
They didn’t adjust a thing.
To add insult to injury, that day at Firestone, I went out to my truck and it was littered with grease. Had to spend an hour cleaning the grease off of everything… I keep this heap SPOTLESS inside.
Makes you angry.
This mat was spotless black clean. I could understand some dirt but the prints on the trim is also rediculuous.
What I did notice was there was not one wrench mark on any of the bolts or any of the jamb nuts of the tie rods.
They didn’t adjust a thing.
To add insult to injury, that day at Firestone, I went out to my truck and it was littered with grease. Had to spend an hour cleaning the grease off of everything… I keep this heap SPOTLESS inside.
Makes you angry.
This mat was spotless black clean. I could understand some dirt but the prints on the trim is also rediculuous.
Lesson for today
Firestone sells lifetime alignments to get the customer back into the business. Once the customer comes back for another alignment, the trap is sprung. They try and sell all sorts of things that are not needed. It’s nothing more than a sophisticated scam.
Yup, any change in the alignment was accomplished by Machine calibration or someone hanging on the bumper.
Go somewhere better. Realistically dealers are usually pretty decent at this.
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It was hilarious when I looked, cause to be honest, my truck is so caked in grease, undercoating, etc... you'd remove 1/8" worth of crud if you put a wrench on the cams.
Untouched lol.
The before and after doesn’t suggest they did anything at all. I would not go back there again for an alignment. I would not make a blanket, “I will never…” statement here for other work, because sometimes Firestone is the right place to go - I have used one here many times … for specific “easy” things like U-joints or bearings I didn’t want to mess with, or dealing with older vehicles I wasn’t picky about. They provide the level of care appropriate for my older beaters - old Jeep, old chrysler minivan, Volvo needing basic AC service. But when I got picky, id find another place.
NTB and one of the local ford dealers have done the best alignments I’ve had around here.
NTB and one of the local ford dealers have done the best alignments I’ve had around here.
“I don’t know much more of this “Free Lifetime Alignment” I’ll go for. Just don’t seem worth it.”
Don’t waste your time with the Firestone Store. Dust yourself off and don’t grace them with your presence.
If you like Bridgestone or Firestone tires, you can purchase them elsewhere.
Don’t waste your time with the Firestone Store. Dust yourself off and don’t grace them with your presence.
If you like Bridgestone or Firestone tires, you can purchase them elsewhere.
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Agreed. I am not a huge fan of their tires so big chance I’ll never be to one again. I don’t hate Bridgestone but nothing they have I love that much.
Like my Duratracs and the Goodyear Eagle tires. Also a big fan of General and Continental.
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Couple updates.
This past Wednesday, Thursday and part of Friday, I put some new parts into the Tahoe. Kept thinking if I am going to pay the dealer to align it, I want them to be able to align it. I bought brand new Mevotech TTX upper control arms, MOOG greaseable camber/caster bolts+shims, outer tie rods and some ACDelco Gold inner tie rods. While looking at my camber/caster adjustments on my truck previously (while noticing they weren't touched), I noticed they were adjusted all-the-way. So it got me thinking... maybe I have a lot of wear here and we do need a replacement.
So I went ahead and changed all those parts. I did find two of the cam bolts on each side were seized into the control arm bushing. So I do not know how anyone would have aligned this anyways. The bushings were cracked and falling apart. It was good to change them. I do not recall when inner tie rods were ever changed on this truck (been in family since 170k so maybe 150k at least?). Outers... I'm not doing inners and not, not doing outers.
The one inner tie rod fought me... I ended up buying an inner tie rod tool from Harbor Freight. Good tool to have... it worked very well.
Fast forward to today.
Visited West-Herr Chevrolet of Orchard Park. Appointment for 8am. Took the "close as I could get but probably very unaligned" Tahoe through the car wash to clean the snow and stuff off of it on my way through. Figured it be more pleasant than a snowy mess melting on a tech while they're working.
Pulled up to the door a few minutes before 8am. Door opened and a service advisor almost immediately came out, checked me in, took my keys and directed me to the waiting room. Watched Al Roker on the TV and had some coffee from this 35-in-1 Keurig-branded "appliance". Coffee sucked. Oh well.
Waited about an hour. Another service advisor/writer came up to me and told me I was all set. Said it went well, everything aligned real well, and commented on a lot of new parts in the truck. I paid around $185 with tax.
I left the dealer and the truck drives great. Steering wheel is straight, handles the road well, no tire noise, I am very pleased.
With the pretty quick time it took, end results being great and overall pleasantness... well worth the extra cost than dealing with the jokers at Firestone. I am pleased.
This past Wednesday, Thursday and part of Friday, I put some new parts into the Tahoe. Kept thinking if I am going to pay the dealer to align it, I want them to be able to align it. I bought brand new Mevotech TTX upper control arms, MOOG greaseable camber/caster bolts+shims, outer tie rods and some ACDelco Gold inner tie rods. While looking at my camber/caster adjustments on my truck previously (while noticing they weren't touched), I noticed they were adjusted all-the-way. So it got me thinking... maybe I have a lot of wear here and we do need a replacement.
So I went ahead and changed all those parts. I did find two of the cam bolts on each side were seized into the control arm bushing. So I do not know how anyone would have aligned this anyways. The bushings were cracked and falling apart. It was good to change them. I do not recall when inner tie rods were ever changed on this truck (been in family since 170k so maybe 150k at least?). Outers... I'm not doing inners and not, not doing outers.
The one inner tie rod fought me... I ended up buying an inner tie rod tool from Harbor Freight. Good tool to have... it worked very well.
Fast forward to today.
Visited West-Herr Chevrolet of Orchard Park. Appointment for 8am. Took the "close as I could get but probably very unaligned" Tahoe through the car wash to clean the snow and stuff off of it on my way through. Figured it be more pleasant than a snowy mess melting on a tech while they're working.
Pulled up to the door a few minutes before 8am. Door opened and a service advisor almost immediately came out, checked me in, took my keys and directed me to the waiting room. Watched Al Roker on the TV and had some coffee from this 35-in-1 Keurig-branded "appliance". Coffee sucked. Oh well.
Waited about an hour. Another service advisor/writer came up to me and told me I was all set. Said it went well, everything aligned real well, and commented on a lot of new parts in the truck. I paid around $185 with tax.
I left the dealer and the truck drives great. Steering wheel is straight, handles the road well, no tire noise, I am very pleased.
With the pretty quick time it took, end results being great and overall pleasantness... well worth the extra cost than dealing with the jokers at Firestone. I am pleased.
Bad control arms can cause this issue.
It will be fine on the machine.
When you start driving the suspension shifts and steering wheel is off centre again.
If you didn't replace those parts you might have the same problem at Chevy. Would they tell you to replace the correct suspension part or blame the shock? I don't know.
It will be fine on the machine.
When you start driving the suspension shifts and steering wheel is off centre again.
If you didn't replace those parts you might have the same problem at Chevy. Would they tell you to replace the correct suspension part or blame the shock? I don't know.
