What A Day

"Denver Is Stuck In The 90s" (denver80222)
06/20/2015 at 22:56 • Filed to: None

I got my front shocks installed. I was gonna do the rear but after a few trips to oreillys to grab some tools and jackstands that I didnt realize I needed originally there was no time (I knew I needed the jackstands, it was the random tools I found out I needed along the way) . In the middle of putting my shocks in I needed to go get a haircut, so I took the odyssey. I forgot how great torque steer was. Anyway while I was getting a haircut, my truck sat in front of my house looking like this:

Cone For Safety! (Actually if people were to take a left turn from the northern direction on to my block, my truck is nearly invisible, thats why the cone)

I also need my truck to get me to work tomorrow. Im off M-W though, I think I’ll do the rear on Monday. My brother insisted on helping. I could have done it without him, but he was invaluable in this instance. It rides so much nicer now, after I do the rear it should drive like new. After the shocks were done I went for a drive around town (and over a few speed bumps, hehe) and took some photos. This was the best one:

I got a look at my old shocks... Made in the USA Motorcraft parts. They were definetly original. That makes them 21 years and 110,xxx miles old. I think they were a bit overdue for replacement.

I also got a look at my tie rod ends. Both boots have ruptured. So those are next on my list. Im trying to have my parents get me the $189.99 Firestone lifetime alignment package for my birthday (which is in less than 2 mos), so hopefully I can do the tie rod ends then get an alignment done, then get free alignments for as long as I own the truck. Which if things go my way, will be as long as Im alive.

DISCUSSION (18)

Party-vi > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/20/2015 at 23:12

The last time I got an alignment that cost $190, it was at a shop that also worked on race cars. That is nuts for an alignment.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Party-vi
06/20/2015 at 23:14

But after paying 190, its free forever

Big Bubba Ray > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/20/2015 at 23:15

The cone on the roof is hilarious haha

PushToStart > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/20/2015 at 23:18

Is it forever for you and any car you take in, or forever for the truck as long as you own it?

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Big Bubba Ray
06/20/2015 at 23:18

I think its a thing that truck bros do. I just wanted my truck to be visible without running the battery down with the hazards.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > PushToStart
06/20/2015 at 23:19

Forever for my truck as long as I own it. The PO did it, I have records that say he payed 190, then every 6 mos free alignments for years after that.

HammerheadFistpunch > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/20/2015 at 23:19

I advise against the firestone alignment deal. I had a good long talk with a firestone manager once and he told me about how he hates working for them because its common practice in the many stores he’s worked for to fake the alignment. I found this out after trying 2 other firestones to get my alignment done. It wasn’t taking and I found out, courtesy of my new friend, that whats typically done is that they get the vehicle on the machine and sit on it until it reads right. He noted that he’d personally fired 2 people in his shop for doing it. I should also point out that his alignment worked for me. Also, since you only need front alignment, its a waste to get lifetime alignment because a front only alignment isn’t that much and it wont be needed that often.

Party-vi > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/20/2015 at 23:22

I’ve had 5 alignments done on three cars over a total of 9 years. Still seems like an s-ton of money, but if you can get them every 6 months I suppose that’s a good idea.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > HammerheadFistpunch
06/20/2015 at 23:25

But I have to (slowly) redo my entire front end. And every time I replace a part I’d need an alignment. Here’s my list of things that need to be done to the front end:

Radius Arms

Radius Arm Mounts

Springs

Pretty much every bushing

Tie Rod Ends

Sway Bar

Sway Bar End Links

Pitman Arm

Steering box

Power Steering Pump

Not all these things need replacing immediately, but their replacement is on the horizon. The alignment package should pay for itself in a couple years with these repairs in mind. I can deal with people not doing their job if its free. I still take my truck to discount for balancing and rotations, I hate them but free is free. As long as it gets done right in the long run, I could care less how much hassle a free service is.

HammerheadFistpunch > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/20/2015 at 23:46

Well, but my point is that the “alignment” they do isnt anything, they just trick the machine into reading right, in my case they hadnt even loosened the bolts. Just do it once a year and live with off alignment the times you are between

PushToStart > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/20/2015 at 23:47

“I could care less about how much hassle a free service is”

“I can deal with people not doing their job if it’s free.”

It's not free though. You're paying $190 for it. Sure, the more you go, the less expensive each service will be (Cost/Times the truck is serviced) but if you're paying for them to do something, you should expect them to do it. That's a pretty careless outlook on that subject if you ask me...

MM54 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/21/2015 at 13:16

A couple years ago I found my car in a similarly coned-state, although it was never determined who did it.

Kinja'd!!!

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Party-vi
06/21/2015 at 19:13

Considering how much work I’ll eventually have to do to the front end, it may be worth it. But I may have to look into HHFP’s claims of them not doing squat

Jonathan Harper > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/21/2015 at 19:20

Kinja'd!!!

JGrabowMSt > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/21/2015 at 20:10

There’s a local shop by me that charges $60 for an alignment. I’m having poly bushings stuck in everywhere, so they can’t tear or go bad, at worst an end link can go bad for the sway bar. You should only have to do alignments a single time. If you’re going back and doing it again and again, and they’re finding it’s out, your bushings are bad or frame is bent. It’s a terrible deal, don’t do it. Learn how to measure it yourself and you can get your own tools to do a basic alignment and do the X pattern in your driveway for a close enough track. The only time you should go in for a computer alignment is when you’re noticing really abnormal tire wear, otherwise, drive the piss out of it until something breaks again. Also, I’d never trust a name brand store to do a true alignment, I would specifically go to either a custom shop or an indy tire shop, because if it’s off, I can go in and argue with them, then their reputation goes on the line. A name brand tire shop? They give you the runaround until you give up. That said, I do have a full set of Firestone Firehawks on my car, but I went through tire rack for that because the deal was way too good to pass up ($650 for a full set of 225/60R18s is a good deal).

If I find a good tutorial on the X method, I’ll post it. There are plenty of tutorials, but I don’t have the parts myself to make one that covers everything really well. You can buy special plates just for it (not that expensive) two tape measures, a calculator, and a piece of paper + pen will get your car aligned so that at the minimum, it tracks straight. Nothing can replace a good alignment and balance, but you should also make sure that it’s done by a really good tech that knows their shit inside out and backwards. The mechanic that works on the SL, he can balance a tire to within a single unit of measure (because that’s as good as it gets actually).

Either way, don’t waste your money on a garbage deal. Alignments should not be done often anyway, so a lifetime alignment deal is just a gimmick for old people with crappy cars.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > JGrabowMSt
06/21/2015 at 20:20

Thanks! I hope to do as much as I can myself on my truck. I didnt realize it was possible to do an alignment myself. If you find a tutorial Id definitely be interested.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
06/22/2015 at 11:23

Discount tire has free balance and rotations?

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
06/22/2015 at 12:45

Yup