Alignment Frequency, /Lift Kit/Your tire size
08-18-2017, 06:04 PM
#1
Alignment Frequency, /Lift Kit/Your tire size
Hello, just curious on how often you align your tricks, do you have a lift kit and what height, and lastly what sized tires are you running.
I talked to one guy and he does his every 3,000 miles. Not sure if he's off roading every weekend but he does his own at his shop so I guess it makes sense for him.
I have heard 1x/yr and other say every 6mo.
My alignment is screwed as it at up the tread on my other tires and I need to get it done. I just had mine done but went off road and never did anything major, but got thrown off it seems.
I was at Firestone yesterday and they have a special right now, for as long as you own the vehicle, you can get an alignment as often as you'd like done for free after the 1x fee of $200. Would you purchase it? What are your thoughts?
I talked to one guy and he does his every 3,000 miles. Not sure if he's off roading every weekend but he does his own at his shop so I guess it makes sense for him.
I have heard 1x/yr and other say every 6mo.
My alignment is screwed as it at up the tread on my other tires and I need to get it done. I just had mine done but went off road and never did anything major, but got thrown off it seems.
I was at Firestone yesterday and they have a special right now, for as long as you own the vehicle, you can get an alignment as often as you'd like done for free after the 1x fee of $200. Would you purchase it? What are your thoughts?
Last edited by bb123; 08-19-2017 at 12:07 AM.
08-18-2017, 09:59 PM
#2
Senior Member
I just got mine done after having the lift on a year and enduring mostly highways and potholes of local streets. Was barely off. Hardly any adjusting. However my wheels and tires were pretty out of balance.
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bb123 (08-18-2017)
08-20-2017, 08:45 AM
#4
I put 236K miles on my 99 Expedition in 10 years ownership. I have 192K on my 2010 F150. I bought both new. Never have I had an alignment done. Tire re-balance/rotation on the F150 was necessary once on the truck. Both were/are 2wd and our roads here are good.
$200 seems high, but what do I know about alignment prices, right? How you use your truck and how long you plan to keep it will help you decide whether multiple single alignments or a lifetime alignment plan is better for you.
$200 seems high, but what do I know about alignment prices, right? How you use your truck and how long you plan to keep it will help you decide whether multiple single alignments or a lifetime alignment plan is better for you.
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bb123 (08-21-2017)
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bb123 (08-21-2017)
08-20-2017, 02:39 PM
#6
As someone who works as an automotive technician here's my input.
Lifetime alignments are a good deal but they require a few things from the customer to make sure you get what you're supposed to. They way a lifetime alignment works is you pay one flat fee and the mechanic gets paid for the first alignment, after that you pay nothing and the mechanic gets paid warranty pay or roughly half of his normal pay to do every subsequent alignment.
Because the mechanic gets paid half pay the alignments are typically good enough but won't include camber or caster adjustments or precise setting of the toe. It is also common to see guys recommend unneeded repairs that are "necessary" for them to be able to do the alignment to make up for the reduced pay. Make sure you physically see what is wrong before they replace anything and if your aren't very familiar with what something should look like as a friend or ask on the forum.
As a side note I align all my vehicles every 6 months at minimum to help keep adjustments from seizing, with all the corrosive stuff used on our roads in the winter the most time consuming part of an alignment on a customer's car is freeing up seized parts with a torch. On my F150 with camber/caster bolts installed the alignment never far off, at most it's not centered in the green or just slightly outside the green.
Lifetime alignments are a good deal but they require a few things from the customer to make sure you get what you're supposed to. They way a lifetime alignment works is you pay one flat fee and the mechanic gets paid for the first alignment, after that you pay nothing and the mechanic gets paid warranty pay or roughly half of his normal pay to do every subsequent alignment.
Because the mechanic gets paid half pay the alignments are typically good enough but won't include camber or caster adjustments or precise setting of the toe. It is also common to see guys recommend unneeded repairs that are "necessary" for them to be able to do the alignment to make up for the reduced pay. Make sure you physically see what is wrong before they replace anything and if your aren't very familiar with what something should look like as a friend or ask on the forum.
As a side note I align all my vehicles every 6 months at minimum to help keep adjustments from seizing, with all the corrosive stuff used on our roads in the winter the most time consuming part of an alignment on a customer's car is freeing up seized parts with a torch. On my F150 with camber/caster bolts installed the alignment never far off, at most it's not centered in the green or just slightly outside the green.
Last edited by SALEEN961; 08-20-2017 at 02:52 PM.
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bb123 (08-21-2017)
08-20-2017, 10:29 PM
#7
Senior Member
hibdon sells a lifetime alignment for like 200
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bb123 (08-21-2017)
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08-21-2017, 01:18 AM
#8
The alignment is through Firestone and can go to any in the country. That's the main reason I got it as I don't my plan on getting rid of the truck anytime soon.
08-21-2017, 01:20 AM
#9
08-21-2017, 01:42 AM
#10
I put 236K miles on my 99 Expedition in 10 years ownership. I have 192K on my 2010 F150. I bought both new. Never have I had an alignment done. Tire re-balance/rotation on the F150 was necessary once on the truck. Both were/are 2wd and our roads here are good.
$200 seems high, but what do I know about alignment prices, right? How you use your truck and how long you plan to keep it will help you decide whether multiple single alignments or a lifetime alignment plan is better for you.
$200 seems high, but what do I know about alignment prices, right? How you use your truck and how long you plan to keep it will help you decide whether multiple single alignments or a lifetime alignment plan is better for you.
Needless to say, the new motor blew a plug about 3yrs later. I had a guy who said it's a common problem during his 30yrs as a Ford Mechanic who owned "BlownOutsparkplug.com". He stated that the specs from the factory are wrong and the plugs work themselves look for not being torqued down enough and not having enough threads on the head for specific models and years.
Anyways, he fixed it and it never happened again.
But I plan to stay on everything for this truck and do it long before they recommend anything.
Tranny flush is recommended at 150k but I can't wrap my head around that so I'm doing it at 80k. Plugs were at 100k and I did them at 70k.
So far so good. Had an issue with a window dropping and the rear window not working but been good with everything else.
