5100 ALignment Question

Ok so I got my 5100's from DSM today. A whole day ahead of schedule! +1 for great service to them. But anyway. Due to my work schedule its gonna be really hard to install the shocks, wheels and tires and get it aligned all in one day. And also my rims and tires don't come in till friday. So here's the question. Would it be a good idea to go ahead and install the shocks at 2.5 like I want and get it aligned with the stock wheel/tire combo then come back with the 285's and new rims over the weekend or will the 285's not align at all like the 265's? Thanks for any input in advance. Ya'll have been really helpful so far!

 

Wheel size affects alignment. Get everything on, then align.

 

Dangit....ok well how bout this. Its hard to explain why im going to have to do the lift and tires separate. But how bout i put the 5100's on with the stock tires and kinda do a frontyard alignment which i've done before with a few of my friends on a mud truck that it didn't really matter on. Would that be ok to ride on for a few days, no more than 5, until I can take it to get aligned with the new rims/tires on it?

 

What's "ok" depends on how much you're willing to risk. Will you die? Probably not. Could you chew your tires to shit in a few days? Yeah.

Nobody you can borrow a beater from for a few days?

 

Nope, not unless I wanna borrow my buddy's 85 K5 Blazer thats sittin on 44's and gets about 3 miles to the gallon lol. This was the rig that the aforementioned frontyard alignment was done on. With the miles I drive everyday I figure it would cost me about $150 in gas and half the tread on his boggers for 3 or 4 days worth of drivin lol. I can get the toe really close its just camber that I can't get perfect in the yard. I mean the tires on it now are shot anyway so its not like im losin anything

 

I think getting the 5100's installed, and then getting an alignment right afterwards is a bad idea. After I installed mine the truck sat at about 3.5" higher then stock for like two days before it settled to 2.6". You won't get a proper alignment that way. I say install, and wait for it to settle, then throw on the new wheels/ tires, then get it aligned. Just my $0.02.

 

If the tires are shot, then who cares? Drive around with the alignment fucked up until you go to get your new tires put on. Just be sure you can handle the vehicle safely.

 

Good point about the settling. Didn't think about that. I just didn't want to be ridin crooked on my brand new rubber. I don't wanna get em wore all wopsided before they get aligned so I may give it a good yard alignment then get it done proffesionally again in a few days. Also I'm puttin on some 16x8 XD Hoss with 4.5" BS. Do ya'll think im gonna have trouble with the studs being too short? I've hit a couple threads on here where ppl had that problem.

 

Get the firestone lifetime alingment- And then you can get it aligned as many times as you want...

 

ok now i am concerned, did billy's at 1.75...two days later got alignment...then had rims/tires installed today. I went from 265/70-16 to 265/75-16. Should i be concerned and get another alignment for a minor change in tire size?

 

I thought I'd heard some people on here say that the Firestone alignment sucked?

 

x2
I got the same advice from the place who'll be doing my alignment. Let the suspension settle for a week and then do tires and alignment.

 

They might give you a ahrd time about the truck being lifted- so ask them if that'll be a problem before you pay for it.

But an alignment is an alignment. Once they bring the truck into spec and it tracks straight- There isn't much more you can do unless you are trying to race tune suspension. If you are going fr the race tune- I wouldn't use Firestone...but they have done fine by me.

 

I don't think there would be any way my truck would have aligned if it were at 3.5" higher in the front then stock. I'm pretty sure if you got it aligned, and then it settled the specs would be off if you went back later. Going the Firestone route would be okay, but we don't get those offered here in Canada. Hell, my one alignment cost me $150...

 

I wouldn't go the Firestone route. Tried that many years ago on another vehicle. Got the initial alignment and all was ok. Went back less than a year later and they said they couldn't align it because of a bent control arm or something. No accidents, potholes or major railroad tracks. Nothing that would have bent anything. They just didn't want to follow through. Next time I went to change the front pads it took a 6 foot cheater pipe on a T-wrench to loosen the lugs. Won't deal with Firestone anymore.

 

I'll see about using them its just the closest one to me is 60 miles away. We have a tire shop in the next town over thats done my alignments before and always done a good job so its probably goin to him. My concern is if i put everything on at once and yard align it how bad will it wear my shiny new bfg's in lets say a week or so? probably put 150 to 200 miles on em. I mean if the camber and toe is close it shouldn't be bad should it? BTW my tires are comin tomorow so i may be able to put everything on tomorow night or thursday

 

And bump for one of my previous questions. What about my studs possibly being too short? Any input?