Because we all love Dealer service disasters

The Total toe changed from before and after so either they did adjust it or they tweaked the alignment heads a hair to get the number to change …

 

Where are you seeing on the printout that shows toe was not adjusted?

Looks to me like right front was at .12 and left front was at -.04, afterwards they were both at .02

The steer ahead was out, now its centered..

 

I think what he is saying is that the TOE was not adjusted because there were no tool marks on the tie rods. It seems to be a blind accusation against the tech. I wasn’t there and I understand the grief or doubt but I also don’t believe this to be highway robbery.

Dealer techs don’t even see half of the labor rate and most of the time it is about 30-40%. Whatever the FSM calls for time on the job in hours is what the job gets billed. If a tech cranks through a 2 hour job in one hour they make an extra hour. This is how techs make any money working under the franchise tag. I think over time in lieu of a “raise” some find ways to cut corners. It sounds like this is the seed of doubt.

Maybe the tech already knew 2.0 degrees is maxed out for OEM LCAs without adjustable uppers. Maybe the tech did adjust the toe. Sucks I get it but unless you see it then I also don’t think it is fair to judge.

“Free” checks are always great advertising ploys. Tons of people don’t know shit about their vehicles and trust others to tell them when something is wrong. I think the poorly advertised part just depends if you are the windshield or the big. The more you know always seems to work out better than blind trust.

And yes, I just had my seventeenth alignment done at Firestone two days ago. I knew I was keeping the truck. I knew I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I have my own balancer and changer and knew I would take full advantage of the lifetime warranty.

 

Why aren't you doing the alignment yourself? Just confused, few years back you were an ASE certified laser alignment expert?

 

not OP, but I love when folks think they’ll get lifetime alignments for some cheap price like $200, and then complain. I mean you divide that by 3-5 alignments, and you’re in for $50 per,, well that’s the amount of work they’re going to do.

 

Total toe stayed the same.

They turned the wheel, saved before, straightened it, and printed as completed.



So what I do is give customers there money's worth. I f' up every alignment before it gets on the rack.

I max camber on all the FWD platforms, free up tie rods, then do the alignment. All the V6 FWD's sit in the red for camber if you don't bump it first.

On the trucks I free up eccentrics, un seize tie rods. I don't raise the caster beyond spec unless lifted or requested.

 

DIY is how I do it. And I'm no ASE-Certified anything, I'm just someone with enough interest to read about how to do it.
(Too many people that think this shit is rocket science or something.)

I started DIYing long ago after much frustration trying to get a Ford with the twin-beam suspension aligned by several shops.
I brushed up on the various alignment parameters, added a degree of caster to the passenger side (it was pulling to the right)... Problem solved (in the case with the Ford, you have to change out an adjustment bushing (it doesn't have cam bolts), which I guess too many techs were either too lazy to do, or maybe don't know how to do).

Ever since then, I've DIY'ed all my vehicles now.
For me it's a much less aggravating (and also rewarding) experience. YMMV.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-do-an-alignment-at-home.252256/

 

@Sungod
I get it now. I didn’t see the zero balance before. Yeah, my bad. This is just fucked up in multiple ways. All in all, I have had good luck with my Firestone techs for alignments though. The younger kids have been pretty sharp and on it. I have walked away from a few shops before though.

 

Service Managers usually dont know anything about cars..or at least the last 20 thats been here didnt......

 

Still waiting for the disaster....