Alignment Service Question

Not on my Tacoma, but on my Rav4 I just got 4 new snow tires and an alignment performed at a Firestone service center. They did a good job on the tires, as there are no new marks on the aftermarket rims and they seem balanced properly the first time.

On the alignment (which is Hunter target laser alignment) though, the right front camber adjustment was brought back into spec by only 0.1 degree, but it was only originally 'out' by 0.1 degree. (No mods at all to this suspension.) So the camber adjustment was only nudged back into spec. On top of that - I checked the tire pressures 3 hours after letting the car sit - the front right tire was 35 psi while the others were 32 to 33 psi. Do I have any latitude to go back and argue for them to redo the alignment at no charge? Shouldn't they be setting the alignment back into the center of the tolerance range rather than setting it at the end of tolerance?

 

If they set the camber back to the low end they did you a favor. These trucks wear tires less at the lower settings.

 

They're only required to get it "in spec" to have done their job. Their hope is that most need nothing or just a "toe and go" alignment. Take your vehicles to a real alignment shop to get the numbers you want.

 

2 or 3 psi difference (or even more) in tire pressure is insignificant during the alignment process. Modern laser alignment racks are calibrated ("zeroed-out") during the initial setup of the wheel mounted targets; after the targets are mounted the operator forcess the steering lock-to-lock and the alignment computer compensates for slight differences in the vehicle's stance...