Recommendation for a good alignment shop?

Hi,

I am installing SPC UCAs this weekend, and want to get alignment for max clearance. After some research (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...driving-report-with-light-racing-ucas.158795/), believe that I will be aiming for 0 camber, 0 toe, 3ish caster.

The thread linked above has many horror stories of Firestone refusing to do caster outside of factory specs. Did anyone have this issue? I would prefer Firestone (ideally Denver Firestone), because I can also buy the lifetime alignment in one go, but could look elsewhere.

Toytec has next available alignment 3 weeks out, and my install in this weekend, so that won't work.

Any thoughts on Firestone (will they do it?), or other alignment shops, or anything on this topic?

UPDATE:
Firestone: Will not do custom alignment work outside factory specs, so moved on.
Toy Car Car: Will not go outside factory spec, so moved on.
RSG Alignment: $125
Brake Plus: $69 + potential extra labor depending on the job (~$20-$30).
High Country Performance: $159
Lil B's: Currently closed, but recommended RSG
Toytec: $100, but 3 week wait
4WP: $90.

 

Brakes Plus on 1300E 10400N has done great for me. Been using them for 3 years now with lifted alignments.

 

I have a custom front end & totally replaced my suspension in the last couple of years. I got tired of seeing 4 wheel alignment bills of $80 each time. If I go out wheeling the next week & F something up... another $80. Then on here or the 4Runner side someone told me about the Firestone $200 lifetime warranty. Soooooo glad I went that route. It paid for itself twice over the summer of 2019. Also, at least at the shop I go to, they don't treat me like I'm a waste of their time because of some corporate franchise contract. It's more like I'm a member of their secret club. (Shhhhhh....here's where we keep the remote for the TV, the full Kuerig selection is in that cabinet & if you push these 2 buttons at the same time as you put money in the candy machine it'll drop a Hershey bar with whatever else you wanted. Shhhhhh)

 

Toy Car Care
6844 S Potomac St
Centennial, CO

 

So I just got off the phone with Firestone, and unfortunately they won't align outside of factory spec. I am trying to ride with at least 3.0 caster for maximum tire clearance, which will need higher caster.

Else, I would definitely go to them.

 

To update: After calling around,

Firestone: Will not do custom alignment work outside factory specs, so moved on.
Toy Car Car: Will not go outside factory spec, so moved on.
RSG Alignment: $125
Brake Plus: $69 + potential extra labor depending on the job (~$20-$30).
High Country Performance: $159
Lil B's: Currently closed, but recommended RSG
Toytec: $100, but 3 week wait
4WP: $90.


I decided to go with 4WP for the first alignment after installing my coilovers and UCAs, so I am at a good starting point. May consider Firestone for their lifetime alignment down the future if I learn I don't need 3.0+ caster to fit the tires I want.

 

I love HCP, but they're always so expensive!

 

What are your numbers when you get aligned at FS? I’d love to do the lifetime. Used them on previous cars, and it’s so worth it.

But based on TW 0/0/3 seems to be the golden alignment. However, Toyota max caster spec is 2.5, and FS won’t do it.

 

Reviving an old thread - anyone used Tires Plus in Thornton?

 

I actually had a harder time getting high country to go out of spec than the 2 Firestone stores I've had align my truck.

The Firestone on S. Parker in Parker has always done a decent job and the lifetime alignment is worth it.

I found when asking around saying "I need 3 degrees of caster because I installed new control arms/larger tires" will do better than "Will you align out of factory specs?"

 

I have not. I buy my tires from Discount tire direct & they always help me @ the Englewood Discount Tire. Free patches & air checks since I buy my tires from them. I’d recommend using them any day

 

I don't get it. If you pay a man and tell him "make it 3 degrees, I will be OK with that" then they can turn the 26mm wrench (or whatever size it is) on the bolt head until the number on the machine reads 3.
End of story. Not that hard or complicated.

What I would wonder is how to find a balance with the other numbers. What margin they can be adjusted to. And what they should be set to. Well toe probably close to 0.
I'm guessing camber close to 0 too or -1deg. And the same on both sides so one doesn't overpower the other side causing a pull

 

The standard answer from a shop seems to be the generic "liability" excuse I think they use to actually avoid difficult work or difficult customers. I think the chains like to do more toe and go than actual alignments so when someone calls asking for specific stuff they get wary. The Firestone I go to has had the same guy for at least the two years I've been bringing my truck there and the first time I brought it there he came out and asked if I had the spec sheet for torque on the SPC arms which let me know he at least was willing to pretend to care.

I decided to go to High Country because I wanted to see if there was a difference and they're right across from work. They made my 33 pizza cutters rub, which Firestone never did. To their credit they took it right back to fix it and they eventually got it perfect, but it wasn't the seamless experience I was expecting from a "dedicated" 4x4 shop.

 

I work in Englewood & for years I lived @ Avana on the Platte. I had a killer view of the mountains & HCP 4x4. I was going to get them to install my toytec stuff but it was super expensive & they weren’t keen on doing things the way I wanted. Awesome guys, but even if I had a jeep I wouldn’t go there. $1,800 for lift install is crazy...4 week wait time for my appt too. Even the stealership was cheaper...

 

Gonna add onto this thread. I know a lot of people try to get as much caster as they can but I’m not trying to squish massive tires in my wheel well. I just have 32s.

These are the specs an alignment shop got mine too but I feel like they could be better. I put some coilovers in and right now it’s about 1.5” up in the front.

The Toe isn’t bad and the caster isn’t horrible but I feel like having .15 camber on one side and .93 on the other is kind of drastic. What do y’all think? Should I just ride it out and get another alignment when I lift the rear in a couple weeks?

Goal would try and get Toe : 0, Camber : 0 and Caster to 2-2.5.

 

Big O Tire off arapaho rd in centennial has always done mine, and will align outside factory specs. They used the specs that came with my total chaos uca's.

Also always double check 4WP work. I do all my own work now, but the first lift i ever had installed was at 4WP in Denver, one nut was loose and it fell off (or they just didn't install it) and they also didn't put the cotter pin back in my tie rod disconnects so it was luck that it didn't pop off before Big'O tire alerted me to it while i was getting new tires/alignment.

Edit: this was 7 years ago though...hopefully they got better tech's now

 

Lots of helpful info in this thread. I want to have my Super Duty aligned and most places won't touch caster because it requires changing a bushing in the upper ball joint.