Alignment Questions

Ok, so first off, Les Schwab lost a customer today. I took my truck in for an alignment after installing 5100s, 885s and a 3 leaf AAL. After getting wrung up, the technician under his breath said "I can't believe you fucked up such a beautiful truck like that." When I asked him what he said, he told me he couldn't believe I'd put a lift in my truck, and that it completely destroyed my alignment.

It's a strange comment, because that's why you get an alignment after installing new shocks right? On top of that, the alignment they did left the caster still about a half a degree out of spec on each side. Is this ok? What's the impact to that? Is the guy correct that I somehow fucked my truck up? Even if he's right, that was a horrible way to speak to a customer. I'll never go back to Les Schwab again after that.

Here are the numbers below:

 

Looks like you’re going to need new UCAs.

 

Is it because the springs haven't fully settled yet? 885s should only lift the truck about 1.5 inches. Right now measuring, it's still right at 2 inches, and my understanding was that was the limit for the OEM UCAs. Do I just need to get another alignment in ~a month? What sort of damage, if any, am I doing to my truck in its current state?

 

If it’s only 1.5” lift, you may just need a competent alignment tech.

 

No they will settle a little but it won't affect the numbers much, get some JBA's and be done with it.

http://jbaoffroad.com/toyota/jba-std-high-caster-upper-a-arms-for-2005-14-toyota-tacoma.html

 

Wow. I would have had that dude's ass right then and there. Demanded a refund and speak to the owner of that POS shop and ask them how they hire such an incompetent waste of space in their shop. Make the biggest scene too so everyone waiting for their f'd alignments knew too.

 

That caster is god awful. Find another shop. No reason you can't get a good alignment with stock UCA's at only a 1.5" lift.

 

Should I wait a bit to allow it to finish settling down to 1.5"? Still right around 2" at this point.

 

Fuck and everyone in town either had to make an appointment or wait 6 hours for an alignment. And here I am at Les Schwab LMAO. Told them 0,0,3 is what I need my alignment specs to be. there should still be some room to adjust those numbers.

 

I'd get it asap. I don't think it'll settle a complete half inch. It all varies from truck to truck. Get a better alignment and you'll be fine dude.

 

BUUUUUURRNNNN EMMMM!

 

I cant believe you didn't raise hell in the shop. No excuse for that behavior; your level of bullshit acceptance is much higher than mine. He should be fired if he said that.

Lifts don't ruin alignments, idiot techs do.

I dropped mine off at a reputable off-road shop here in Houston and specifically wanted an alignment on my new TC UCAs. They claimed they did it, "and it drove great" I wanted the alignment paper. "Oh...uh...let me check" Shockingly, no paper. I told the manager I wanted the alignment sheet as I am going to post it to Tacoma world in the 1st Gen section and show what a great job these UCAs can do with a good tech. His face changed noticeably after that.

Amazingly, they took the keys from me, drove it back around. took 20 min and test drove it. Manager stated the moron didn't adjust it as "it looked good" when it came in. He was just lazy and didnt touch it after telling the manager he did. You can see below it didn't and manager was not happy. Nor was I but at least I rec'd a good alignment and I didn't pay for it either, refunded my money for that piece of work.

Bottomline: I'd take it to another shop before going the UCA route and watch them do it. If you need UCAs, get JBAs or TCs

Before

After

 

I stopped going to Les Schuab a few years back. Their prices are off the charts high and their customer service has turned to shit. If you need something done they lie and tell you that you need the whole enchilada when you might only need some hot sauce.

 

This is disappointing, they used to be top notch. Just moved back to the PNW and expected them to be just as good as before.