Cost For Alignment

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PlayingWithTBI

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What's your weather right now? Freezing right? Here's mine
Well I'm waiting for the track drying efforts to be completed so I can watch the NASCAR truck championship in Miami Homestead while it's 65* and clear here in AZ!

EDIT - they're just starting their engines now on FS1HD (channel 219 on DirectTV)
 

PlayingWithTBI

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3 Bow Ties and a Blue Oval (Matt Crafton - I like him because he's an old guy like me), and NO TOYOTAS HA HA!
 

Hipster

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Same can be said about most franchised auto repair companies. Griping about how mechanics all rip you off has long become a socially acceptable complaint. Similar to unfavorable weather, or pollen season, or rush hour traffic, etc.

Yes, I have gotten that list too, and at first I was convinced it was all BS as I never let the truck out of sight, and watched every move the tech made performing alignment. How could they possibly tell me that I was due for a diff service??
I've since learned, those lists are almost always software generated based on your year/make/model/miles on odo, and almost always extremely accurate to what the vehicle needs based on the way the average drivers maintains their vehicle.
The average driver maintains their vehicle very poorly in case you weren't aware. Absolute minimalists, full well knowing they just need to keep the car sellable for the short time they own it before they're onto their next one.
Who would pay thousands and thousands of dollars of maintenance during a cars first 50K when they no it will be someone else's problem and there and something else new??
It's ******, but the logic is sound.

I digress... there is no obligation to have any more work done by Firestone while redeeming my lifetime alignment.
Depending on my mood my response is either "thank you I'll review this list tonight when I'm home". Or "I do all my own maintenance, but tell your robot to go **** himself".

Any vehicle still on the road as a daily driver beyond 10 years is already an anomaly to the statistic. Shouldn't take things so personal. They're just trying to stay in business, would you have the same attitude to a contractor who came in to fix your roof but noticed you needed new windows and tried to acquire that work from you at that time?? Probably not

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Agreed, and yeah it's way off topic. People, and I have to say from first hand experience working in a motorcycle shop, people will get the $30 oil change at the Juffy lube joint thinking they got a 10k, 30k, 60k service or whatever service that vehicle calls for. A lot of checks along the way get skipped over. If they let you leave with a dangerous vehicle there's a certain amount of liability involved. Shops have to cover their arse also. An honest shop will show you what's wrong, and if it's a service work upsell it's because the mileage dictates or service intervals call for it. Part of a Harley service is to check the torque on engine mount bolts and I couldn't tell you how many cracked engines cases I replaced and or cracked chain cases I swapped out because who ever worked on it or the owner who did his own oil changes overlooked it. A 10 minute check that's part of scheduled service in the factory service manual that can cost thousands to fix.

I never hear anyone complaining a restaurant is trying to upsell appetizers, a side order of shrimp with your steak, mixed drinks , and desserts. Same shyt. Get them in the door and sell them what you can or the upgraded version is a typical business model. Some of the reputation auto shops get is deserved but there are some good guys still out there.

In this case the Op is trying to beat the guy up on price and he's not even at his door yet. Shopping not for the best job but for the best price in town.
 
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Trenton

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It really depends where you live. Back home in East Texas i paid like $79.95 for my 1998 K3500 SRW, but up here in the Aspen/Snowmass area of Colorado I got charged $119.95 for it. I heard Firestone has a lifetime alignment option for like $200 or something like that.
 

Trenton

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Unless you have knocked out the oem inserts in the frame - all they will do is set your toe.

I would assume pretty much all of our vehicles have had them knocked out already I watched them do my last alignment and they adjusted toe, camber, and caster.
 

Jglew82

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I would assume pretty much all of our vehicles have had them knocked out already I watched them do my last alignment and they adjusted toe, camber, and caster.
Depends on how worth their salt the techs are. Every 2wd OBS I've owned, including my current '90 model have had the knockouts intact.
 

kennythewelder

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Depends on how worth their salt the techs are. Every 2wd OBS I've owned, including my current '90 model have had the knockouts intact.
Yea, I have to agree. My 97 still has the knock outs in place. It hasent been an issue.
 

Trenton

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Depends on how worth their salt the techs are. Every 2wd OBS I've owned, including my current '90 model have had the knockouts intact.

Okay well maybe mine have been removed because i buy high-mile trucks on the verge of scrap and fix them up lol! My current truck supposedly had the whole front end replaced twice before i got it with 223k on it.
 

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I would assume pretty much all of our vehicles have had them knocked out already I watched them do my last alignment and they adjusted toe, camber, and caster.


The upper control arm mounting holes are referenced on frame repair data sheets and they're pretty much dead nuts accurate and I worked with frame repair measuring equipment that accurate down to a millimeter. I never had to remove them on a new replacement frame in order for it to take an alignment and I've swapped quite a few. If it wouldn't take an alignment it was usually a tweaked control arm, steering knuckle, wore out bushings, or it's the frame slightly tweaked. That's at stock ride heights. Altered ride height everything is going to change. It's totally possible to get toe, caster, and camber correct on an alignment but a lot of shops will delete the SAI numbers off the printout you get. You need all 4 specs.

Usually there is some type of reason the knockouts need removed.
 
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Hipster

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Okay well maybe mine have been removed because i buy high-mile trucks on the verge of scrap and fix them up lol! My current truck supposedly had the whole front end replaced twice before i got it with 223k on it.

You posted while I was typing, but yeah it's been wrecked and it doesn't take much to diamond one of these frames.
 
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