Bad Alignment

[mrg7243]

So long story short, i was about to deck the mutherfuker who worked at pep boys who was trying to jack me around with my car. I had a alignment done at the pep boys in Wilmington Delaware three months ago to the day, and the car is pulling to the passenger side. Its a pain in the ass to driving when the wind is blowing, i am all over the road due to this. They dumb ass manger said my alignment was all good, that it was the tires that were causing it. But the tires have only 4,627 miles on them brand new hankooks. So i had them rotate it for free, but the problem still exists. Now i got a copy of the alignment check and it looks off to me, especially when they told me they didnt touch the alignment, just check it. But yet, if you look at the final outcome on the front toe it changed. I dont know much about cast, camber, and toe, but to me the car pulls to the passenger side. Here is a copy of the spec sheet, is everything within specs, or do the numbers point to a pulling in steering??? Oh when i had my alignment done 3 months ago i had new tie rods ends.

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af322/mrg7243/Galant/scan0001.jpg

So i have been thinking about getting the Firestone lifetime alignment. They are running a special for it for $109.99

[Cali]

your caster is pretty high and the only change is see is that they made your left toe slightly worse and your right toe was zero'ed out.

probably why it pulls.

your first mistake was taking your car to pep boys for anything lol.

[mrg7243]

Alright, see the BS thing was they told me they didnt touch the alignment only checked it.
Well i had my three month warranty ya know, had it been past that i would not have gone.

[E_Emerson88]

your first mistake was taking your car to pep boys for anything lol.

where do you suggest? i go there for alignment because its a "reputable" place. i don't really trust mom and pop shops sometimes. they just stand around and look like they don't know what they are doing.

[mrg7243]

where do you suggest? i go there for alignment because its a "reputable" place. i don't really trust mom and pop shops sometimes. they just stand around and look like they don't know what they are doing.

I think it depends on the pepboys, the one i first got i aligned at was a pretty decent shop, i know a few guys there. But this one :2up::nono: is all i can say haha. I am going to the Firestone on base here an getting the lifetime alignment done. at 109.99 you cant beat that for life.

[beam514]

DAMN $110 for the lifetime alignment? I just paid $150 about 6 weeks ago (which is their typical price) so if it's at $110 right now, I'd hop on that if I were you.

[mrg7243]

Yeah i know!!!, just got to sell one more part and i will have the money(sound like those cheap fundraisers in school, on more item and i get the bad-ass prize whoooooo!!!). Plus of course it is on the military base, but its a special they are running.

[Shadow19]

I had a VERY bad experience with Pep Boys when it came to them doing an alignment on my car.... FUCK them. Hopefully their company is on the list of top 10 companies not to be seen in 2011.

[polishmafia]

I would seriously go somewhere else. It looks like their machine rounds up all numbers to end in zero or five.

You should have asked them when was the last time they had their alignment machine calibrated.

We get our machine calibrated once every two to three months. The cost to calibrate it costs less than the lost time in comebacks.

[mrg7243]

Oh i am going somewhere after the shit i got, saying it was in specs.

Firestone FTW, but thanks for the tip, ill make sure i ask before i get it done.

[RedGalant2k1]

You have a CASTER DRIFT. Specs currently show caster at 4.4 degrees left and 4.0 degrees right (which is high as it is). But it should be offset the opposite way (4.0 left and 4.4 right). If you are still unsatisfied with how the vehicle is driving a few things can be done.

1) Cross the front tires. (which won't really matter knowing the caster specs)

2) Have them make sure the toe specs front and rear as close to zero as possible, and even on both sides. Improper toe specs (even if it is in spec) can still cause the vehicle to dog-track, wearing all four tires, and causing drive-ability problems.

It is interesting their specs show measurements they'd never ever get into, and not things as basic as cross caster, cross camber, and total toe. Go to a professional service and alignment shop. Pep Boys is the fastfood of the Automotive Service industry.

[mrg7243]

Alright thanks for all your help guys.

Is it possible to get the caster back into specs???

[Corey2kG]

Filter go GRRRRR! lol

[mrg7243]

hahah wrong thread Corey! hahaha

[Corey2kG]

I know lmao its your thread n you helped me so just being stupid lol.

[mrg7243]

tru tru hahaha

[Cali]

caster is not really adjustable on our cars; im assuming you're dropped pretty low?

raising it up some will help.

[qnz]

I pay $125 for an alignment at a high end speed shop. I know its done right there.

[99galantES]

Damn ya be paying a lot I only pay $80 where I go all the do is aligment, brakes and suspensions and I never had a problem

[mrg7243]

caster is not really adjustable on our cars; im assuming you're dropped pretty low?

raising it up some will help.

I am stock height lol, on replacement shocks. Thats it.


Damn ya be paying a lot I only pay $80 where I go all the do is aligment, brakes and suspensions and I never had a problem

I payed like 85 the first time. But now i am just getting the lifetime.