So after the last to times of getting my truck 4 wheel aligned the techs wouldn't set the OEM height as required. Instead they would leave it and for the camber adjustment they would lower the front end or heighten it enough to pass the test.......Lazy *** tech!..........Thing is you don't know until you get home and measure after the front end settles.


So I finally got under the truck and set the height to 78mm as required. Then I took the truck in for yet another 4 wheel alignment to a different shop. As I handed the key to the young tech (about 25) I simply chewed his *** and told him NOT TO TOUCH IT and do it the right way. Well I waited for about 1.75 hours for it to be completed. He must of known from our conversation that I knew what I was doing because he asked permission for everything.......LMAO!.....

Anyway I finally got it back and have put about 300 miles on it and even measured it. I think he actually did it the correct way!.... Well the steering play improved to NONE and the front end suspension firmed right up!.....The truck feels like it's brand new again and I was surprised to see what must have been going on. With the front end squatted the torsion bars were really flopping causing outside tire feathering not to mention a crappy ride! I'm happy now that it's done right and now I got it set the correct way FINALLY I wanted to post the woes and also the good news.


This experience has taught me that although we know about the issues of dropping the torsion bars or adding height to bring in camber settings and as well as over time sagging of the torsion bars that we also include this when users find loose steering issues even after front end work and steering box adjustment as well as preventative maintenance.



Next project is finding out if I can install a T/S lift with Sport-Rite air bags installed on the rear?......Also I would like to find a stronger shackle than the belltech 6400....
http://www.firestoneindustrial.com/r...i=215&rrk=2222

 

Hey hydra can you post here EXACTLY what u need to look for when having it aligned. I mean give me enough information so I can walk in and tell the techs that I will be checking Blah blah blah in order to make sure they did it correctly. I am going in for a 4 wheel alignment in the next week and I want mine to be PERFECT. All the work i have put into this truck i want it to be best as possible.

 

Hydra, Ditto for me, I am going in for alignment after the NEW transmission pan gets installed and filter/fluid changed, and I would like to know what to look and ask for.


Steve

 

Heres the Service Manual. The measuring procegures are on 2-3.


Opp's......... I set it at at 78mm but it really is 73mm but close enough.

 

I dont mean to **** off anyone but if you came in to my shop and told me how to set up the ft end you would be left standing there with your key on the roof of the shop. I know people make mistakes but so do you. If you know more about how to do it how come your not doing it? It's ok if your off 6 mm but that stupid tech better be spot on . This is just my rant. and come on down from Tremonton to West Valley Dodge and we can talk about it have a nice day

 

 

Well nobody else is going to respond i will.. Okay let me be the first to tel ya if you are not aware, most shops and i do mean majority are nothing but lazy rip off conning people. 90% of the time you have them do a job they do not doi it correctly, Alignments being 1 of those. I can not tell you how many times i have went to a alignment shop just to come out having my steering wheel 1/4 or even half way turned and while going strait. That my friend is lazy and totally unprofessional. far as somebody telling you what to do? You darn right if i come in and you do a crappy job i am coming back to "tell you" to do it right. I paid for the job, i took my time to have "you" do it, now i have to take more time out of my busy sched and spend more money in gas to have "YOU" fix the problem. That gives me room to tell "you" to do ur job right or give me my money back. Correct mistakes are made but if you make a mistake in the service business you should expect somebody not to be very happy.

perfect example,

A friend at work just had his truck painted in Indianapolis at Tillman's. It looked like total crap, had runs eagle eyes and loo like somebody was high when they tried to put the pin strips on. THAT gives him the right to be a little upset and to "tell them" to do it right or give him his money back.

 

Schuster, you are right. most shops are crooked, and charge out the #** for labor and parts so as the consumer we should expect quality service and done right the first time. I understand that mistakes are occasionally made both by consumers and shops but seems like the consumers get a lot of the raw deal. Most charge off Mitchell rates and figure ways to shave time. It might average for the jobs that go long but the experienced mechanics can do other simple jobs when a job runs short. I used to work at a dealership and for example. Transmission might be a 6.0 for removal by Mitchell, the dedicated transmission techs might do it in 4.0 leaving 2 hours that is billed to the customer but not accounted for in the workorder, as a tech you might get a couple of Pre-Delivery Inspections or a couple of O/L/F OIL/LUBE/FILTER to account for the time, of course on a different vehicle. Yes they are crooked, and although the job may be done right most of the time there is something left out, for example my last oil change at PepBoys in December they left the oil filter access cover missing, a minor mistake but the point is cutting corners and apparently not following the maintenance manuals. Another example was my CV axle in summer of 08 shop installed with the clips of the dust boot rudbbing against the shock and when the wheels were turned to the stops either left or right the clips were cutting the boot like a lathe. When it was reinstalled last week my local mechanic showed me the clips and the axle was installed with the splines in a way to keep more room from the clips and no issues. I noticed that the factory CV axle on the driver side was installed with the clips out of the way and they have the same 110 K miles that the rest of the body has and that axle and boots look factory fresh. I have no recourse against the shop since it was a off the books project just a lesson learned.

Sorry to get off on a rant here, but the overpriced shops are the norm and I am sure that if Hydra had the alignment equipment he would do it himself but the cost and setup of equipment for a machine not used very often is probably not cost effective.

What is cost effective is taking it to the local alignment shop and HAVING IT DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME and coming back in another year or maybe 6 months in midwest or east coast roads..

As a matter of fact I printed out the link from Hydra to the service manual and don't think I wont hesitate to show them to make sure the job is done correctly. I may not know everything about all the systems of the vehicle but if I have a problem I research the issue on places like here and get the advice. I may not have the tools but I at least try to get enough knowledge about the systems to know if I am getting shim-shammed and overpriced/over estimated labor is one area where the public gets screwed. My mechanic for my last bearing/axle replacement allowed me to use my own parts and quoted the mitchell rate at 3.3hrs but charged actual (2.8) so saved me $40 bucks.


FYI, Thanks Hydra for the link to the service manual! Maybe for X-mas the wife will get you some alignment equipment.


Steve,

 

you are right if it's done wrong you have a right to be mad . Hydra said he chewed out the guy before he even worked on it thats BS I f you have any knowlage of how flat rate works then yes If I can do the job faster than book time I make more money. But if it takes longer I dont get to charge extra. Techs did not come up with the flat rate sys we just have to work with it. As for all of us are crooks you are full of it (crap I mean) not to say there are not crooks in the trade but there are crooks every where even in what you do It easy to set at your comp and call people crooks maybe you play sports better than all the pro's

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by eaglestorm

I dont mean to **** off anyone but if you came in to my shop and told me how to set up the ft end you would be left standing there with your key on the roof of the shop. I know people make mistakes but so do you. If you know more about how to do it how come your not doing it? It's ok if your off 6 mm but that stupid tech better be spot on . This is just my rant. and come on down from Tremonton to West Valley Dodge and we can talk about it have a nice day

LMFAO!


Is this real?...... I took this to the shop the shop the first time time to get this fixed. During the procedure, you check height which was not being done. Checked and found.

Also I was told to come in a time before the second in which I sat there for 1.5 hours and was told to go home because they ran out of time.

During second time I specifically asked them to check the height because they had missed it. Get it back and still WAY to low. In fact they even lowered it MORE! This caused feathering of my good and VERY pricey BFG's KO series tires.

So now three times I have driven about 600 miles, taken 3 days of time (my times expensive and I don't know about yours) just to pay out for worn tires, wear and tare, fuel, and alignment costs. And now I have to do it again and I don't have the right complain and show a tech that I know a thing or 2 about my truck not to mention had to do the work myself???? You’re up in the night!

Ya your right I miss read the 3 for an 8 which is 5mm and not 6mm and this shows the incompetence of the Stealer Ship at work. I lived right by your facility and would get parts there. Your techs couldn't even tell me if I had a harness input for a trailer brake even with the 7 wire round connection and HD with a tow package. I wouldn't let your dealer ship work on my truck! I've looked at your D's on your lot before and found the front end in direct contact with the bump stops.

Now I'm not saying every dealer is incompetent, but most are let’s say....Ummmmm...99%.


And as for the comment of throwing my keys on the top of the roof, well this is exactly the attitude you get at the dealership and the exact reason I wouldn’t let you do ANYTHING to it. If someone did that to me I’d open a case of whoop ***.

Quote:

If I can do the job faster than book time I make more money. But if it takes longer I dont get to charge extra.

You are paid to do a job and a job might take longer to do because a person doesn't know how to do the job in the first place is usually the culprit. You have all the specialty tools, the special training at your disposal and direct factory direct parts. You should never go over in time dude if you do the job right. These flat rate jobs are a huge rip off because it takes less time to do the job then what’s on the books on average so you’re making a killing anyway. The books were only put in because of consumer complaints from shop owners over charging for work...... ^ Hints the same reason you just stated above. ^ If you got a job done in 2 hours less time and you charge the person an extra $160 or whatever for nothing is pure evil and against morality! Your just taking the train for a free ride.

The clear fact remains that the average consumer gets screwed 99% of the time and we prove this over and over again here.


Now this is my rant and my opinion.