I'm a little irritated to say the least. 2 months ago I tried getting an allignment on my truck. Nobody was willing to tackle it until I got an "adjustable trackbar". So, I went and spent $335 for a Thuren Fabrication trackbar. Then I had it installed from my mechanic. Of course the wheel was really messed up, and he said it needed an allignment. So three days later I went and got the allignment on the truck done from the dealer. When I got the truck back, the wheel was just as much out of allignment as it was before the trackbar, except it was pulling the other way. Now I can lock the wheels fully right, but now the left catches at full turn. They attributed the pull to the "oversized tires" and said that's as good as they could get it. If this was the case, I wouldn't have ever waisted over $500 buying and getting this trackbar in the first place. I'm making them reallign it tomorrow morning because I don't see how it can't be made perfect. That trackbar is completely adjustable. Is there any other reason why they couldn't achieve a perfect allignment when they did it?? If there is, I'm going to be pissed. I already spent too much money on this trackbar alone...argh.

 

You're talking to ******* "techs" (that's what ***got mechanics call themselves)that work at a dealership because no private mechanic would ever let them work for them, represent their business, or even touch their tools. 35 inch tires aren't even all that oversized.

Try to find someone around you that specializes in alignments. I'm fortunate enough to live close to one. He'll be the first to tell you that places like dealerships, and sears, and what not don't really know how to do anything because they learn from people who don't know how to do anything, who learn from more people who don't really know how to do anything.

Whenever I had to have my truck re-aligned sears gave me the crap about getting a new track bar. Lou just bent by old one back into shape because it wasn't really all that bad at all, but they all bend a bit. Lined up no problem at all.

 

Man it's so true too! And this isn't even a Dodge dealer, it's the FORD dealership lol! The only reason I went through them is because they have a "truck center", and they can fit my 35" tires up on their machine. Everyone else around town says they wouldn't be able to fit them on their allignment machine. So I'm going to have them take one more stab at it, and if they **** me over again, I'm getting my money back, and finding a specialist like you said. I didn't really want to get into this, but I also have a huge beef going on with the dealer too. 2 weeks after my truck left the shop, my entire rim and wheel fell of my truck when I was driving it. I had to buy a new rotor and brake pad, along with an entire new offroad rim. Set me back $450! Thankfully I was only going 15mph when it happened though. I was on the way to VIP to see what was going on when it fell off on me. When I told them, they had their big dumb goofy technician come out and say he didnt have to take the wheel off to adjust the trackbar or to do the allignment. Even if he didn't, it's part of a mechanics job to check everything on the vehicle, especially LOOSE LUGNUTS before it's given back to the customer!!! So I told them I want them to fix the allignment and I'm ending our longtime business with them because the way they treated me. Even if it wasn't their fault (which it is), they still should have treated us a lot different. We've given them a ton of business with our fords over the years, that's not how you treat a customer who possibly could have been killed if I had been going on faster. Thankfully it was late at night and I was going slow when it happened, so I wasn't hurt, nobody else was hurt, and the vehicle wasn't badly damaged. I am really irritated right now, they aren't going to like me come tomorrow....

 

Okay 2 things important things here.

1.) Someone who actually knows how to do an alignment does not need machines...

2.) You realize you could sue that dealership right? at the very least for the money that the damage set you back. And if you get the right lawyer for a whole lot more for almost killing you. Tell them you've been having shooting pains in your back and nightmares since the accident, and that the pain and lack of sleep are effecting your work and all aspects of your life.

 

Sorry , but unless you work at alignment shop no need to call names ..and yes any tire over stock is consider "over size" depends how big the tire is you will never get a true alignment on the machine.. Now 20dodge did you try the string alignment like steve and some do try that once and good luck finding a shop to align the front end took me 3 times and test drive and the string to get it right.. some cases you can take it to a rig shop that has a alignment bay and they might be able to get it to spec.. since these trucks are a front solid axle its not had to align and keep align , and you have an track bar that can adjust be thats wrong in its settings , better start takin messurements
(NO SHOP WILL LET THEM USE THERE TOOLS YOU GOTTA BUY YOUR OWN , DEALER OR PRIV.).You gotta buy your own and when you leave you take em with you

 

Yes, it is something I am prepared to do if they don't get it right PA, you are right.

In regards to sueing them, I don't know. I'd feel like I'd spend more money on a lawyer and more of a headache going through with it. What would make me happy is if they fix my allignment, and if they offer to reimburse me for the wheel I had to pay for, and the rotor and pad I had to pay for. Luckily for them, I wasn't going fast. If my truck had been damaged body wise, or if someone had gotten hurt from that wheel flying off the truck (it went into someone's front yard and almost went through their window), then they'd be seeing the lawsuit. The fact that the truck is OK, and it's back on the road makes this a little less serious. I want them to pay up for what they did, and if they don't, they will loose me and my family's business, and I think it's something they won't want. We give them big jobs every year for our fords, they would be stupid not to address this potential messy situation. When I made the appointment for the new allignment, I told the lady it was the last job I was having them do before I ended my business with them. That quickly shot up a red flag, and within a couple of hours, someone independantly called me back on the incident. I never got intouch with him though because I was in a seminar at the time. Tomorrow when I go there though, they will be hearing from me. I want them to pay up for what they did. I love this truck, and I know it inside and out. I noticed after the allignment, there was a weird squeeky noise going on in the front. I had thought it was the trackbar making all that noise. I finally made an appointment with VIP to check it out. And that night on the way to VIP to drop the vehicle off my entire wheel and tire went flying off the truck and the truck slammed down on the rotor. Turns out that ENTIRE time the truck was making that squeeky noise it was because of LOOSE LUGNUTS! It makes me want to puke. I was doing some big trips with that truck during that 2 week period and sustaining speeds of 65+mph in that truck! This could have been a lot worse..

 

I wouldn't blaming the dealer for the loose wheel, if they didnt need to take the wheel off to do the align,then why would they be going around your vehicle and checking your lug nuts,unless you asked them to do some sort of safety inspection, i don't know of any shop that would go checking this stuff unless they were asked to or suspected something wrong, been in the business along time and think you should be looking at the guy who put the wheel on last. Ever heard of retorquing alumn wheels after x amount of miles after they have been off and put back on, ask any tire/wheel store they will tell you the same thing, my two cents.

 

That would be true if I believed they didn't take the wheel off. I know they took that wheel off. Don't you find it suspicious that the wheel fell off that's on the same side as the adjustable balljoint on the trackbar? When the truck was at VIP and we were looking at the truck, you can completely access the balljoint stressfree if the driver's side tire was off. To me, it seems like somebody at a shop that has an airgun would find it very convienient to just pop off the tire and adjust the trackbar instead of getting underneath the truck and trying to reach awkwardly to the joint instead, that's my feeling. What I know is that the truck never has had a loose wheel on the truck since I've had it. Then suddenly, two weeks after it was in their shop getting an allignment and trackbar adjusted, the wheel just falls off. Also, it's not like they were changing out a gas tank. They were doing an allignment. You don't think the front wheels are involved in an allignment? If I was a mechanic, it'd be almost automatic for me to check out the region I was working in. To me, I think they took that drivers side wheel off to get to the trackbar. And then somebody just handtightened them and forgot to torque the lugs back off. No other wheels was loose, just that wheel. Like I said, that argument would be correct if I didn't think they took the wheel off or if they were doing a job that didn't pertain to the wheels. But it did, and I think they need to take the hit. If they don't, they loose my business, period.

 

Adjust the trackbar yourself and do your own alignment. They are not hard to do on a Ram since Toe is the only thing that realy needs to be adjusted (camber is not adjustable on your truck, and caster rarely needs to be adjusted on your set up).

To adjust your trackbar:
Take a peice of wood stock like a 3 footlong2"x2" that you know to be flat and hold it vertically against your front tire. Make sure it is centered in the tire. Measure the distance between the 2" x 2" and your fender on both sides. Calculate the difference in the two measurements and figure out which way the axle needs to move to be centered. Loosen your trackbar and adjust it so that it is centered (tip: with the frame end loose, have someone turn the steering wheel one way or the other to line up the trackbar).

To measure Toe:
Drive straight into your driveway or a flat surface. I use a tape measure, but you can use a string as well, but slide under the truck and take a measurement from between the back side of the front tires, and between the front side of the front tires. You can use a mold line in the tire, or the edge of a lug for reference. I have also seen a guy wire tie a 4ft 2" x 2" to each front wheel and then measure the distance between the two 2" x 2"'s at the back of the front tires and then again at the front.

For a Dodge Ram, you will want your toe to be equal to about 1/8" toed in depending on tire size. 35's I would run a 1/8th" toed in. This would mean that you would want the two measurements to be equal, or the back of the front tire measurement to be 1/8th" further apart than the fronts.

If an adjustment is necessary, jack up the front end to take the load off, and then loosen the bolts on the tie rod adjuster sleeve. Rotate the sleeve to extend or retract the front measurement you took to get it to now be 1/8th inch narrower than the back measure ment you took. It may take a couple tries to fine tune it, but eventualy you'll ge it.

Once the toe has been adjusted, it's time to center the steering wheel. Again drive the truck into your driveway straight (regardless of how the wheel is pointed). Loosen the bolts on the draglink adjuster sleeve and rotate the sleeve until the steering wheel is centered. Be sure you have your key in the ignition and the steering wheel lock off. This procedure takes a couple times to get it right as well.

You'll basically have about an hour in this whole process the 1st time and you will know it's been done right. You will get so used to doing it that it becomes second nature. I do mine every oil change (3000 miles, or after every wheeling trip).

Keep your tires inflated properly and rotated often. Again this is something I do every 3000 miles.

Working on your own truck is very gratifying and you know it is done right. Then you will have the $$$ that you have been giving to someone else for crappy alignments to spend on other toys for your truck!!!

 

Im sorry but I HAVE to chime in becauseI do alignments for a living... First of all the size of the tire has nothing to do with wether you can get an "accurate" alignment. The alignment machine I use attaches to the wheel, so tire size does not matter (only that all the tires are the same size with the same pressure in them) I've done alignments on trucks with 39" boggers with no problem. Second The only reason I would recommend a new track bar is if the ball joint end is worn causing a wandering condition or if its bent. No matter where the adjustable track bar is set it will not cause a pull, only Camber or the tires areable to cause a pull (caster can also but is not adjustable side to side). Also there is a separate adjustment for the steering wheel, it is the one closest to the pitman arm. If they can't even manage to get that straight, I would never have them touch my rigs EVER.