I know this isn't a product, but it is a pretty great service that more should take advantage of.

I know a few folks in here already have this, but i recently purchased it and let me tell you it is GREAT. The cost is 140 plus tax, which translates to 3 normal alignments. If you wheel hard, and you have IFS, you probably knock your alignment out from time to time. I do it probably at least every 3rd or 4th trip, which translates to 5 or 6 alignments a year. Thats 300 bucks. This is great, all you do is keep your paper work in the glove box. Call the store, and ask when to bring your truck by. You do, they align it, and you drive off, quick and easy, except for the time it takes for the alignment. Not only that, but it's good at ANY Firestone shop in the country. VERY nice. So far, i've enjoyed the service, and one thing in particular came to mind. One of my adjusting nuts is frozen. Rather than give me a bunch of crap about it, they put some penetrating oil on it, and left it sit, and aligned the truck anyway, where as some stores will really try and get you to have stuff replaced. I appreciate that.

Thus far, i completely recomend this service to anyone who's truck is out of alignment more than once or twice a year. It pays for itself in 3 tries.

I'll continue to keep this updated as i go back in the future.

 

I got that deal when I got my Dueler AT's. They gave me a coupon book and there was in there for $99 lifetime alignment. Good deal IMO.

 

Seems like a good deal but I won't deal w/ F.stone anymore. I've had a few issues with two different firestones in the area. I now take my Tacoma to Siemer Tire who's main job description lies within Tractor Trailer and Large Commercial truck repair. They laugh at my little Tacoma, but they give solid alignments, understand proper bolt torque, and do work without breaking bolts, burning cv's or keeping my truck overnight.
Firestone= good tires, not good mechanics or techs.

 

The lifetime alignment at Firestone is a great value.
Unfortunately the service I've had at Firestone is piss-poor.

I won't take my truck there for anything but the alignment.

 

When I owned my prior truck, a full size chevy, I had firestone put new shocks on. 10 miles down the road the driver rear shock fell off its upper mount and dragged on the highway. They had 'forgotten' to bolt it on.

Good luck with Firestone.

 

What I want to know is has anyone had trouble with the alignment?

 

I haven't Peter. I'm sure problems are shop specific, and I happened to get lucky and have a shop where the guys know what they're doing.

 

is there a minimum time between alightments? i have the service covered on my 4runner but my dad paid for it and im wondering if theres a limit for when im home for summer.

 

i almost did the lifetime until the dealership told me my IFS was too messed up to align it after they did the N50 steering recall. thats when i decided to take a torch to it

 

X2. I'm not impressed at all with the service at my local Firestone. I've had my truck in there 3 times for the alignment. Each time, the wait was in excess of 3 hours.

The second time I had it in, I had just replaced my lower control arms. The truck was way out of alignment and was pulling hard to one side. I told them exactly what I had done, and exactly what they needed to adjust.

3 hours later, the truck still pulled hard to one side. It was like they didn't even try to adjust it.

I brought it back the next day. 3 hours later, they had finally straightened it out. About a week later, I felt a looseness in the steering. I crawled under the truck and discovered that the driver's side LCA bolts were barely past 'finger tight.'

To be fair to Firestone, I think that you will encounter staggering incompetence just about anywhere you go these days.

 

Yeah I've started checking for loose nuts after the alignment. The last alignment I had (not at Firestone BTW) I saw the tech start to use channel lock pliers on my cam bolts before I stopped him and offered to get the proper size wrench out of my tool box in the truck. Then he decided to take the time to walk over to his tool box and get the proper wrench for the job.

 

I have the same service from Firestone for both my trucks. Great deal.

As far as the service I have received from them, see this post https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...ight=firestone
Must be hit or miss but they will continue to get my buisness until they miss and don't make up for it.

 

I did the same thing, theres a catch.

5 hour wait time.............

 

Do you know if they offer this deal in Canada?

 

I may never pay for an alignment again. I've found I can eyeball the camber and caster better than the techs will take the time to do it. I've actually had techs tell me it wasn't possible to adjust the caster on my truck. Now that I know how to do it myself I would love for one of them to tell me that again.

I've yet to adjust my toe myself, but I'm pretty sure I can do it by simply measuring with a string.

I'll probably just take advantage of the free checks they do here, (to check my work LOL)

 

I'll never deal with Firestone again, I won't even buy their tires.

I bought the lifetime alignment when I had my Dakota. After about a 3 hour wait I went to go pick up my truck and they tell me I need new tie rod ends. So I change out the tie rods and take it back. I ended up taking it to them 3 more times and got various reasons as to why they couldn't align it. So I took it to a local shop to have it checked out. Turns out it was the hub. I replaced the hub, got it aligned, took the estimate up to Firestone, and got my money back (which is the only good thing I can say about Firestone).

 

Oh, and they (a different location) told a buddy of mine they couldn't align his Bronco because his frame was bent. That turned out to be bad radius arm bushings.

 

mt goat you can easily check the toe in with a tape measure.I do it every day.
Bigblock

 

Cool, what technique do you use?

I did a little adjusting of the toe today just eyeballing it. I did manage to get the steering wheel centered nicely and it drives great. All it took was one turn of one tie rod adjuster and 1.5 turns on the other. This eyeball alignment is better than many "professional" jobs I've payed for.

The one thing I've discovered that really makes the job easier is to disconnect the sway bar while making any camber or caster adjustments. With it connected you're just fighting the sway bar.

 

wow. does anyone ever have a good service story about firestone. i had them work on my brakes once and they left vice grips clamping my rear brakes on. found them when i got home and noticed the back brakes didnt seem to work.