Who does the best wheel alignments?

[micky]

Well, a couple days ago I had the top down about half way, and when I put the top up again, it met the windshield properly.

In 1970, I lent my 1965 Pontiac Catalina convertible to a young guy and within an hour he ran a stop sign in a school zone, because, he said, I pickup camper was parked where he couldn't see the sign.

After that, the pins in the top were at least an inch from the matching holes in the windshield frame. For one or two years. Then they were perfect for one or two years, and then they were just as bad as before for one or two years.

So the fact that the top matched the windshield on this one occasion is encouraging.

[micky]

I saw that (170 instead of 80, here) and I thought about it, especially in a case like this. in the post I just posted, I talk about how the fame jumped around in a previous car that was hit, so I can see needing more than one alignment.

[micky]

I googled for that and couldn't find anything.

I don't know anyone like that. Maybe there are still hot-rod clubs. What would they be called now?

[micky]

I'll keep looking.

Becaise of my current bad alignment, it would probaboy wear out my tires to go there.

[micky]

They took 4 tries fixing my mothers tire before they figured out that it leaked around the valve once, so I stopped going there.

But the guy at Autozone named a guy there who he described in glowing terms.

Oren just said "Kentucky Fried Chicken is not the place to go in Baltimore!". Now that's strange because the other place the same guy recommended was on Rte 40 right next to KFC and close to McDonalds. It has changed its name so he couldn't remember the name, but I can find it. Oren, be assured, I won't go to KFC but to the shop next door.

[micky]

You're probably right about the dealer being best in this situation. I'm too susceptible to suggestions -- I've noticed this in other situations too -- like this one guy I've never met on a web page I've never heard of who thinks dealers are a bad idea.

Which is the radius rod?

Is that the same as the rear lower control arm, the locating arm, the rear lower suspension arm #1 (I think that's what the shop manual calls it)? I think it has other names too. Makes it hard to shop for it.

[Steve W.]

More or less.

[TimR]

My wife had brake rotors put on with a lifetime guarantee from one of those chain exhaust places I won't name.

Covered everything but parts and labor.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

So what *did* the warranty cover?

Perce

[Stormin Mormon]

Purple leprechauns, and orange unicorns?

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

.

[clare]

Definitely. When a car or truck comes in with a stability problem and the owner wants an alignment, the first thing you look for is signs of damage - and deer parts would definitely raise a red flag!!! Then you check the settings - f something is way off you check the related parts for damage. Before doing an alignment suspension hight, tire pressures, etc all need to be checked as well.

Had a customer come in with their car pulling hard to the right - said they had just had Firestone do an alignment and now it was worse.

Being a tire store you would THINK they would have at least checked the tire pressure - if not the tire condition - and sold the guy a set of tires. The one tire was at 18psi and the other must have been 1/4 inch bigger on the outside than the inside.

I got to sell the guy a set of 4 tires (and they were not Firestones)

[clare]

The piece of paper it was written on was pretty well covered with ink, if that counts - - - -

[clare]

Which only means it isn't twisted from the firewall back.

[micky]

Good point.

[Tekkie®]

[e-mail] posted for all of us...

It just shows that if a shop does crap work then good shops will thrive.