soo i have gotten so many alighments i cant even count.

this meaning i have paid a fotune lol

im curious if anyone has some input on the firestone alighments and if there is a certain firestone that pretty good.

kinda worried they will mess up rims or what not.

i think if i can find a firestone that pretty good with a good tech that i can save a lot with their lifetime alighment deal.

thanks

 

hmm found this thread and seems not to be so good

https://my350z.com/forum/north-west/...alignment.html

 

my Z had 245 in the front and 275 in the rear .. my rears were bald and I had some falken fk452s with a lot of tread, so I brought in some 275 falken fk452 and asked them to swap my rear tires.. they put them on the front after I waited for 2 hours.

had to wait another 30 minutes for them to take them off, put the correct fronts back on, put the tires I brought in on the rears as they were supposed to, and to top it off they left the pastey tire lube **** that they use all over the tires and it looked like dog ****.

they gave me a free oil change thing but I wouldn't let them touch my car again.

I think if you came in often for alignments on a lifetime alignment plan they wouldn't treat you as well as a regular paying customer either.. I'd rather just pay for it each time from a different place.

 

i've attempted to get alignments done at firestone, they will only set it to stock settings, and in dealing with lowered cars and such, it seems that it is an extra hassle for them, i would take it to a performance shop that deals with this more often, Les Scwab has done a good job for me, but now i just got to Axiom motorsports in Lakewood.

 

http://stageautocenter.com/

/thread.

 

^I have a tentative appointment with them this Sat for some springs / alignment : )

 

I had my toe bolts and alignment done there. Good stuff.

 

Stage is great for alignments and other work. They can get you some tires for a good price too. But Firestone has that lifetime alignment which is a good deal IMO. I hear they're not bad... just depends which branch you go to. If your car is low, go to the one in Seattle, they have a low enough ramp.

 

oh rly? how much **** did they have to lay down to get your car on the rack? just curious

 

Two 2x4's on each side to really extend the run up to it. And it barely cleared, but it made it all the same.

 

nice, i may end up giving them a call once i put my car back together

 

Firestone is a joke. I bought their life time alignments awhile back when my Z was on Tein springs (mild drop). Go in there today after I installed coilovers (As you can see from the pic, it's not even an aggressive drop, I've lowered the rear about a 1/4in since this pic) expecting to get an alignment hoping that they weren't going to give me a hassle. I tell dude at the counter that I'm slightly lowered, I removed the front bumper so they wouldn't have problems getting the car on the lift, and that I have adjustable camber arms front and rear. He asks how hard its going to be to get to the adjustment bolts on the front camber arms. I tell him that they might be alittle hard to get to since the arm is close to the top of the fender well. When the car is off the ground and the suspension is drooping, you could get a wrench up in there to adjust, but its going to be a bit tight. He goes off to talk to the manager and comes back and tells me that they would have to charge 50 or 60 bucks extra since it would "be a long process" and that its would be a difficult job. I just laughed at him and said thanks anyways and walked out.

Ok, so I'm sure it probably would be more of a task to align everything up, compared to being at stock height... but still. Give me a break. I will never go to Firestone again. So i guess they only honor life time alignments on cars that are at stock ride height. To bad they don't tell you that when you buy the package from them.

 

mmmmmmm gotta read the fine print
I've had good luck at the Sears in Lynnwood, sean beveridge is the tech to see. He has a lot of experience with lowered cars and if he can physically get the car on the rack he'll hook it up.

 

if its any consolation your Z is clean as f#@$. : )

 

Man, where are you guys getting alignments done at? I've been searching all over the Tacoma/Lakewood area for the past week or so and NOBODY wants to even try to help me. After my run in with Firestone, I've been to a numerous places with the same results. "Your car is lowered, sorry we can't help you". Lol, most places won't even try to put the car on the lift, they'll just look at my Z and tell me it can't be done. Give me a break! Like my Z is really that low, LMAO.

Went to Midas and Les Schwab today. Midas claims they can get it on the lift, but won't be able to get it within specs. I told them I have aftermarket adjustable camber arms front and rear and toe bolts, they just looked at me like I had a dick growing out of my forehead and said "sorry, we can't do anything for you". Go to Les Schwab, same thing. " I can tell you right now I won't be able to get it within specs." Even after I tell them it has a camber/toe kit they still say they won't be able to get it within specs.

So I head over to Goodyear, and how convenient, their alignment machine isn't working. Lol. What a PITA.

I had an appointment today for a shop that specializes in imports and stuff like that, and low and behold, can't get my alignment because there technician isn't there today. Hmmm, if the tech isn't there, how is any work being done?

For you guys that live up north, sounds like you have some great performance shops that specialize in modified cars. Down here in Pierce county, seems like most shops don't know there own *** from a hole in the ground.

 

did you already try stage performance? they can dial in your alignment any way you want it, and they are lowered car friendly.

they are hard to communicate with them so I took my biz elsewhere, but the camaro sits a lot higher then a Z, even after my springs were put on. conveniently enough, when I was going to get a free alignment from the dealership, their machine was down too. I don't feel like driving back to Monroe for that ****.

 

and showed off his gun to everyone that he doesn't even keep loaded...what a tool. just an fyi everyone there makes fun of you now. LOL. We now have a new Ty P! (for those of you that remember the tool) LOL

 

not sure I'd show off a gun in a place of business. some people aren't shy about it though. hell, I'd prefer it be unloaded if you're going to pull it out there. I'm sure he has his reasons.

when I met up with Deuce to swap intakes he had no reservations about pulling out his pistol in front of my neighbors and handing it over to me to check out. what happened to the concealed part? : P

granted he is a military man and comfortable with his firearms.. what if I knew nothing about gun safety? most people don't own firearms, and instinctively new-to-guns people put their finger on the trigger and point it at stupid places without really thinking about it.

 

man, this is silly.....its a hit and miss, depending on the managers and sales reps when you go in...

I have the NTB 5 year on my Xterra, Titan and 350z....all of which are altered aftermarket suspension, X and Titan are lifted, etc...

I walk into NTB and straight out tell them......im looking to get the $189 5 year alignment special....i tell them "I'm not gonna have any issues whenever i come back" I get their name and the managers name and believe me, that day...they just wanna sell you the $189 special, because thats commission for them...they love it...

I also mention that i will tip the mechanics, etc whenever I go in for subsequent alignments........this makes them happy as the following alignments become what they call "WAP"s......or what they call "program alignments".....their techs dont get any commissions off subsequent program alignments...so tipping them keeps everyone on your side....usually 20 bones cash....

I then recommend that you yourself must have a good understanding of alignments and what needs to be done........i stand there and watch......and well, at my NTB, they know me and let me do it myself even.......So ive work on building that relationship.........

Obliviously...this isn't the norm...but fine print doesn't exclude after market parts!

I once took one of my vehicles to a different NTB......they gripped and started saying they wouldn't honor it...i walked outside, took the actual receipt/paper work from when i paid for the 5 year special and asked them to show me where it says im excluded..........they frowned and then did my alignment............fine print doesnt exclude aftermarket parts!!! they are just whining to whine.........charging 50 more is moot.....and having all adjustable aftermarket parts makes the Z easier to do than harder..........the front i understand, the Z normally doesn't come with a way to adjust, but doing soo isnt super difficult...

some alignment racks allow for lifting the front end while under alignment lazer to make adjustments.....if so, the front wheels sag enough to adjust the front relatively easily...depending on which upper control arms you have...

-J

 

Because the story is inaccurate.