took my car in for an alignment and...

[Saleen_SR71]

took my car in for an alignmetn and... (verdict is in!)

i got aftermarket rims... i gues i forgot to post that...

 

[huskyfan23]

What size?

 

[Saleen_SR71]

15's... width i dont know. same with serries

 

[97BlackX5.0]

you know.... unless youve played with the torsion bars the or a lift the only reason you would even need the kit is if your ball joints were worn....if these need to be replaced after you put the new ones in you wont need the kit anymore as it brings it back into spec..... the Cams are really easy to put on ... took me about 10 min a side with basic hand tools in an apartment parking lot.... just have to jack it up and take out one bolt at a time... get it as close as you can then have them align it after your done.... my cams for my 97 were 13 dollars per cam and you need 2 per side from the ford dealer.... so for a little over 50 bucks and i paid 20 for a alignment.... i would def have the ball joints checked... make sure that they dont unload the suspension when checking the ball joints otherwise the angle that they are at will make them seem good.... this is usaully the cause of the tire wear that your getting

 

[Saleen_SR71]

yeah i was looking in to a site and it listed possibilites of why the tire wore like that.... had like 7 options, im going to take it in for service and have the dealership check it out

 

[Doug]

The new cams are literally 4 new bolts that hold the the upper control arms on. the new style cams are alot easier to adjust because thet are elliptical unlike the wacky stock ford ones. Also when checking ball joints you're going to have to jack up the truck to check them, they're going to check the ball joints for play not changes in steering angle. If the angles are thrown off you have bad ball joints. Also 90 bucks an hour for labor is crazy I'd tell them they're on crack.

 

[boominXplorer]

is it lifted or lowered?

 

[draft]

Dude, I paid $80 for 2.5 degree cams AND an alignment here in Chatsworth, California. Do NOT let them feed you the bullcrap you're telling us; they're trying to sell you the entire package - there actually is a "complete kit" and it is WORTHLESS.

$40 for cam adjusters at Napa, another $40-50 or so for alignment.

Trust me, I live in the valley and pay $2.69/gal alone in gas and everything else at 80% markup, that price is rediculous. Besides, my truck was lowered 4/3 and they did it. :\

 

[Saleen_SR71]

i was thinking that doing a TT to raise the front as a temp fix to the problem. (thatll work right?)

well i also talked to the mechanic at work and he said he would check it out this weekend.... which means i need to cancel my appointment, or not show to my appointment... but that guy is the cheapest so i think ill cancel till later (when i lower my car).

i dont want to install it myself...

the car is stock ride height

 

[Saleen_SR71]

well i got my verdict from "Ford".... the toe was wrong... stupid GoodYear try to jip me! hah... well it seems Ford is filled with honest workers.... i doubt going to that wheel shop again...i went from a $600 estamate (to get the fluid flushed also), to a $250ish estamate (with fluids flushed)...

 

[Cali' Explorer]

Good to hear you found the problem.

As some have said, if you are looking for suspension/tire/alignment work, go to a specialty shop. I live in CA (in Sacramento) and had a Camber kit installed with an Alignment. Whole thing cost about $110 to have done, I probably could've had it done cheaper, but my camber was out about 2.5 degrees (yes, I dropped it a ton up front) and I had just gotten new tires, so I didn't want to risk toasting the new tires.

Now I just need to sell these tires, raise the X back up and then lift it and it'll be all right (I was going through a lowering/street phase, I'm better now and back to wanting my X to be an all off-road beast).

Good luck man.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

im still going through the "wanna go fast, and make the car look good at the same time" phase... for me it may only end when i finally have the car like that, and keep it like that

 

[aldive]

What fluids are you "having" flushed?

 

[Saleen_SR71]

had the radiator, and power steering

 

[aldive]

had the radiator, and power steering

You actually "paid" to have that done?

 

[Saleen_SR71]

yup, i aint trippen... my option was either pay, or never do it

 

[aldive]

yup, i aint trippen... my option was either pay, or never do it

Why? A radiator flush is a very simple DIY task. Further, removing the PS fluid with a turkey baster and replacing is too simple to believe.

It appeared in your first post that you were concerned with money.

 

[hydroxy]

The only fluids that require the basic to average DIYer to bring it into a shop should be:

tranny, brakes, diffs, and windshield washer fluid.

While possible to do all of those yourself... I personally would never trust myself to change any of those fluids... especially the washer fluid

everything else just involves a drain you open over a bucket, seal the drain hole back up and pour new stuff in.

Also, those camber adjusters are pretty easy to install yourself. Anyways - if you're looking to go fast and such - you need to learn how to take care of your vehicle yourself or you're going to be spending more on maintenence then aftermarket goodies.

 

[aldive]

Anyways - if you're looking to go fast and such - you need to learn how to take care of your vehicle yourself or you're going to be spending more on maintenence then aftermarket goodies.

Excellent advise.

 

[Saleen_SR71]

yeah i know i could of done the radiator fluid myself, not sure about the steering, but i was thinking, hey the car is in so i may as well have it done.

money was an issue, as i havent gotten a check from work for a whole month and a week. so i was a little pressed for cash, and for the 250 it would of costed just for rippoff good year to install cambers i was able to get the car aligned correctly and get the fluids done