Preface: I know we have the rear beam that is not adjustable.

A week ago I had an alignment done at firestone. I have their lifetime alignment. The front camber was out of spec up front, the caster on passenger front was out, and the toe on the driver rear was just barely out at like .25 or something. So I bought some camber bolts and took it back to them. I also replaced my rear brakes before taking it back to them.

The front camber is now in spec, the front right caster is still out, and the rear left toe is about twice as bad now at .49 out. What would have cause this to double in severity in like a week? And what can I do to fix it?

Thanks,
Matt

 

A. you can't adjust it
B. Such a trivial amount of toe in the rear is nothing to worry about
C. the change in toe can be caused by a million things, the two most common being:
-1. how much gas was in the car
-2. how the tech installed the reader on your wheel.

 

Firestone, the operator and or the equipment.

 

Firestone is full of thieves and frauds. I have caught them on several occasions in my years sabotaging my car and my mother's car and suggesting unnecessary parts and fixes. I stay away from them.

 

Well every time my car is there, im standing right there next to it watching. So.. any other ideas other than blaming Firestone?

 

OK, I won't say fire Firestone

Get another opinion......I've been to the fancy "computerized" alignment shops and found out the technicians had no clue what they were doing because when they aligned my car, it still felt like crap afterwards. Then I went to an old school alignment shop with good reputation. No computers or other bells and whistles. They aligned my car
p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y.

 

@ This thread.

 

Get a second opinion from a real alignment shop, not a "burger king of auto repair". The solid beam axle will not change toe like that, short of running the tire into a curb at warp 6, or having a severely rusted axle.

 

So your watching the tech put the sensors on the wheels correctly and calibrate the system correctly prior to unlocking the plates and letting the wheels float to get the initial readings?

I'm still pointing my finger at the equipment or use of it. The stuff is sensitive and does need to be set up and used correctly. There's no way a solid beam gives 2 completely different readings like that unless you seriously hit something prior to bringing the car in.

It's just not happening.

 

and since when do our cars need a 4 wheel alignment?? i've only ever had to pay for the front. the rear's never need it.

 

Its my understanding they use the rears to align the front. So when you get a front alignment they align them with the rears, so I think they first check the rears to make sure they are within spec. before aligning the fronts to them.

 

sounds right

 

Yeah, I didnt hit anything. And ill look for a second opinion while hoping the guys at Firestone are wrong.

Thanks,
Matt