Alignment ordeal

Chad charges $350 for an alignment. Wedges are extra. The alignment itself is $350. I had to have two dog bones on the rear replaced but that's not part of the alignment. I had wedges put in and made the cost higher but that's extra. The alignment is $350 and that includes shims. Idk, maybe if your truck took 10lbs of shims he might charge extra but he's never charged me for shims and I've never seen him charge anyone else while I've been there.

Doubt it all you want. You don't have to believe it for it to be true.

 

Explain then how its true? Everything's bolted solid. Unless you're smashing the piss out of your truck and bending #### its not coming out of alignment. You've probably got a small amount of play in all the pivot points. Not enough to justify replacement, but enough to compound into a measureable varience.

 

Pretty simple, suspension bolts stretch. Also when the truck is banging hard on the rough spots of the roads it will cause things to move even though they're bolted together. Happens on cars as well. Go hit a curb real hard and see where it does to your alignment. It will need realigned and they're may not be anything wrong with any parts.

 

Lol ok. You're supposed to be checking for stretched and loose u-bolts so that doesn't happen. I don't ever align anything unless I change tie rods. My last pickup never had a wheel alignment until I did the front end at 200k and tires wore perfectly fine. So I'm calling BS.

 

To be fair the quality of your work is the exception, not the rule. The same applies to drivers, for every good one there is a thousand bad ones.

 

Is he still working out of a bay at Tampa spring's frame shop?

 

Get Mike Beckett's book "Truck Wheel Alignment, A Commons Man Guide" and you will become to understand how straight and true most be compensated for and that truck goes where power points it. It is a very good easy read and he points out all the shortcomings of computer alignment equipment.

 

He comes to you or you can meet him at TML truck and trailer in Ocala.

 

In regards to moving the truck, not sure a long test drive is needed, but....

if you watch a good MD person like Chad he will make adjustments and then roll the truck back and forth a few times to let the suspension move and settle and then he checks stuff again. Honestly stuff like that is why MD is superior to computer alignments.

As far as ride height get the specs for your truck from the dealer and set it yourself. My guess is they just moved the rod to another hole on your diff to get it “close enough” and now you have a vibration.

@RStewart the post I quoted you on originally you said $350 total. So I wanted to point out to those reading that it’s not always $350 total, that is all.