Firestone Alignment - I Am Told I Need To Purchase Eccentric Cam Bolts

With Ford suspensions, do not even bother with anyone who isn't confident in what they are doing and can't tell you "no problem."

My torsion bar Explorer only needed the cam bolts after the shop at work mangled some of the original hardware in their failed attempt to replace the control arms. Once it was clear that I may as well have brought a Space Shuttle in, I took it to a reputable shop with a full set of cam bolts I got from O'Reilly's. They were SPC brand and seemed well made and came with instructions. That Explorer is now probably the best handling Ford truck I have ever owned, has perfectly even tire wear, and just drives great, but it would have the original bolts if I took it to the reputable place the first time. My 02 coil spring Ranger loves the taste of ball joints/upper control arms, but is still on 100% original bolts, and it drives really good and has no issues. The torsion bar Explorer's handling is just another level of good though. Basically, you need a better suspension guy, the guy you got would be using the cam bolts as a bandaid, whereas a good guy would use them to make it perfect.
 
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I've aligned many Ford trucks with and without eccentric bolts, while it can be done with the factory bolts the eccentrics make it quick and easy.
With how inexpensive the bolts are, I see no reason not to swap them out.
I used to buy my tires from TIRE KINGDOM and NTB. I would be sitting in the customer area looking out the window at the techs and how they worked. One morning I was at a TK in Tampa getting my tires rotated and balanced. The alignment tech had a 2005 F150 XLT on the alignment rack. When it came time to do the adjustments he brought out {2} 36" pry bars to start the task. After awhile he called the manager out to the bay. While one was adjusting with the pry bars, the other was tightening the bolts. They would look at the display board and had to do it over, and over, and over..............This is why the caster/camber kit is worth EVERY penny! Especially for a front end tech. ;)
 
That is really strange because generally even Firestone will get parts from time to time from a local retailer using a commercial account for discount pricing and many of those chains like AutoZone deliver???
If you are sure that was what she told you .....
I would highly recommend to call and talk to the manager tomorrow or Firestone may be buying you a pair of new tires?
I had an alignment done by the local Firestone. They said my car does need a shim but that’s a return trip when I install them. I’m kinda tempted to stop by with my alignment report and see if they can get me a printout of what shim I need.

My local store uses AutoZone, I think that’s what many of them use. However, with Bridgestone Retail Operations(the legal name of Firestone Auto Care/Wheel Works) signing a deal with Advance to sell DieHard batteries at Firestone stores and Carl Icahn’s Pep Boys letting Advance take over the retail parts counters there, chances are AAP wants in at Firestone.

If it was me, get the cam kit and install it. You have a year to return for an alignment. I usually steer people to Firestone for alignments if they can swing the “lifetime” one.
 
There's an indy shop (Terrences) in town where the owner and another mechanic (both ASE certified) do the BEST front end alignments in the Parish. I bought my cam kit, l think in Dec. 2019. Jan. 2020, I had Terrence (the owner) install the cam kit on my F150 and align it. Ever since then my truck drives straight as an arrow. On a good road/highway, l can take my hands off of the steering wheel and my truck just drives so perfect/straight as an arrow! And, it's all because of that cam kit l had installed. That, and Terrence being able to do the BEST alignments in the Parish!
If you own a Ford that can benefit from this kit, BUY IT and have it installed, then aligned. You won't regret it!
 
My Expy also drove straight as an arrow and had perfectly even tire wear for the past 250k miles and never had an alignment (unless one was done within the first 125k before I got it, and factory non-cam bolts. I even changed the upper control arm on drivers side and still perfect since last year when I changed it.
I messed up this time...forgot to mark the bolt location before taking out the control arm, so I just lined up the washers with the shiny wear marks on the bracket, but that was not good enough. Shame on me I guess...lessons learned.
Spoke to Firestone today. Manager was not in and master mechanic is on vacation until Monday, so no one with experience to talk to there.
Might just take your advice and spend the 50.00 and 2 hours to install and get it over with...then there should be no excuses next time I spend 4 hours of my day to drive to and get the alignment.
Thanks for all the feedback, I have a much better understanding now.
 
Moog sells the cam bolts with a square hole that looks like it can be adjusted with a ratchet head. AC Delco does not have that, just the squared off portion in the hole for the bolt to do the adjustment.
Is one any better than the other? I saw one review with pictures showing the Moog adjuster slot rounded out as if the metal was too soft.
AC Delco Professional made in South Korea
 
Went back to Firestone a few days ago to get alignment completed after changing cam bolts as requested.
I went as a walk-in, no appointment.
Apparently someone drove a vehicle into their alignment rack and threw it out of alignment.
Still waiting for it to get fixed.
 
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