Firestone's Lifetime Alignment

[Leonardo629]

What do you guys think of Firestone's lifeitme alignment plan?? How do they make money when they only charge $149.99 or so when they offer "all you can align"??

I just got my Civic Si aligned by them, and it still drifts to the right, seems like they can't do quality alignment work.....

need your input...

 

[mdocod]

Check your tire pressure.

Check your ball joints.

and [edit]... I've never dealt with firestone.. but my father was never happy with them. I wouldn't support firestone or ford after that tire issue. They both screwed up big.

edit- again: consider road curvature also.. most roads will cause you to drift to the right..

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by mdocod:


and [edit]... I've never dealt with firestone.. but my father was never happy with them. I wouldn't support firestone or ford after that tire issue. They both screwed up big.

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Is it legal to shout "Firestone" in a crowded Explorer?

 

[michaelc80]

They assume that a certain percentage of the people that purchase a "lifetime" alignment won't ever be back. Either the car is traded or the customer forgets they can come back, or they simply never do.

 

[eljefino]

They'll probably still get you if you need to buy any parts, like a camber kit or tie rod ends/ball joints, struts, etc. A good percentage of misalignments are caused by worn front end parts so you'll pay the labor to install those parts too then the "free" part is putting the lazers on and getting it right.

Where they'd lose out is with do-it-yourselfers coming in with shiny new parts, but the odds are probably less than one in twenty. Even then it'll be pretty easy for them since you busted all the rust off the tie rod threads.

 

[Crashbox]

quote:

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Originally posted by mdocod:
-snip-
edit- again: consider road curvature also.. most roads will cause you to drift to the right..

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If aligned properly this shouldn't (usually) happen, at least I don't think so.

Speaking of road crown, it can vary from state to state; it's usually a two per cent cross-slope but may be more or less. Very old two-lane roads were often built with parabolic crowns which have greater slope at the outer edges, this can cause vehicles to drift to the right; also, gravel roads are often constructed with greater cross-slope to improve drainage. I work for a state DOT so I reckon I just had to say something...

 

[znamya]

The people that work in Atlanta firestone is brain-retarded. I bought 4 tires from them and after 2 days, I noticed that they wrote my mileage as 175170. It should have been 104k. I wanted to correct it for warranty issues. My tire size is 175/70 so as you can see the 175170 was a mistake. The brainless fat lady said that they cannot make a mistake in writing in milage and she told me that I rolled back odometer and it is forbidden to make that and If I dont leave she will call a police. I didnt say anything just left firestone for the rest of my life...

 

[Tosh]

You let the fat lady run you out of the store? Talk to her manager.

 

[9c1]

Most car manufacturers in this country align their cars with a slight drift to the right. That way if you fall asleep, or drive while unconscious, you go into the ditch, not oncoming traffic.
Terry

 

[1maniac]

I wouldn't doubt it if in the wording of that warranty there is a clause that says the warranty doesn't cover alignment after the replacement of suspension parts. Unless, of course, you have Firestone replace those parts.

I'd almost bet on it!

 

[frankiee]

At a shop I used to work at there was a retired tech rep for chrysler that used to come in and diagnose some of the shops harder problems.
He fixed up a ladies car for a safty.
A couple of weeks the lady takes it into Canadian Tire in Meaford Ont. and the shop said to her she needed a steering rack and I forget what else for a quite a bit of money. They did not let her take the car saying it was a hazzard and they could not release it like that. The lady got on the phone to this E- tech rep (Bill)
and asked him why he missed the conditon of the rack. He went down there and wanted to see the car but they would not let him into the shop because of insurance regulations.
I forget what all went on. I just heard about it when I got near to the office when he was there.
I fear taking a car to a chain store now because of it and an instance that happened to my brother.
Chain stores are opperated by bussiness people that are highly educated on how to get money from people. Fix the car or not.
I am only saying my opinion and what I have heard in the years. I have never worked at a chain store and have never seen these events happen myself.
I would figure if Firestone's lifeitme alignment plan is only $149.99 , they must have a money maker plan in there somewhere.
They are trained to get your money, not save it

 

[mechtech]

A properly aligned [neutral] car, WILL pull to the right on most roads [because of the crown].
It should pull left a little on the left of a higway lane, because the crown drains left.
No rocket science - just look and see which way the cars lean, and the road drains.

 

[Crashbox]

quote:

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Originally posted by mechtech:
A properly aligned [neutral] car, WILL pull to the right on most roads [because of the crown].
It should pull left a little on the left of a higway lane, because the crown drains left.
No rocket science - just look and see which way the cars lean, and the road drains.

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Roadway crowns drain only on the left side in Europe, Australia, etc. where people drive on the wrong side of the road. Sometimes old alleyways were reverse-crowned so the center portion could channel rainwater away from building structures but that is a true exception.

The roadway crown is highest at the centerline and slopes outward from there, else it wouldn't be a crown...

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

znamya,

If you can't get satisfaction on the mileage issue, take them up on their "30-day test drive" if you're still in that timeframe. Of course, that will mean you'd have to bring in 4 new tires and probably pay to have them installed.

 

[Bret Chase]

quote:

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Originally posted by Crashbox:
[/qb]

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Roadway crowns drain only on the left side in Europe, Australia, etc. where people drive on the wrong side of the road. Sometimes old alleyways were reverse-crowned so the center portion could channel rainwater away from building structures but that is a true exception.

The roadway crown is highest at the centerline and slopes outward from there, else it wouldn't be a crown... [/QUOTE]

not necessarily.. on the Maine Turnpike (I95), the left most lane drains to the left and the right two lanes drain to the right. it's also the same way they plow it 1 left hand and 2 right hand plows.

 

[JavaMan]

quote:

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Originally posted by znamya:
The people that work in Atlanta firestone is brain-retarded. I bought 4 tires from them and after 2 days, I noticed that they wrote my mileage as 175170. It should have been 104k. I wanted to correct it for warranty issues. My tire size is 175/70 so as you can see the 175170 was a mistake. The brainless fat lady said that they cannot make a mistake in writing in milage and she told me that I rolled back odometer and it is forbidden to make that and If I dont leave she will call a police. I didnt say anything just left firestone for the rest of my life...

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I think I would have let her call the police.

 

[Crashbox]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bret Chase:

quote:

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Originally posted by Crashbox:

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Roadway crowns drain only on the left side in Europe, Australia, etc. where people drive on the wrong side of the road. Sometimes old alleyways were reverse-crowned so the center portion could channel rainwater away from building structures but that is a true exception.

The roadway crown is highest at the centerline and slopes outward from there, else it wouldn't be a crown...

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not necessarily.. on the Maine Turnpike (I95), the left most lane drains to the left and the right two lanes drain to the right. it's also the same way they plow it 1 left hand and 2 right hand plows. [/QB][/QUOTE]

I was assuming two-lane roads... also, was the outer-right lane on the Maine Turnpike added later? Yes, I could see a divided-highway scenario where you could have a crown in the center because of certain drainage constraints but it's not normal. If the outer lane was an add-on then it would make sense to continue the slope of the abutting lane.

 

[godspeed1958]

quote:

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Originally posted by 9c1:
Most car manufacturers in this country align their cars with a slight drift to the right. That way if you fall asleep, or drive while unconscious, you go into the ditch, not oncoming traffic.
Terry

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Nah! The road is crowned to the right for water run off.

 

[Bret Chase]

quote:

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I was assuming two-lane roads... also, was the outer-right lane on the Maine Turnpike added later? Yes, I could see a divided-highway scenario where you could have a crown in the center because of certain drainage constraints but it's not normal. If the outer lane was an add-on then it would make sense to continue the slope of the abutting lane.

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the third lane was added during a partial rebuild that finished last year. some places were a total re-engineer and some spots they just added the lane. Every 3 lane road I've been on has been crowned the same way.

 

[Crashbox]

I reckon I'll have to get out my AASHTO "Green Book" and take a closer look- it's dated 1990 but is probably still valid fron a road crown standpoint.