Your Raptor and It's Alignment

[khcdave]

I would make them redo it. The wheel should be perfect. I don't let trucks leave our shop unless they are dead on straight. It drives me crazy. Dealers never care. I had a rack done 2 weeks ago and told them not to bother aligning it and I would do it. They insisted and the wheel is way off, they never checked the pressure and the alignment isn't even close. Plus they gave me lots of nice grease prints all over the front end. And I know the guys!!!!! Brutal. I almost did the rack myself but it was hard to pass up a free one.

 

[iSurvive]

I did the mid-perch a few weeks ago and the first dealer I took it to was unable to adjust the caster/camber because it didnt have the alignment cams already installed. I had them and asked if they would do it and they tried but their new Hunter rack was unable to lift the truck's front wheels high enough off the ground to get the load off the suspension. So they adjusted the toe (which was out) and sent me on my way. The alignment was still within Fords specs but I wanted it closer to the numbers I got from this site.

So last night I was able to install the alignment cams and got it pretty close to what was it was. As I drove it to the second dealer (one who could do the job), it didn't pull or wander. In fact it drove very well. Well anyway, I gave the tech the numbers I wanted it set to and he got it pretty spot on. The truck now feels even better driving down the highway. Only thing that bugs me now is the red strip is about 1/4" left of center but Im trying to ignore it and get use to it.

Here are my final numbers:

View attachment 31265

The red centering line on the steering wheel is often whacked after an alignment. I specifically request on the work order that the strip is at exactly 12:00 on the wheel. One out of every two alignments are still wrong. They act like I'm high maintenance when I request an adjustment. One manager told me it was aligned, but I most have driven over a rock or pothole and pulled it off center. This was 12 hrs after the initial alignment.

Don't put up with this crap! It can be done correctly if they give a damn.

 

[Towerhog]

Crawled under the truck to mark the cams with a black line (to see if anything moves between alignments). You would not believe what I found. First thing I found was a pair of vise-grips hanging on for dear life attached to my tie rod. Guess he used that to make the finite adjustments. Then I found the rear bolt on the pass side slightly rounded off on one edge (like his wrench slipped) and then the rear cam plate was distorted when he tried to adjust the nut with the bolt too tight. What a fricken circus. I can guarantee that I wont be taking it back to that dealer again and when they send the survey Ill make sure to let them know.

The reason I wont be going back to complain (but I will call them) is that its an hour drive each way and just not worth the price of gas. Ill just order a new bolt and cam set and redo it when its time for the next alignment and find a new place. At least I got a new pair of vise-grips for my trouble.

 

[pirate air]

I'm buying my own alignment rack.

 

[Madcowranch]

Crawled under the truck to mark the cams with a black line (to see if anything moves between alignments). You would not believe what I found. First thing I found was a pair of vise-grips hanging on for dear life attached to my tie rod. Guess he used that to make the finite adjustments. Then I found the rear bolt on the pass side slightly rounded off on one edge (like his wrench slipped) and then the rear cam plate was distorted when he tried to adjust the nut with the bolt too tight. What a fricken circus. I can guarantee that I wont be taking it back to that dealer again and when they send the survey Ill make sure to let them know.

The reason I wont be going back to complain (but I will call them) is that its an hour drive each way and just not worth the price of gas. Ill just order a new bolt and cam set and redo it when its time for the next alignment and find a new place. At least I got a new pair of vise-grips for my trouble.

If I didn't know better, I'd think we used the same dealer!

 

[pirate air]

The vise grips is funny. You can tell that tec threw in the towel and called it beer thirty before the alignment done.

Until things are restructured for the world of mechanics, the service is going to get worse and worse.

 

[Zman12]

Well I took my truck after doing mid perch at 150 miles to Firestone on Sunday. All I got was a ****** alignment and 4 scratched wheels. Yep my brand new truck with the ford beadlocks, I have a claim in for 4 new wheels waiting on a call from Firestone corporate! I am still so pissed it is hard to type about it.

Every place the alignment sensor legs touched it scratched the paint down to bare metal in some spots.

 

[Towerhog]

Well I took my truck after doing mid perch at 150 miles to Firestone on Sunday. All I got was a ****** alignment and 4 scratched wheels. Yep my brand new truck with the ford beadlocks, I have a claim in for 4 new wheels waiting on a call from Firestone corporate! I am still so pissed it is hard to type about it.

Every place the alignment sensor legs touched it scratched the paint down to bare metal in some spots.

Thats a bummer. Thats why I look for alignment shops that use the hunter alignment racks with the wheel transmitters that clamp around the tire not on the rim. No scratches whatsoever.

This is what youre looking for:

 

[Zman12]

Thats a bummer. Thats why I look for alignment shops that use the hunter alignment racks with the wheel transmitters that clamp around the tire not on the rim. No scratches whatsoever.

Good to know, it was a hunter. But I will do some research and find a scratch less alternative for sure. Be nice if I could find someone that knows actually how to use it too.

 

[Zman12]

Well Firestone corporate finally authorized to pay for 4 new rims with a total cost of $8300. Just crazy the wheels straight from Ford are this much. Anyway I also ordered the alignment kits, I figure I will go ahead and install, take truck to Ford for the Alignment with the Hunter Hawkeye system with old wheels on then, when wheels come in have them exchanged. I just hope Ford will align to specs you guys have recommended.