Front end alignment

tier10 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:57 pm

I just lifted my liberty 2.5" with the daystar kit. I'm currently running stock tires. I have some 245 wrangler MTRs to have mounted and balanced. Should I mount the tires before the alignment or after? Or does it matter? I know it has to get aligned.

RAYMAN975 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:50 pm

it shouldnt matter. the tire size doesnt have anything to do with how the suspension angles/adjustments are so that they can align it.

tier10 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:58 pm

OK Thanks Ray! Oh and by the way those spring compressors from autozone worked ten times better then the ones I originally tried.

Thanks for your help!

JMSMN · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 2:51 pm

How long till you get the alignment? Would wait to put them on till after you get it aligned. No need for wxtra wear on the tires. I put my lift in, then before I got it aligned had to make an emergency trip to SD. Out there and back chewed up my goodyears. About 400 miles. I would wait personally.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 2:54 pm

You need to align within the first 100 miles at least then again after it all settles in. At least the toe in needs set right away, you can do that by yourself and I bet it did chew the tires off in 400 miles :shock:

JMSMN · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 4:54 pm

Now I get my new tires right away. Wife said I have to wait but cant anymore.

tier10 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 8:26 pm

Yeah at worst I'll put the tires on and then drive to get the alignment. That's about it, running stock until I can get in for the alignment. I'm going to make some phone calls tomorrow for the alignment.

JMSMN · **Posted:** Sun Aug 09, 2009 8:35 pm

I went to firestone on friday and got an lifetime alignment for 148$ and change out the door. Thought that was a pretty good deal. Great customer service also.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:12 am

Wait a couple weeks and then get the alignment. Let the lift settle some, first. If you are going to replace the tires with the bigger ones very soon, wait to do the alignment until after you swap them. If you are going to be many weeks/months before you make the swap, get the alignment after a couple weeks of the lift install.

Go with Firestone for a lifetime alignment plan. They have stores all over the country. If you get one with a regional or just local place, you may find yourself paying fo rone if you are outside of their area and need one really bad (i.e. an off-roading trip to Moab).

RAYMAN975 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:36 pm

he has the daystar spacer lift, it shoudnt settle, maybe some after the first drive around the block, but that should be it.

i had a bad experience with firestone aligning my jeep. they lied to me twice, and still never got it aligned correctly.
after i put on my JBA 4.5 upper arms, i took it for an alignment because of the terrible positive camber since the upper arms push the wheel out

first time, i get it back, it pulls really bad to the right and the camber is still way off on the driver side. i take it in the next morning, they make it track straight, but i look at the front of my jeep, and the camber is still way off. so i go back in and tell them what the hell, my tires are going to wear terrible on the outside like this. they said its "in spec" but they also said they couldnt get the cambolt loose on the drivers side. so this is when i start getting frustrated.

so i say well how did you get it "in spec" if you couldnt get that bolt loose to align it? and why wasnt i told this the first time that you couldnt get it right without getting that cambolt loose. so they gave me my money back

i went to take it to a local family shop(Northfield Tire) by my house that i have gotten it aligned at before, and they wouldnt do it because the rear-tri-link bushings were shot and seperated, and the front wheelbearings were bad. they wont do it unless they can get it perfect. so i replaced that stuff and got it aligned and its great now! i just dont understand why Firestone wouldnt tell me that stuff was that bad when they "aligned" it.

i took it to Norhfield Tire when i first lifted my jeep, and they did a great job. but this time, i didnt want to wait a few days because they were booked all weekend, so thats why i took it to Firestone. well, lesson learned, its better to wait for a trusted shop that i have had GREAT luck with before, then to rush somewhere else

tier10 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 10, 2009 5:46 pm

I'm taking it to a place in Ravenna called Rivers. They have done alignments on every vehicle I have owned and never had a problem. They have always done my dads vehicles too even before I was born. Sorry about your luck at firestone Ray.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:44 pm

You will get those issues here and there. I wouldn't call all Firestone's as crappy because of one shop. I have had issues with Firestone shops in the past for other things (they tried to rip me off). That was decades ago. I have not had any problems with the current place I go to.

RAYMAN975 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:49 pm

oh i didnt mean it like that. there will always be specific shops like that. all depends on the workers, not the actual chain/company

louder2kj · **Posted:** Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:33 pm

I just got an alignment at Firestone and they couldn't get the caster in spec. The counter guy couldn't answer my questions he just kept repeating and highlighting the notes the tech guy wrote. "Aligned best as possible vehicle lifted with over sized tires" He then recommended I get some really cheap tires. I don't think he even looked at my jeep. The guy was a robot and not a very good salesman. I've gotten it aligned before at the same store and they were much more helpful.

The guy at the Goodyear where I bought new tires afterward went over the print out and looked to see if there were more adjustments possible. Gotta love chains you never know what you'll get.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:25 pm

Just like shopping for a Jeep dealer and good maintenance shop. You hear a lot of horror stories with Jeep Dealers and their Sales/Maintenance/Parts Departments, but when you find a good one, stay with them and support them. Just be thankful you got one close to you.

tier10 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:50 pm

Tokyojoe wrote:

Just like shopping for a Jeep dealer and good maintenance shop. You hear a lot of horror stories with Jeep Dealers and their Sales/Maintenance/Parts Departments, but when you find a good one, stay with them and support them.

Good point!

I got the alignment done today and had the tires mounted and balanced as well. It definitely feels better turning sharp corners to park in parking lots. Before the alignment it felt as if it wanted to "jump" around the turn. Like the wheel wanted to take over and turn on its own. Now it feels more balanced through the turn.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:00 pm

louder2kj wrote:

I just got an alignment at Firestone and they couldn't get the caster in spec. The counter guy couldn't answer my questions he just kept repeating and highlighting the notes the tech guy wrote. "Aligned best as possible vehicle lifted with over sized tires" He then recommended I get some really cheap tires. I don't think he even looked at my jeep. The guy was a robot and not a very good salesman. I've gotten it aligned before at the same store and they were much more helpful.

The guy at the Goodyear where I bought new tires afterward went over the print out and looked to see if there were more adjustments possible. Gotta love chains you never know what you'll get.

A lifted KJ and getting all the specs back into the green is about 50/50 chance.I've done many alignments on lifted KJ's(I work at a firestone) and many stock one also and it's really a 50/50 chance.

I always get the critical specs into the green like camber and toe.Caster has zero effect on tire wear so if that is in the red still as long as it can be placed at least within .5 degrees of the otherside you are good to go.Now many lifted KJ's I get get both camber and caster into spec but not at the same time so camber always wins.I will make sure caster is at least within .5 degrees of each other.

Caster is a weird spec,it has nothing to do with tire wear but effects how hard/soft the steering wheel turns and stability at high speeds.Well since a KJ is no speed demon alot of caster is not critical plus if you wheel your KJ about 1.5-2.5 degrees of caster will greatly improve steering response and effort at low speeds.

Lastly don't feel alone,the new FJ Cruiser are nearly impossible to get back into OEM specs after being lifted 2"-3" also(done a few of them also).

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:41 am

I'll be getting my 2nd "Lifetime" alignment done tomorrow at Firestone.

Front end alignment

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