First, I don't have a lift yet, But I wanted to get an alignment today, so I went to Firestone because of their Lifetime Alignment.. I didn't get one because for some reason there were no techs that could perform an alignment. He also told me that once the Jeep is lifted it voids the Lifetime Alignment, and that they cant even align it if it is lifted.. I understand because they just type in what car it is and the computer takes the factory specs. I know it is possible to align lifted vehicles and such, I guess you need a real mechanic, and not one at Firestone (no offense to anyone who works at Firestone, lol). The reason I bring this up is because I remember people saying that they have the Lifetime alignment and have aligned their lifted Jeep. So I guess what I'm getting at is what should my next step be? lol. Should I just take it to someone that can do an alignment on any vehicle or its condition.

This post isn't that well thought out, but I guess I just want to start some sort of discussion about it so I understand more.

Thanks in advance to everyone who has any input..

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-dbk
SOLD2007 6 Speed - Projector Retrofit -Custom LED Tail Lights - Lights on Cowl & 130w 8" ProComps - Full Skids-RockLizard Super Skink Sliders-Front Hitch
Frankenlifted-Al's A-Arms-Goodyear Duractracs 31x10.5R15x7 Cragar D Window 4"bs-Cobra 75WXST - 4' Firestick
4.10s sitting in a box - 3
Sold-1988 Suzuki Samurai
2002 Jeep TJ

Specs are the same lifted or unlifted
I would go somewhere else to find a real alignment person that knows what they are doing.Doesn't matter what company you deal with ( Firestone,Goodyear or any big name tire shop) some have real mechanics that know what they are doing, others just have parts replacer's.
I suppose they could void your lifetime after you do a lift but can't really say why and on what grounds.
I have mine done at a small family owned place that has real mechanics that know how to read the specs and do an alignment.

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MUDD'S MOTORSPORT'S We do IFS lift installs ,
03 OVERLAND EDITION /Kilby-Skidrow-Mopar-4XGuard skids/ 2.5 inch TOTAL CONTROL JBA coilovers -JBA Arms/MOABS-31 FALKEN WILDPEAK AT3W / 4.10's etc, 04 Kilimanjaro Edition loaded, plus 05 KJ limited

I brought mine to Firestone after I installed my JBA A-arms a few months ago. They sold me the lifetime alignment, and aligned it with no problems at all!

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2004 Black Renegade, manual transmission, Frankenlifted, JBA 4.5 A-arms, 31" Super Swamper M16's on Pro Comp 8128 wheels, MagnaFlow exhaust, Volant cold air intake, and clear front signals.

they just want to give you a hard time...the sears I went to said once we do the alignment, we wont guarantee it, so once we do it, if we break it, its your problem...which absolutely sucks

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Steve
2018 RAM 1500 Rebel
2003 KJ
Mods:Exterior: Frankenlift + 2 extra rear iso, JBA UCAs, ARB Bumper w/XRC8, Safari Snorkel, 265/75/16 AT, Mopar Skids, Boulderbars, RL Gecko Sport Rack
Interior: Infinity Reference speakers, 12" Alpine Type R Sub, Alpine radio, Gauge Pods (Oil, Volts), Cobra Cb, All J Interior Rack

Go to another Firestone...Goodyear has lifetimes, and a few of the other national chains out there. Always a risk of them having Johnny Know-nothing try to do your alignment.

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New KJ Gear - Desert Armor Flak

2004 Renegade Light Khaki - 4" JBA Lift - Rock Lizard Products: Komodo Dragon Rear Bumper, Prototype Winch-mount Front Bumper, Super Skink Sliders - All J's Super Tranny Skid II - 31" Firestone Destination AT's on Moab wheels - Cobra 75W CB w/ stock Antenna mod

[b]Retired, US Military

That's what I "kinda" thought..



Yeah, so I guess that just confirmed it.

I guess I just gotta go back, and tell them what's up.. Hopefully not get the same guy.



How do you stand by your products like that (or not at all) .. I hate when companies do that.



Yeah, but how do you know one day Johnny Know-nothing is there, and the next time I bring it in, its Billy Harvard.. that's just a risk we're going to have to deal with no matter what chain we take it to. I guess we're still better off just spending the extra money and taking it to a real mechanic.

Thanks everyone for helping out, once again I am forever indebted to you.

_________________
-dbk
SOLD2007 6 Speed - Projector Retrofit -Custom LED Tail Lights - Lights on Cowl & 130w 8" ProComps - Full Skids-RockLizard Super Skink Sliders-Front Hitch
Frankenlifted-Al's A-Arms-Goodyear Duractracs 31x10.5R15x7 Cragar D Window 4"bs-Cobra 75WXST - 4' Firestick
4.10s sitting in a box - 3
Sold-1988 Suzuki Samurai
2002 Jeep TJ

get the alignment after the lift and tires. Buy a lifetime and make sure they understand you will be back often to have it checked while the lift settles and after a hard trip wheeling. My local Merchants is Jeep Mod friendly so no problems for me, except for the hard wheeling part...I suck.

ALSO, find and join a local Jeep club. they can tel you which dealers/shops will do you right. You may get some KJ ribbing from the members but if it's a good club they will still understand that "it's a Jeep thing" and tolerate you!

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Jason
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I work at Firestone,have done more alignments on lifted KJ's then I can count,more for non-lifted KJ's and all with lifetime alignments,not to mention the countless other lifted vehicles that are not KJ's.You need to ask who there "A" tech(lead tech) or Technician Specialist is then insist one or the other preform your alignment,and yes you can request a certain tech that is qualified(and both of those will be more then qualified and know how to do a alignment).

Heck I even have the lifetime alignment on my KJ,have had for 3 years and well before I worked there and never had a issue,and no doing the SFA swap did not in anyway void my lifetime alignment as it was written up as "new parts installed" as should be done with any other suspension modification.

Ive done the alignment on my KJ several times, and done them on many other lifted vehicles as well. It is not always possible to get a lifted vehicle completely in spec without installing the proper parts, for example when I lifted my KJ and kept the stock upper controls arms, I was never able to get the camber in as there wasnt enough adjustment from the factory.
My al's arms fixed the problem.

Our "a" tech at work ALWAYS wants the store to charge for a "custom wheel alignment" on lifted or lowered vehicles and I end up going over and doing them, if they wont go completely in spec I bring the customer out and explain to them what needs done to fix the problem and send them away with a 6month/6,000 mile warranty knowing that if they get the parts to correct it installed we will realign under warrenty.

IMO a "custom wheel alignment" should be for those vehicles that have had MAJOR suspension modifications that no longer fall into factory specs. for example a solid front axle Liberty would or something like a 32ford that is running mustang II suspension.

No one in the shop but me would even attempt to do my Bronco II as it has 10 wide wheels and wider than stock axles on a suspension lift and an extended wheelbase and I have no idea how to set the rack up for a custom wheel alignment, I called several other shops in the area and told them how it was set up, I got one shjop to tell me they could pull the tape measurer out and do it that way but no oen would put it on thier rack. I ended up setting it up for the truck the axles came from and picked the options closest to the bronco II. I can atleast run 70mph now and left of the wheel and have it still go striaght.

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Jeepless again.

Wheeling an Isuzu Rodeo on 1 tons
and a Stock Chevy Tracker