seagel1000

Hello

Will it be the same results going to Firestones's Alignment shops vs going to a Mercedes Benz dealership?

I was planning on buying the lifetime alignment package from Firestone offered around $165 versus paying the dealership about the same for 1 alignment. A note to keep in mind, I have no aftermarket suspension components installed on my vehicle. All stock.

Thanks for any inputs.

Chris

TemjinX2

i believe almost all the alignment shops use machines now, so it'll be the same. I think only race shops still use manual alignments so they can do custom setups.

Norwichdelta06

i would wait awhile for the firestone lifetime alignment... they are always coupons floating around for them for 30-60 off

Norwichdelta06

http://www.firestonecompleteautocare...fers/index.jsp

91RS

I would make sure they can align your car properly with the lifetime thing first. The rear toe is a little tricky to get a tool on the adjustment bolt and needs a strange stocket to move it. Front caster/camber adjustment requires a kit and some knowledge to install it properly and not tear up the bushing. Where the PO had an alignment done on my car installed the kit the wrong way and moved the camber even more negative than it already was and then decided not to fix their mistake and left it that way. Just something to keep in mind, definately read the fine print to make sure you're getting your money's worth. Heck, for all I know the lifetime alignment may only cover front toe adjustment and anything else is extra anyway. Of course their main reason for the lifetime alignment is to keep you coming back to they can try and get you to buy other services while your there.

Hmm, the BMW guys don't seem to think it's a good deal: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=549499

maverik259

firestone/tire kingdom etc cant adjust the caster/camber angle...they just do the toe angle!

seagel1000

I heard the same from my friend with a 2002 325i. They couldn't fully adjust as much as dealers can. Recently I asked him again what he thought of Firestone Tire centers and their alignment service. He mentioned the shops vary and also the tech (just like anything or anyone else in business).

My 2nd local shop in Downey, they said they could do it no problem. So I'll see.

Glyn M Ruck

Not True! They can do the whole works including rear.

maverik259

well idk all i know is that the guy from sears says NTB cant (which is a sister company of Tire Kingdom). Firestone says they only adjust toe angle. And I have 3 year alignment at tire kingdom and if they did adjust it I wouldn't have problems I have, lol. I assume.

BenzteK82

U GET WHAT U PAY FOR! NUf Said!

TemjinX2

if your not excessively dropped any decent shop should be able to get the alignment to oem specs or very close since if your drop you will have negative camber unless you get a camber kit. Struts in the front and independent suspension in the rear is the same setup as civics, so its not like this suspension is a very exotic setup.

Glyn M Ruck

I used a Firestone shop in Dallas/Rockwall earlier this year to do a friend's Studebaker GT Hawk with a 500hp crate engine - 6 speed auto tranny & new suspension & brakes all round. We set the whole suspension up from scratch.

An alignment shop that can't set castor & camber is not an alignment shop's a$$

I lived in the US for a long while & every alignment shop I used had a decent alignment machine capable of full 4 wheel alignment.

This is the minimum that an alignment shop should be capable of. My car in humble little Cape Town. Greater Cape Town would have about 50 machines capable of this.



or if you want pretty pictures of a bent car

jcnash

Nice!

Any chance you have the specs for the coupe?

Glyn M Ruck

I'll have a look - Don't think I have

jcnash

Awesome. Thanks for looking Glyn!

jcnash

I found this here

https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...ent-specs.html

Can anyone validate?





"Yes, the guide being referenced should do the trick.

Here's what I know:

Front Toe: 0 degrees 11' minimum to 0 degrees 21' max. Best to get both wheels as close to matching as possible.

Rear Toe: 0 degrees 17' min. to 0 degrees 24' max. This is less critical as long as both sides are reasonably close.

Front camber on mine varied from -.12 degrees to +.29 degrees, and it seems fine.

Rear camber varied from -0.92 degrees to -1.00 degrees on either side.

In addition, to cure a persistent pull to the right, we settled on:

Left Front Caster: 9.51 degrees /// Right Front Caster: 9.76 degrees

The small caster difference completely cured the pull. The slight toe-in and camber variances in front seem to have caused no problems - I rotate the tires about every 3000 miles, and they are wearing perfectly evenly and are still balanced and smooth at nearly 18,000 miles.

Hope this helps."

91RS

Here is my perfect alignment performed by myself AFTER the drop. Renntech FTW. Not bent up like my old car!