Alignment Issues

[Sven1olaf]

Hi guys,

i have been rotating my tires at every oil change or roughly 6k miles with Mobile 1 synthetic. i got my first alignment done at roughly 60k miles because of tire wear more than anything.

this is what they did:



within 6k miles after that (roughly 2 months) i had blown belts in each of the rears! thats right around $400 in rubber i estimate.

so i got a new set of Firestone Destination AT's put on, mounted, and balanced. i had the tire dealer do an alignment of their own to at least have a baseline to work off of for the new rubber.

this is what they gave me:



can anyone tell me if this is a decent alignment job, or should i continue to look for a good alignment shop. i just can't afford to be replacing tires at this rate. i only got about 37k out of my BFG AT KOs

[pawjr74]

The 2nd set of specs don't seem to show what the specified range for the vehicle should be.

My original BFG's cupped bad on the outer edges. I put a set of Nitto Terra Grapplers on next and they cupped even worse. I'm now running Michelins and the don't seem to be cupping as bad.

I'm not a huge Michelin fan for there tread patterns (not very all terrainish) but it's a great driving tire.

[Sven1olaf]

i know what u mean about not having the tolerances posted on the second set. a point of concern to say the least.

my BFG's cupped horribly in the rear after the first alignment! i had been crossing the fronts and moving them back while just moving the backs forward to the front for rotations.

that and the inside of the rears where worn clear through ALL of the tread, bare. plus the blown belts = WTF!

im just trying to do everything i can to not have to buy another set of tires in 37k miles.

[eieio]

Regarding the Fargo Tire Service, Inc. invoice:
I don't think I could muster up much confidence in the capabilities of a tire shop that can't even spell the word "alignment" correctly in their invoice header.

can anyone tell me if this is a decent alignment job, or should i continue to look for a good alignment shop.

[pawjr74]

The first two sets (factory BFG's and then Nitto Terra Grapplers) only gave me about 20K miles each. Very disappointing. After that I started looking into higher (50K) milage tires and ended up with the Michelins.

Lol eieio! You got them there alignement done yet eh?

[pawjr74]

What do the new Firestone's (Pics if you can) look like & what was the mileage rating on them?

[eieio]

Lol eieio! You got them there alignement done yet eh?

ROTFLMAO

[Tech]

looks like the GM shop in the first img was using hunter equipment - nice alignment rack. As for the second shop, no idea. You will NEVER find an alignment/tire shop that will have a perfect "before", you could go to the same shop again tomorrow and if you didn't get a mechanic that recognized your truck, he's say the toe is out. It's an old (and dishonest)trick. Basically you should looks at your old tires and see if the abnormal wear agrees with the before specs. If you start to see feathering on your new front tires, go back. I see that your rear axle SAI is out. Did you have your vehicle loaded as specified for alignment? Stock ride height?

"set the toe, collect the dough"

[08Datsun]

"set the toe, collect the dough"

I've heard "set the toe and let it go", but that's from the owner's side. Straight axle and twin I beam owner's tend to say it, and I've had both.

I've 8 sets of BFG ATs over the years and no vehicle has worn them worse than the PF. Even my twin I beam F150, whose suspension is often referred to as a tire eater, wears them better. The last time it was aligned was in 1993.

[pawjr74]

So is the pathfinder supposed to be weighted when doing an alignment? (Like BMW) I've never seen a local tire shop put weights in a vehicle.

[Sven1olaf]

looks like the GM shop in the first img was using hunter equipment - nice alignment rack. As for the second shop, no idea. You will NEVER find an alignment/tire shop that will have a perfect "before", you could go to the same shop again tomorrow and if you didn't get a mechanic that recognized your truck, he's say the toe is out. It's an old (and dishonest)trick. Basically you should looks at your old tires and see if the abnormal wear agrees with the before specs. If you start to see feathering on your new front tires, go back. I see that your rear axle SAI is out. Did you have your vehicle loaded as specified for alignment? Stock ride height?

"set the toe, collect the dough"

hey Tech can you tell me what the axle SAI is. sorry for the newb question. I carry tools daily, and at times carry some heavy parcels, but at the time of the alignment i only had my standard PM (preventative maintenance) set, as i almost always do.

i know the tire shops gear probably isnt as good, but my new rubber is tracking AMAZINGLY!!!! in fact, just tonight, i was driving through some of the worst, non blizzard condition, weather i have ever seen before. it was insane. sheets of rain, winds bending trees over sideways, the temperature changed 40+ degrees in less than 120 miles, it was nuts. i actually pulled over under a bridge at one point for lack of visibility and fear of what could be coming across the highway.

the conditions up here in North Dakota change incredibly fast and with unforeseen magnitudes. the open terrain, and culmination of geophysical events create ridiculous weather.

[Sven1olaf]

oh yeah, and pics to come of the firestone destination at's. i didnt have my camera with me today or there would be some sick pics up tonight.

if these 6 plys can last even AS long as the BFG AT KO's did, i will buy another pair without hesitation. i know for a fact i would not have been able to travel at highway speed, using cruise control through the sh!t i did today with the BFG's.

[Tech]

Hey guys,
I haven't checked the procedure for r51 alignment, but some vehicles will specify adding certain amounts of weight in particular locations and/or fuel load. I sometimes service news camera vehicles who are always loaded with permantly affixed cabinets and gear, those guys always get alignments with the normal/working load in vehicle. Basically align it the way it'll be most of it's life.

SAI = steering axis inclination - its generally an indicator of something bent, but it is affected by ride height and load, which is why i was asking the load when you got your alignment. The SAI and camber as well as caster will affect the tracking and steering wheel return/effort.

On occation though, your specs may differ from shop to shop, because of the equipment or the way the heads are mounted on the wheels.

If you're happy with how it drives, give it some time and check for feathering and even wear. Most R51's have some feathering, even with OE tires and specs.

[amr40509]

I've had 4 alignments done over the last 75K miles on my '06. I do a rotation about ever 5K miles.

Both the factory General's and my current Pirelli's have worn the outside edges big time.

My question is, what impact does using the Airlift Airbags have on alignment (if any), and what setting should they be at when getting an alignment?

[disallow]

I've had 4 alignments done over the last 75K miles on my '06. I do a rotation about ever 5K miles.

Both the factory General's and my current Pirelli's have worn the outside edges big time.

My question is, what impact does using the Airlift Airbags have on alignment (if any), and what setting should they be at when getting an alignment?

This is the first I hear of wearing outside edges. Independent rear suspension are notorious for wearing the inside of the tires. You can actually see them lean in if you look from the back. My 98 civic had the same issue.

The airlift helps, and as I've mentioned in other posts, they really helped the wear of my old coopers. I guess if your alignment compensates for the tire lean too much, the air lift could cause wear on the outside of the tires.