I took my truck to Belle Tire 3 times now for an alignment. I have always taken my vehicles there and they have done a great job, but for some reason they can not f*ckin align my truck. Are rangers really that hard to align? I know its not the tires, because they are new and it needed one before these tires were put on. I want it fixed, but everytime I go back there they adjust it and something else is wrong. Like if it pulls to the left when I take it in. It will pull to the right after, or this latest time, it walks all over the place. I just want your guys input on this.

~CB

 

take it to a dealer, or a frame shop, if you have a frame shop that you heard does good work they usually do an awesome job on alignments and they are cheap.

 

Yeah, the logical thing would be dealer I know. My only thing is then I have to shell out more money. Maybe I can force Belle Tire to pay the bill, after all, they are the idiots that can't get it right. In any event, I suppose I will call the dealer....

 

Did you pay them 3 times, or just come back and tell them to fix it each time?

 

Just told them to fix it, there is no way I would keep paying for there f*ck ups.... LOL....

 

You could have bad tires.. try crossing your front tires to see if it pull the other direction...rangers arent real that hard to align.. did you get a print out of the alignment?

 

i had NTB (national tire & batery) do mine, went back >>>>6<<<< times and i was Pissed!! so i wnet into the bay with them and hes like ok all set try that and they still had red # not aligned to spec spo so i was like dude wtf its not aligned i'm nit stupid and hes like o to fix that u need a camber adjustment kit

so maybe its that cause rangers dont come with them unless someone puts them in but check that and tell them

that u want a print out of the alignment!

 

RED doesnt mean anything.... the spec could be pulled up for another vehicle..I dont pull up specs for a vehicle unless i dont know what the specs are... When you do Alignments all day every day you remember specs.. I work at an alignment shop and i have never sold a camber kit for the newer rangers.. all you have to do is pull the bolts out of the upper control arm and take the plate off of the bolt the reinstall the bolts..

 

I'm not sure if this applies to your rig or not, but my alignment issues drove me crazy until I read this and had the shim kit installed. It drives straight as an arrow now.

Steering/Suspension - Alignment Procedure Revision

TSB 04-24-19

12/13/04

REVISED PROCEDURE FOR ADJUSTING ALIGNMENT
ON ALL SUSPENSIONS - NEW RIGHT HAND UPPER
CONTROL ARM DESIGN FOR TORSION BAR FRONT
SUSPENSIONS

FORD:
1998-2001 Explorer
1998-2003 Ranger
2000-2003 Explorer Sport
2001-2003 Explorer Sport Trac

ISSUE
The cam bolt and nut kit that was used for adjusting caster and camber on all torsion bar and coil spring front suspensions has been discontinued. If the caster and camber settings need to be adjusted, a washer must now be installed.

The right hand upper control arm design changed from a two piece design to a single piece design during the 2003 model year. The single piece design is now the only version of the upper control arm available for service of prior model year Rangers.

ACTION
Use the following Camber And Caster Adjustment procedure when either camber or caster need to be adjusted on any suspension, or if only a caster split adjustment is needed on a vehicle equipped with single piece upper control arm.

Use the following Caster Split Adjustment - Two Piece Right Hand Upper Control Arm procedure if only a caster split adjustment is needed on a vehicle equipped with a two piece upper control arm.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

CAMBER AND CASTER ADJUSTMENT

NOTE THE UPPER CONTROL ARM-TO-FRAME MOUNTING BOLTS HAVE SET SHIMS THAT MUST BE REPLACED WITH WASHERS TO ALLOW FOR ADJUSTMENT OF THE ARM IN THE FRAME SLOT. THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE SUPPORTED BY THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO EASE MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER ARM IN THE SLOT.





1. Remove and discard the upper control arm-to-frame nuts and shims (Figure 1).

2. Install new washers (W705040-5900) and nuts (N805480-5427). Tighten the nuts so there is tension, but the upper control arm can be moved for the alignment adjustment.






3. To adjust caster and camber refer to the chart. Adjustments that require moving the front and rear of the upper control arm should be made equally.

4. Torque the upper control arm-to-frame nuts to 98 lb.ft (133 N.m).

5. Check and if necessary adjust the front toe. Refer to the appropriate Workshop Manual for information.


CASTER SPLIT ADJUSTMENT - TWO PIECE RIGHT HAND UPPER CONTROL ARM





1. To decrease the right hand caster, loosen the ball joint adjustment nuts (Figure 2) and move the ball joint forward.

2. To increase the right hand caster, loosen the ball joint adjustment nuts and move the ball joint rearward.

3. Torque the ball joint adjustment nuts to 129 lb.ft (175 N.m).

4. Check and if necessary adjust the front toe. Refer to the appropriate Workshop Manual for information.






WARRANTY STATUS: Eligible Under Provisions Of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage

DEALER CODING
CONDITION
BASIC PART NO. CODE
3084 07

 

I have a print out in the truck, if you want I can post what it says, I would scan it but I am at work, sorry.....

 

Chris take it to Bill Brown Auto Clinic in Canton.. your truck will get alinged correctly. there not the cheapest but they do damn good work

http://www.yellowpages.com/sp/morein...0auto%20clinic

 

Ha Stone thats cool.... Thats like 5 minutes from my GF's dads house, I think.

But like an hour from me. Maybe I will take a ride out there this weekend, are they pricey? Not that it matter if they do it right, just wondering.....

 

Here is a picture of the specs sheet after they did it......

 

It took em about 3 hours to align my truck..... (local tire place)

 

Well it only took these guys an hour each time, but its been 3 times already!! So I guess it has been 3 hours for me too, and it still isn't right....

 

I got mine aligned yesterday but my friend did it so I know its perfect

 

To bad your in Texas, I would pay him to do mine. LOL...

 

Roadtrip? lol

 

LMAO I would love to see Texas, but I couldn't stand to drive the fricken truck all the way there with it like this....

 

You said you had good servcie there before, did they hire a new alignment person since then? I would ask.
Now what I would do is talk to the owner and find out if he will do anything for you.

My last copy of AARP told the story of guy sending his wife to get new Michelins put on the car. She came home with some cheapo tires. He went and talked to them and they said it was against company policy to swap out the tires once they were on and used. The guy went home printed out 20 sheets of his bad service, paperclipped a $20 bill to each one and went back. He told the manager that he wanted the correct tires put on or he was going to give each customer waiting in line one of these and tell them to go across the street for good service. Surprise!! He got his Michelins.

 

yes there expensive but they know what there doing and CALL BEFORE and make an appointment they always have more work then they need

 

Heres the deal, for people who don't know. Belle Tire is a chain store. There is one right by my house and when I went there a few weeks ago they said it was fine, all in spec. So I drove it a few more days and it wasn't right, I know something was off. So I went to another Belle tire on my way home from work. Once they got the truck in, they said yup, its definatly off. So I took it home and althought it was better, it wasn't right. So I took it back, 2 more times, and it is still doing the same crap. It seems like its fighting itself. You can even see when looking at the truck from a distance in the front that the tires are not even, one leans in at the top more than the other....

 

If one tire leans in more at the top, you prolly do need a camber kit.

 

i got my brother to take mine to be aligned while i was at work today. for those of you tat dont know....i just installed the superlift on my truck. and it hopped all over the place. and to drive straight i had the steering wheel at about 2 o clock. anyway, the guy got it and my brother calls me and says the guy told him i probably didnt need it just because i got it lifted. but i *****ed at him and told them to do it anyway cuz his *** wasnt driving it. well, i got it back this afternoon....still isnt right... chakes real bad just cruisin and its still at about 1 o clock to hold it straight.

 

His tires would be all messed up and worn by the time he got down there. lol