Originally Posted by RCWorks

Firestone, Walmart, Sears and Midas are 3 of great things to have around if your in the business of fixing cars... They make work for me. Walmart is the best neighbor I ever had at work! Striping oilpan drain holes is a specialty over there.

I used firestone to hang tires on my sexy new rims a few years ago.. had them turn my front brakes and put new pads on while i was there. They did good work .. with my big mouth if they do something shady I'm sure I will let them know..

Originally Posted by RCWorks

Firestone, Walmart, Sears and Midas are 3 of great things to have around if your in the business of fixing cars... They make work for me. Walmart is the best neighbor I ever had at work! Striping oilpan drain holes is a specialty over there.

I bought a used car about 15 years ago that had half the front brake caliper bolt holes stripped out.....not as in cross-threaded.....but totally GONE. I found out the hard way when I went to do the front brakes and couldn't figure out why the bolts just kept turning and turning. Had to make a trip to the junk yard to get another bracket.

Had my car at Firestone years ago doing an alignment and they left a nut off one of the bolts.

Another time I had new tires put on at a tire shop and the guy must've cross-threaded one of the lug nuts. I went to take the front wheel off to rotate the tires and one of the lug nuts was really hard to loosen up. I'm out there with a 2ft breaker bar trying to get it off......UGH....UGH.....UGH.....SNAP !. Had to ride into the autoparts store on my bicycle to pick up another wheel stud.

Originally Posted by Usta Bee

I bought a used car about 15 years ago that had half the front brake caliper bolt holes stripped out.....not as in cross-threaded.....but totally GONE. I found out the hard way when I went to do the front brakes and couldn't figure out why the bolts just kept turning and turning. Had to make a trip to the junk yard to get another bracket.

That happened to my neighbors sons jeep Cherokee
,, we spent a few hours helicoiling and making sure everything was safe.. a few days later he got rear ended and it went to the junk yard. I guess his dad is still mad because I see him walking a lot ..

you know you've done a good job when the tech comes out from under ur car with a smile and screams to his buddy "Its all new!"
The shop manager was an ass & kicked me out of the garage but i explained to the store manager I was just curious about the process and he walked me back out.. I'm surprised how close i got it with the old parts and a tape measure

We have the BIG hunter, it will hold a flatbed car hauler... but the part in front of the lift is all the same... A little overboard on the toe in when you put it together...

I swapped out the motor in the 1999 Super Charged Buick Regal and did the front end while I had it apart(Subframe out and on the ground.)... It came off my rack went round the block for the test drive and on to the alignment rack where another tech dragged me over to a near perfect alignment without making any adjustments... I used a level and a tape measure. No adjustments were made. I had put on 4 new tires while it was in, the old motor was a leaker and the control arm rubber parts were bad from being saturated. Since I routinely drive this car at 80mph I like the front end to be nice.

Originally Posted by Park_Flyer

^^^THIS^^^

Of course finding the shop you can trust is a huge hurdle.

Bought tires from Sears, so I figured I'd get it aligned too - usually not an issue. Took it out and it pulled left, took it back to the shop to fix it, got it back, and it still pulled left. Took it back and it pulled right - in fact, I could complete a turn, albeit quite wide, in the empty parking lot next to the store. I ended up demanding and getting a refund and took the vehicle to an actual shop where they got it right the first time.

I bought tires from Sears once. I was lulled in by a 4 for $99 sale. But that didn't include mounting or balancing. Or valve stems or removal/installation or lift fee.
Total came out to $287 Not bad for a set of tires, but I still felt conned and haven't been to a Sears auto service since 1986.

Originally Posted by series57r

[Wheel alignments done right is no waste of money.]

Yes, always start with factory specks.


[3-.5 more caster in right side if you drive on roads with a high crown...] Thats backwards. more caster is more self centering. the right wheel trying to center in the toe in will be to the right.

[3-.5 more caster in right side if you drive on roads with a high crown...]
excepting it'll pull left in left lane. I try to split the difference=same side to side.

If offset bushings, ride height change or any thing that changes geometry;
Tire temps at inner, center ,outer tread is best way to fine tune pressure
and camber. 10-15 degrees hotter on inside than outside for camber.

Tire pressure is center of tire, between inner and outer temps.

Good tire pyrometer is best with a needle probe to penetrate 1/8th inch or so into tread.
An infrared temp gun is a far behind 2nd but useful.
Temps should be taken immediately after hard driving as temps stabilize across tires rapidly. Sometimes I will do one tire per stop.

Inner vs out vs center long term wear is the bottom line for finding proper setting
for a given set up. This assuming camber gain curve is correct.

On some cars where the camber curve is defective due to design good cornering comes from using excessive static + camber. Tire wear suffers, lap times drop. This is mainly in designs where the strut replaces upper link.
This would be rare to find on modern unequal length A arm designs.
The Chapman( Lotus) strut design is sort of in between.
The Miata unequal length A arms is good on tires.
The MR2 with only lower A arm and strut upper link needs extra camber
to reach full potential at the expense of tire wear. The car is quicker and better behaved than the Miata, Lotus Elan. the MR2 with all its suspension draw backs
is the best driving, cornering street sports car I have ever driven.

Reversed A arm lower, camber link upper and upper and lower trailing links
( trail the chassis) I basically all around best. More expense. Formula/CanAm
car territory.

Now that you see how long it will take to do yourself properly(post#48)
Bet you will spend the $80
Then you can fine tune it from there.

Toe Out
toe out works fine and makes the car turn in quicker on Anti Ackerman steering
as long as no darting under the brakes. this due to bushing flex/give.

Ackerman with zero toe lets the car leave the corner with less rolling resistance.
Drivers love it. lap times drop, tire life increases.

IRS-always toe in.
Never run toe out, unless the driver is the right one for it. The car will turn
free or less tire scrub/drag, Over steer can get real sneaky.

If we go deeper into this:
The definition of slip angle is the difference between where the rim is pointed and the direction the tire tread is pointed. They are never the same unless tire is solid rubber!
The rear always has a greater slip angle than front so the car can turn properly.
This is why the side wall on rear is usually taller than front.(aspect ratio)

My post are what it takes to make Formula and other high performance cars work.
Your pick up truck can benefit from same except with equal slip angles even sometimes more slip front than rear.....Well it's a Truck

......

Originally Posted by Leather Helmet

I have always worked at places that pushed you to upsell, its a business. One thing is true though, I dont ever go against my upbringing and sell someone something they dont need. I am not a fan of too frequent fluid flushes etc, just follow the manual. Having said that, alignments are critical to tire life. I see HUNDREDS of cars with chewed up tires, and try to sell a customer an alignment, and they dont buy it, then a car rolls in with pristine wearing tires and the customer wants one up front. So, its a question of how good do you want to take care of your vehicle. If you just had it checked, havent hit anything substantial, and know your suspension parts arent worn, dont buy into the upsell, but if you dont know, have it checked. Ask to walk back with the tech, and have him show you the looseness, worn parts, split boots,etc. If the guy is honest, he WONT, have a problem with showing, you. If you are troubled,seek a second opinion.

I did a lot of sales and service. I would never sell anyone anything they didn't want or need. I would give them their options, explain them and let them decide. I might even tell them they DIDN`T need something. Frequently they would spend more than they expected, but they weren't upset about spending the money.

Originally Posted by Usta Bee

......

Hey Usta, is there a text to go with the picture?
Looks like a late 50s early 60s Formula Jr. or Formula III car set up for minimum
traction on motor cycle tires(oops-Tyres) to slide around.

This would be a set up for gymkhana events. The Brits are heavy into this, not as much as there was over here at one time. Last one I participated in we added
a twist to the event,.Blind folded the drivers! We did require a navigator requiring 2 seat minimum cars

The Chassis is unidentifiable by me. could be a butchered OSCA or remotely a
Lotus 18. These things were coming out of every where. All it took was a few bucks of tubing, a torch and rod of choice and several days to build a chassis to fit what ever legal engine and gearbox was laying around And another week to fit and hang components and suspension while someone was wheeling the aluminum body work. 2 weeks of work had you on the track
Other than the big guys rarely was any design work done, chalk lines on the floor
sometimes. Alejandro De Tomaso was know for having built his cars on sawhorses in the pig pen behind his fathers shop!

Those were the day my friend!

.

I got a question for you car guy's. My wife has a 2010 Scion XB and the GoodYear tires that came on it wore out in 32K miles so I put some Michelin's on it. It drives perfectly straight but for some reason the outside edge of the tires are chewing up. I took it to the local shop to get an alignment and they said the toe was out. They adjusted it to spec. I had them rotate the back tires up front that showed none of the edge wear but they are now chewing up on the outside edge just like before the alignment. So I took it back in and they checked it again but said it was still in spec. Any advice would be appreciated.

Sorry to high jack the thread

Originally Posted by RCWorks

Firestone, Walmart, Sears and Midas are 3 of great things to have around if your in the business of fixing cars... They make work for me. Walmart is the best neighbor I ever had at work! Striping oilpan drain holes is a specialty over there.

I worked in a shop when I was 15 & 16 years old. We got a car in one day w an oil leak. Turns out the guys at Walmart stripped the drain pan plug, and GLUED it back in

Originally Posted by srt8madness

I worked in a shop when I was 15 & 16 years old. We got a car in one day w an oil leak. Turns out the guys at Walmart stripped the drain pan plug, and GLUED it back in

The local Walmart has a "signature", they hit the drain plug with sealing wax... After they put it in sidweays with a 1/2" impact gun.

I saw one from Walmart where they managed to crack an aluminum pan. On the bright side Walmart pays it's repair bills in a timely manner.

Originally Posted by ambientech

I got a question for you car guy's. My wife has a 2010 Scion XB and the GoodYear tires that came on it wore out in 32K miles so I put some Michelin's on it. It drives perfectly straight but for some reason the outside edge of the tires are chewing up. I took it to the local shop to get an alignment and they said the toe was out. They adjusted it to spec. I had them rotate the back tires up front that showed none of the edge wear but they are now chewing up on the outside edge just like before the alignment. So I took it back in and they checked it again but said it was still in spec. Any advice would be appreciated.

Sorry to high jack the thread

FIRST OF ALL every where I have posted positive camber change to read negative. Can old age cause Dyslexia? Another good reason to get out of the Race Car business.

All mention of caster should be in the negative.

Starting with this post, I will correct self.

Not sure what a Scion is. Toyota?
Dampers and springs in good shape?
No worn parts?
Stock ride height?
Did the Goodyear wear this way also?
Goodrich T/As is the way to go. They stay balanced, carcass never separate from the belts(nylon belts) and for what ever reason flats are extremely rare.
Their soft compound life span is short and 99% of drivers have no clue what to do with that level of available grip. Ware rating indicates this.

Right now the Miata has some brand I don't remember but at the time was the hardest compound I could find, the wife is happy and even if I go out to have fun in the car it is livable.
Bridgestone has some very good tires, possibly better than the BFGs for traction
don't know about wear life. Same for Yokohama and several others.

My opinion of Goodyear and Michelin is they do have a good advertising department. Firestone as well.

Dampers and springs in good shape?
No worn parts?
Stock ride height?

Add - camber if this is from straight line wear.

Add + Caster if its only in corners.

To much toe in can do this as well.

How to tell which one in street driving conditions?

Might have her drive it slowly in as tight a circle as possible while you walk, run beside the car. see if it seem to run up on the outer edge.
Also look from static position might be able to tell.
Or have her drive is in circle for 2-3 minutes and then check outer and inner tread temp with an infra red temp gun. Harbor freight has a decent and apparently accurate one.
The inside should be 10-15deg hotter than outside. 5 deg difference in the reading should be ok.

I found the Chevy Pick ups and Suburbans do much better and drive better
when set to negative camber. The book calls for positive and the outsides
wear fast.

There are more conditions that can cause this sort of thing, an example could be 10" wide rims and tires for a geometry designed to handle 6" max widths.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by series57r

FIRST OF ALL every where I have posted positive camber change to read negative. Can old age cause Dyslexia? Another good reason to get out of the Race Car business.

All mention of caster should be in the negative.

Starting with this post, I will correct self.

Not sure what a Scion is. Toyota?
Dampers and springs in good shape?
No worn parts?
Stock ride height?
Did the Goodyear wear this way also?
Goodrich T/As is the way to go. They stay balanced, carcass never separate from the belts(nylon belts) and for what ever reason flats are extremely rare.
Their soft compound life span is short and 99% of drivers have no clue what to do with that level of available grip. Ware rating indicates this.

Right now the Miata has some brand I don't remember but at the time was the hardest compound I could find, the wife is happy and even if I go out to have fun in the car it is livable.
Bridgestone has some very good tires, possibly better than the BFGs for traction
don't know about wear life. Same for Yokohama and several others.

My opinion of Goodyear and Michelin is they do have a good advertising department. Firestone as well.

Dampers and springs in good shape?
No worn parts?
Stock ride height?

Add - camber if this is from straight line wear.

Add + Caster if its only in corners.

To much toe in can do this as well.

How to tell which one in street driving conditions?

Might have her drive it slowly in as tight a circle as possible while you walk, run beside the car. see if it seem to run up on the outer edge.
Also look from static position might be able to tell.
Or have her drive is in circle for 2-3 minutes and then check outer and inner tread temp with an infra red temp gun. Harbor freight has a decent and apparently accurate one.
The inside should be 10-15deg hotter than outside. 5 deg difference in the reading should be ok.

I found the Chevy Pick ups and Suburbans do much better and drive better
when set to negative camber. The book calls for positive and the outsides
wear fast.

There are more conditions that can cause this sort of thing, an example could be 10" wide rims and tires for a geometry designed to handle 6" max widths.

Good luck!

It is a Toyota. Springs everything in good shape stock everything including tire size. Yes the Goodyear wore the same way. It drives perfectly straight no shakes or shimmies or bump steer. Thanks for the tips I will check this weekend

Originally Posted by RCWorks

The local Walmart has a "signature", they hit the drain plug with sealing wax... After they put it in sidweays with a 1/2" impact gun.

I saw one from Walmart where they managed to crack an aluminum pan. On the bright side Walmart pays it's repair bills in a timely manner.

No one touches my drain plug!
Come to think about it I no longer allow anyone but me or my son who learned from me
to touch anything on any of our vehicles.
That's 11 street legal and 5 formula cars.
Every now and the I have to learn a new computer system but that's not often.

I don't care who it is when I have tires mounted part of the deal is I tighten the lug nuts or else where I go.
I started noticing that every time I bought tires a few days later the front rotors would develop enough run out to be a problem. This happens from the uneven stress from those impacts slamming one lug nut home at a time, then get them good and hot stopping a time or 2 and we now have a nice set of warped rotors.
Then have to pull and turn them. Have several brake laths so no real problem to do but just a pain plus might as well clean and pack bearings.....

Now days I bring the torque wrench and do it in a cross pattern in at least 3 passes coming up to the spec for application. No more warped rotors and if the
rim/tire needs to come back off I don't need a 40ft cheater pipe.

Why I own all my own machinery , set up rig
tubing benders and welding stuff and all else sorts of related stuff except a crankgrinding machine.

Has gotten to where every place seems to screw stuff up. Had Craig Taylor at
Taylor racing in Plano Tx. re-case a Hewland gear box. Craig and I raced in the same class so we were/are friends and while we B.S. his man is doing the job.
And has trouble getting the rear bearing carrier to home up all the way.
Before I could stop him to pull it back down an see whats the matter he smacked it with a rubber mallet. Ah there it is he say. I say what popped?
Oh that's normal. me, thats B.S.
This part is part of a chassis adjustment through being able to change any gears ratio in abot 15min at the track. we haul around over 50 different ratios when racing, so I had done this part 100s of times
before.
Got it home a tore it down. The rear bearing carrier was cracked between the upper and lower bore, that took a day of heliarcing and and clean up finally finished off with a bearing scraper. Now on to what went wrong. The bearing bore fro the input end was not flared enough to clear the shaft. Dremel tool took care of that part.
This is why I own Hewland set up jigs!