Ugh. Tires and Dealership Woes

[OR VietVet]

Alignment "check" and alignment "inspection" are different IMO. The check, is just a sight inspection for anything obvious, like uneven wear in your case. The inspection would be on a rack with gauges and a printout of what the settings are now. The word "check" is on purpose. You will likely get no help with a complaint but the "squeaky wheel gets the grease".

 

[DenaliMan16]

@DenaliMan16 How often do you rotate the tires on this truck? Have the upper and lower ball joints been checked on this vehicle yet? You can do it yourself if you know how to use a dial indicator and some basic tools like a floor jack and jack stands.

Remember, one can have their car aligned and then have it knocked out on the way home by hitting a speed bump too fast, a curb, etc.

Every ~6500 miles for a rotate give or take. I’ll hsve to check with the dealership on the ball joints. I don’t exactly know how to do it but perhaps it would be worth learning.

Yea, I guess that’s a possibility, I don’t recall anything like that but ya never know. Wife has been driving it to so ...

 

[DenaliMan16]

L

Alignment "check" and alignment "inspection" are different IMO. The check, is just a sight inspection for anything obvious, like uneven wear in your case. The inspection would be on a rack with gauges and a printout of what the settings are now. The word "check" is on purpose. You will likely get no help with a complaint but the "squeaky wheel gets the grease".

haha. I’ll be the squeaky wheel ! I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to ask and push the issue.

 

[swathdiver]

Every ~6500 miles for a rotate give or take. I’ll hsve to check with the dealership on the ball joints. I don’t exactly know how to do it but perhaps it would be worth learning.

Yea, I guess that’s a possibility, I don’t recall anything like that but ya never know. Wife has been driving it to so ...

Let's say this wear occurred between the last rotation and now. To my way of thinking, that would eliminate a bad ball joint.

Skipping a rotation or two and doing a lot of city driving will wear tires down like that. Then of course we have the toe being knocked out and or bad tie rods as possibilities as well.

Many dealerships have a portable Hunter Alignment machine that they move into the service area where customer's cars are dropped off. A technician checks the alignment of each car before it goes back to the bays to be worked on, it only takes a minute or so to check the alignment these days with such a machine. Pretty cool tech.

 

[OR VietVet]

Let's say this wear occurred between the last rotation and now. To my way of thinking, that would eliminate a bad ball joint.

Skipping a rotation or two and doing a lot of city driving will wear tires down like that. Then of course we have the toe being knocked out and or bad tie rods as possibilities as well.

Many dealerships have a portable Hunter Alignment machine that they move into the service area where customer's cars are dropped off. A technician checks the alignment of each car before it goes back to the bays to be worked on, it only takes a minute or so to check the alignment these days with such a machine. Pretty cool tech.

I knew of and completely forgot about that tech equipment. Sucks getting old. What year is this again?

 

[mb1500]

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