Alignment Shop

Called Fleet Pride, they sell only parts and no services around this area. Called so called H.D. truck repair and was told they send all alignments out to Les Swab, you got to be kidding. Next guy wanted $400.00, $150 to just look. So much for that one. Seems like Truck alignments are not really done in my area. Found a place in Anderson, Ca. that seems to know what they are doing and at a reasonable cost. That is where I am going, Terrills Truck Alignment in Anderson, Ca., 150 miles away. You really have to be careful with alignment shops around here.

Anybody hear of Terrills Truck Alignment in Anderson, California?

I don't have the report handy, but they did adjust caster and camber when they did the alignment. The place I went (Central Tire in Verona, Virginia) is built for large trucks and they have one technician that specializes in motor homes. I can get the report when I get home and post the results.

All I know is, it's easier to drive and handling is improved. Well worth the money.

Elizabeth

When I needed a front alignment for my MH. Medium Duty truck dealer sent me to Fleet Pride. They did a great job.

Now that you mention the $$$ difference I can add this. Some chain tire outfits, and I will emphasize "some", will only check and adust the Toe because the Caster and Camber can be too complicated. The E350/E450 require either adjustable OR a selection of fixed Caster/Camber alignment sleeves in order to change the caster and camber. An example of the adjustable sleeves are the Ingall 59400s but they have a limitation. The limitation is you must rob from Peter to pay Paul. If a unit requires a lot of CAMBER then there may not be much CASTER adjustment available. It appears that a light front end results in a lot of CAMBER adjustment being required not leaving much for caster adjustment. For the purpose of handling stability more +caster is good. The Ford specified range for caster is about +1.5 to +7.5 degrees. You want to have at least +5.5 caster (or more for a lighter front end) IMO.

So, if the $300.00 gives you the full meal deal then it is worth it. If the $65.00 deal is a tweak of the TOE and the rest (CASTER and CAMBER) are "good to go" then it is not worth the $65.00 IMO.

Harvard wrote:

eabc5454 wrote:
.....
The MH handles better than it did prior to alignment. ...

If this is for an E350 E450 any chance you could share the alignment report, maybe start a new thread as I do not mean to hijack the OPs goal to find a good alignment shop.

Please do, I need that info. He said it cost him $65.00, my estimate from a local auto tire dealer was over $300. Is that un-reasonale? Not sure if they know best way to align a motorhome. They said they have done motorhomes.

eabc5454 wrote:
.....
The MH handles better than it did prior to alignment. ...

If this is for an E350 E450 any chance you could share the alignment report, maybe start a new thread as I do not mean to hijack the OPs goal to find a good alignment shop.

I'm not in California anymore - I grew up there - but I just went through this for my new MH. Thor and Ford both recommend a wheel alignment after you load it the way you'll drive it. I called all of the Ford dealers in the immediate area (we live in a fairly rural area) and none of them had a lift big enough. I called a few tire/wheel alignment places, same story. I then got the tip from people here to try a truck tire place. Bingo! They made an appointment for two days later, were great to deal with and did a great job. The MH handles better than it did prior to alignment. They used plastic on the floor and seat, checked and topped off fluids and were courteous and quick. $65 - best bargain around.

Happy camping!

There is a very good one in Santa Maria.

2006 FORD E-450 Chassis on a 2007 31 Ft. Gulfstream Yellowstone Cruiser.