1965coupe Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 In response to the latest thread about bald tires at 10k miles, I am not at all surprised. At 5000 miles, the insides of the front tires on my car had already starting "cupping" and slightly wearing.. :angry: Realizing that school starts up again in a little over a week, I decided to take my chances and take the car to the dealership for a free alignment check. Yesterday, I spoke with Bud about the issue, and the possible need for camber plates.. apparently this is not an issue SAI has come across.. ok. I also talked to Steve (?) who told me to call back if the issue was not resolved. (regardless of the slight bugs some of the SGT's have [hood scoops/hood pins], SAI is EXTREMELY helpful in resolving the issue. I am not trying to point any fingers here.. just don't want to have to buy $200 camber plates when it already should have them.) Last night I prepped my car for its 2nd trip to the dealer (first was lojack). I washed it, and detailed the engine. I also tucked away the hood pins so there wouldn't be any issues of removing them before popping the hood. I washed the car to make any scratches visible upon return. Yes, I'm very anal about cars; it takes me 3-4 hours just to wash a car (any car). And yes, the SGT is my daily driver.. but I don't want ANYTHING to happen to it.. 7:00 AM: I dropped the car off this morning. The service rep said without camber plates (he owns a Mustang) the only adjustment is toe (because the car is lowered). He said they would do their best to check the alignment. Awesome! And, I told them to be very careful when putting the car on the ramp. 10:00AM: Service rep calls me: "Your camber is WAY OFF! The range for a mustang is 0 to -1.5 degrees, your's is at -2.1 degrees. You are lucky you brought your car in today to have this fixed." Me: (wondering how they are going to fix it without it costing me anything). "okay...." Rep: " I've contacted Shelby. They are nice, but they suggested I call FRPP.. I have also contacted Ford Racing and Ford. The fix is to enlarge (slot) the strut bolt holes. Ford will be paying for the repair." So, back and forth we discussed everything.. All the while we are both trying to figure out how Shelby doesn't check the alignments.. How they can sell a car with a modified suspension.. WITHOUT CHECKING ALIGNMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am just lucky I found a dealer that was willing to work with me. Usually, at other Ford dealers, everything is an argument, with the dealership always claiming it is the customer's fault. The dealership did fix my car- they slotted the strut brackets and everything is good as new. They also rotated the tires for free! Here is the work order: And the clean engine: And yes, I removed the plastic bag from the air cleaner... :unsure: In conclusion, HAVE YOUR CARS CHECKED!!!! I am not trying to bash SAI or these cars, I love mine. I just know that I would have been extremely unhappy if my tires were bald (fronts :rolleyes: ) at 10,000 miles from normal driving. I am still baffled as to why they don't check alignments.... Also: my rental was ALMOST a prius (from hertz), although they didn't have any paper bags to cover my face, so I would have been seen it it.. I did, however, get a toyota matrix. After driving a camry rental, my sister's corolla, the matrix, and my buddy's tundra, HOW IS TOYOTA AHEAD OF FORD????? .. Can anyone please explain the reason as to why they are so popular? I'm lost.. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccoystudio_merged Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Well, did it handle any better or worse? And you are braver than me letting someone other than yourself "slot" the brackets. I am with you I DD mine and its real clean haha :D Keep us posted about any differences you notice, this is interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilmor Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 I would expect the camber to be off of stock alignment w/ the lowering, heck you can look at the front tires and see the negative camber. Usually this contributes to better handling, less understeer, but will result in more rapid inside tire wear, although I wouldn't want extreme wear, obviously. My car drives and steers fantastically, w/ absolutely no wheel / tire vibration or unusual noise. I'll be checking my tires more frequently. Maybe what we need is "Shelby GT alignment" specs, if such a thing exists, not Mustang GT alignment specs, so when we do need an alignment we will have the correct specs. In any event, I prefer the more negative camber because it's going to help my autocrossing times! - but not so much that the tires wear out in 5k miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stg Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 In response to the latest thread about bald tires at 10k miles, I am not at all surprised. At 5000 miles, the insides of the front tires on my car had already starting "cupping" and slightly wearing.. :angry: Realizing that school starts up again in a little over a week, I decided to take my chances and take the car to the dealership for a free alignment check. Yesterday, I spoke with Bud about the issue, and the possible need for camber plates.. apparently this is not an issue SAI has come across.. ok. I also talked to Steve (?) who told me to call back if the issue was not resolved. (regardless of the slight bugs some of the SGT's have [hood scoops/hood pins], SAI is EXTREMELY helpful in resolving the issue. I am not trying to point any fingers here.. just don't want to have to buy $200 camber plates when it already should have them.) Last night I prepped my car for its 2nd trip to the dealer (first was lojack). I washed it, and detailed the engine. I also tucked away the hood pins so there wouldn't be any issues of removing them before popping the hood. I washed the car to make any scratches visible upon return. Yes, I'm very anal about cars; it takes me 3-4 hours just to wash a car (any car). And yes, the SGT is my daily driver.. but I don't want ANYTHING to happen to it.. 7:00 AM: I dropped the car off this morning. The service rep said without camber plates (he owns a Mustang) the only adjustment is toe (because the car is lowered). He said they would do their best to check the alignment. Awesome! And, I told them to be very careful when putting the car on the ramp. 10:00AM: Service rep calls me: "Your camber is WAY OFF! The range for a mustang is 0 to -1.5 degrees, your's is at -2.1 degrees. You are lucky you brought your car in today to have this fixed." Me: (wondering how they are going to fix it without it costing me anything). "okay...." Rep: " I've contacted Shelby. They are nice, but they suggested I call FRPP.. I have also contacted Ford Racing and Ford. The fix is to enlarge (slot) the strut bolt holes. Ford will be paying for the repair." So, back and forth we discussed everything.. All the while we are both trying to figure out how Shelby doesn't check the alignments.. How they can sell a car with a modified suspension.. WITHOUT CHECKING ALIGNMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am just lucky I found a dealer that was willing to work with me. Usually, at other Ford dealers, everything is an argument, with the dealership always claiming it is the customer's fault. The dealership did fix my car- they slotted the strut brackets and everything is good as new. They also rotated the tires for free! Here is the work order: And the clean engine: And yes, I removed the plastic bag from the air cleaner... :unsure: In conclusion, HAVE YOUR CARS CHECKED!!!! I am not trying to bash SAI or these cars, I love mine. I just know that I would have been extremely unhappy if my tires were bald (fronts :rolleyes: ) at 10,000 miles from normal driving. I am still baffled as to why they don't check alignments.... Also: my rental was ALMOST a prius (from hertz), although they didn't have any paper bags to cover my face, so I would have been seen it it.. I did, however, get a toyota matrix. After driving a camry rental, my sister's corolla, the matrix, and my buddy's tundra, HOW IS TOYOTA AHEAD OF FORD????? .. Can anyone please explain the reason as to why they are so popular? I'm lost.. :o Mine was done thursday, by the dealer 7200 miles ,, everything was good ,only thing off was the toe , it was out just a little , I think it has alot to with the car being built on a FRIDAY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelbyCobra826 Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 And yes, I removed the plastic bag from the air cleaner... :unsure: Like I said last time...when I hit 140 I heard this "swoosh" sound, and the engine cut out. The dealer said the filter wasn't able to exceed the airflow required above 135... Cr@p; I knew I should have never posted that story... <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Also: my rental was ALMOST a prius (from hertz), although they didn't have any paper bags to cover my face, so I would have been seen it it.. I did, however, get a toyota matrix. After driving a camry rental, my sister's corolla, the matrix, and my buddy's tundra, HOW IS TOYOTA AHEAD OF FORD????? .. Can anyone please explain the reason as to why they are so popular? I'm lost.. :o Great marketing campaign and, unfortunately, a generation of followers here in America. I have a 04 Dodge RAM as my DD. I've driven the Titan and the Tundra, my knees are against the dash! Clunky plastic vehicles for the baggy pant generation. rambling, I know. Just my .02 :D Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stump_breaker Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Great marketing campaign and, unfortunately, a generation of followers here in America. I have a 04 Dodge RAM as my DD. I've driven the Titan and the Tundra, my knees are against the dash! Clunky plastic vehicles for the baggy pant generation. rambling, I know. Just my .02 :D Dan All vehicles are plastic these days and (so far) the 08 Titan has to be the best truck I have ever owned dollar for dollar. My 03 Avalanche was probably the best truck ever but it was in a completely different money class. Are you sure you don't mean the Frontier? I have the 08 king cab and even with the seats slid forward a bit there is plenty of room for my 6'1" butt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLa1Rob Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 If your butt is 6'1", I'd hate to see the rest of you. robin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stump_breaker Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 If your butt is 6'1", I'd hate to see the rest of you. robin how funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuLu Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 I said it in the other thread, I need to say it here. I may get noted on Amy's/Bud's "hit list", but this is true, and I can't keep this from my brotherhood of SGT owners. There is no way in Hell you can install the FRP front suspension bits on a stock Mustang GT without checking the alignment and making some adjustments. Just not responsible wrenching, period. Sure...Some of you may luck out with close to OEM specs and slip out the door, and this is what warrantys are for. But, any wrench anywhere will tell you, you cannot mess with the front suspensions like this and not check alignment specs before it goes out the door, without a signed waiver. Nothing wrong with that either. I've had many spring/shock upgrades over the years, where the first thing I was told, was to get it aligned. My point is, I was told, and I got it done. That reply from SAI in the other thread..."pre-aligned from FRP" really pizzed me off. The SGT is famous for it's handling, not it's power, and no one at SAI checks alignment? Really? WTF? When my LuLu wakes up in the spring, her first drive will be to my favorite rack. She's got about 4.5K on her now, and if I need new tires, I will get them for free, trust me. BTW, the stock BFGs don't impress me and they don't wear very well, I like Pirelli. The Pirelli tires don't wear any better, but talk about sticky! So, it's a trade-off. I don't care about buying new tires every 10K, but I do care about the fun I have in that 10K, and Pirelli does it for me. Be safe, gents, and get your SGT to an alignment rack soon, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965coupe Posted January 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 Well, did it handle any better or worse? And you are braver than me letting someone other than yourself "slot" the brackets. I am with you I DD mine and its real clean haha :D Keep us posted about any differences you notice, this is interesting. Honestly, I could not tell there was anything different about my car. Of course, I couldn't have gotten back in my car fast enough after driving the Matrix. On the freeway, the car tracked perfectly, no wandering, and the steering wheel is perfectly straight. As far as handling, felt the same, and there are some nasty curves in the wine country... I have acheived my goal: a car that drives down the road without eating tires, and it did not cost me a dime.. B) Now, about that gas cap.. :blink: Like I said last time...when I hit 140 I heard this "swoosh" sound, and the engine cut out. The dealer said the filter wasn't able to exceed the airflow required above 135... Cr@p; I knew I should have never posted that story... <_< Funny thing- my air filter was actually... loose. :unsure: I'm guessing the same person that forget to check my alignment, forgot to tighten the air filter.. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Passum Posted January 12, 2008 Report Share Posted January 12, 2008 Honestly, I could not tell there was anything different about my car. Of course, I couldn't have gotten back in my car fast enough after driving the Matrix. On the freeway, the car tracked perfectly, no wandering, and the steering wheel is perfectly straight. As far as handling, felt the same, and there are some nasty curves in the wine country... I have acheived my goal: a car that drives down the road without eating tires, and it did not cost me a dime.. B) [/b] Now, about that gas cap.. :blink: Funny thing- my air filter was actually... loose. :unsure: I'm guessing the same person that forget to check my alignment, forgot to tighten the air filter.. :rolleyes: Hey, good on you Chris and thanks for giving the rest of us a heads up. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccoystudio_merged Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Cool glad you dig it... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSM3071 Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Just to add a bit, I sent my car to be aligned after reading this post just in case and found out my car wasn't properly aligned either <_< . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColoradoShelbyGT Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Can anyone post what the alignment specs should be with the FRPP suspension? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STLShelby Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 I said it in the other thread, I need to say it here. I may get noted on Amy's/Bud's "hit list", but this is true, and I can't keep this from my brotherhood of SGT owners. There is no way in Hell you can install the FRP front suspension bits on a stock Mustang GT without checking the alignment and making some adjustments. Just not responsible wrenching, period. Sure...Some of you may luck out with close to OEM specs and slip out the door, and this is what warrantys are for. But, any wrench anywhere will tell you, you cannot mess with the front suspensions like this and not check alignment specs before it goes out the door, without a signed waiver. Nothing wrong with that either. I've had many spring/shock upgrades over the years, where the first thing I was told, was to get it aligned. My point is, I was told, and I got it done. That reply from SAI in the other thread..."pre-aligned from FRP" really pizzed me off. The SGT is famous for it's handling, not it's power, and no one at SAI checks alignment? Really? WTF? When my LuLu wakes up in the spring, her first drive will be to my favorite rack. She's got about 4.5K on her now, and if I need new tires, I will get them for free, trust me. BTW, the stock BFGs don't impress me and they don't wear very well, I like Pirelli. The Pirelli tires don't wear any better, but talk about sticky! So, it's a trade-off. I don't care about buying new tires every 10K, but I do care about the fun I have in that 10K, and Pirelli does it for me. Be safe, gents, and get your SGT to an alignment rack soon, eh? I agree with everything you said LuLu. My car will see street use only, and i want even tire wear since i will be changing to different wheels and more expensive tires in the future. Called the dealer last week. They ordered the camber kits and will be installing them and realigning the front end under warranty. Fortunately mine only has 800 miles on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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