hi, new member here, looking for help. i have a 2000 F150, bought it used a year or so ago. during a routine service i asked my mechanic to do an alignment, and he said i needed to have an "alignment kit" installed first. i believe its also called a "camber kit". i've never heard of such a thing, that a special "kit" has to be installed first before a routine alignment can be done. my mechanic has never steered me wrong before, but its a sad fact that women can get taken advantage of in an auto shop, not knowing much about vehicles.... i just wanted to do a little research before i spent money on this mysterious "kit". thank you!
nancy

 

Welcome Nancy !

Yes, it is unacceptable for dealers to take advantage of uninformed customers. This doesn't sound like the situation from your description. "IF" your truck needs the "CAMBER" set during an alignment and you have never had the camber bolt & washer kit installed, you will need the "ALIGNMENT KIT" installed. The camber is adjusted at the upper control arm bolts. From the factory, they are bolted into one position, with no adjustability available. The kit replaces these bolts with the typical adjustable cam-type bolts and washers. This thread shows what they look like...scroll down:

http://www.f150online.com/forums/sho...ghlight=camber

 

oh Ford.... thanks for your reply, i feel much better now about spending the money! i'm heading off on a 1200-mile trip next month and will definitely get this done before then. (just went to the dealer yesterday to get the cruise control disabled as per the recall, its just one thing after another, isn't it?)
thanks again
nancy

 

You're Welcome ! Yup, it's common and no big deal. Have fun on your road trip.